chaadster

Yeah, they are spendy, particularly when considered you receive a pair of equally functional, expanding BEPS when you buy nice bar tapes like Supacaz or Ciclovation.

KustomCaps do be the dopest, tho.

I have a few sitting around…



KustomCaps bar end plugs

Supacaz bar end plugs

Ciclovation bar end plugs

PeteHski

I don't see the point in over-engineered bar end plugs. I just wrap the tape from bottom-up with 5 mm of overlap at the start, tuck it over and push the plastic plugs in that weigh 2.5g. Job done, move along.

chaadster

A nice bar end plug is an heirloom piece, maybe?

For my part, I just don’t like having to worry about knocking one out when I’m shuffling my bikes around; I don’t have enough space for them all, I’m hasty and disorganized, and I’ve had it happen more than once. I don’t like having my tape come loose on a ride, I don’t like the hassle of buying new ones, and I definitely don’t like mismatched plugs, either. I’m definitely not the kind of guy who’s going to wind some electrical tape around the end and call it good, nor is a cork jammed in there going to do it for me, either.

For those reasons, I like secure plugs.

mstateglfr 

Yes they expand. Keep tightening the bolt- it reduces the space and compresses the rubber plug. That is the expansion.

mstateglfr 

Fair enough. Everyone has their quirks/preferences. I dislike the cheap plugs that come with almost every package of bar tape. Most wedge in fine, but some wiggle back loose a slight bit. Most look fine after use, but some scuff up easily since its cheap plastic.
Again though, there is no right or wrong to any of this.


I like sugar skulls, so I have em on all my bar end plugs except the one with bar end shifters. It is absolutely an unnecessary cost. This is a hobby- almost everything any of us purchases is unnecessary.

indyfabz

I nearly learned that lesson the really hard way. Has to be one of the dumbest things I ever did while riding. I wish there were an EKG readout of that moment.

PeteHski

I would get it if there was a problem with a well fitted "normal" plug. But I don't have any of those issues you mention. It's like all bike related stuff. Some people have problems, others don't.

billridesbikes

I use old wine corks that I pound in with a rubber mallet (not while I’m riding).

blinky

Thanks makes sense but without holding the washer don't see how turning the screw pulls the washer up and then ultimately expanding the cork ?/

blinky

I inserted my new adjustable ones and tightened the screw down expecting the rubber cork to eventually be tight against the inside of the bar and then not allow for any more tightening but I can still turn the screw making me wonder if that's normal or did I strip it ??

SoSmellyAir

I do not have Kustom Kaps but I do have Cannondale expandable bar ends that are structurally similar to the Supercaz ones.

You do not have to "tighten" the bolt in an expandable bar end like the other bolts on your bike. Treat the bolt in an expandable bar end as a means to adjust the extent of the expansion (like your derailleur limit screws), and "tighten" it to expand the expandable part just enough so that the bar end stays wedged in the end of your handlebar.

blinky

Thanks for the tip and for responding , makes sense , I was overthinking it .

woodcraft

Kustomcaps= painfully heavy. They could market them as "weighted bar end plugs"

PeteHski

+1
A pair of "normal" plastic caps is less than 5g.

chaadster

Even less when one gets knocked out.

PeteHski

You keep saying that, but in nearly 50 years of riding I don't remember ever losing a bar plug. Maybe I need to try harder to knock them out?

chaadster

if you wanna save weight, yeah.

SoSmellyAir

I guess one who installs these is not concerned whether his or her carbon handlebar is < 200 g.

genejockey 

You need the lighter handlebar to compensate for the heavy plugs. If you use the plastic ones that come with the tape, you can just use an aluminum bar.

woodcraft

I use screw/wedge plugs at a weight penalty of ~16g- they stay put and eliminate the temptation to pound those stupid plastic ones back in while riding.

But I cut off the excess length of the screws to save a bit of weight, and they match the bar tape, since I care a little about that.

TiHabanero

Wine corks. Easy to remove, yet they never fall out, plus they are light, require no hack with wrapping tape to make work correctly, and they are classy.

chaadster

Jamming leftover bark chunks in your bars is not classy, it’s primitive and rather hobo-ish. I’ll accord credit if it’s a vintage bike from before the era of plastics, but if the bike is from the era of CNC machining, laser etching, anodizing, and 3D printing, then yeah, it’s just slumming.

SoSmellyAir

I am intrigued -- weight reduction FTW -- and have two follow up questions:

1. Do you use the whole cork or precut a certain length prior to insertion into handlebar?
2. How to remove? Does the cork come out when you remove the bar tape?

BCDrums

Corkscrew!

SoSmellyAir

Thanks. Now I do feel a bit stupid for having asked that question. I am just to used to using this: Amazon.com: Monopol Westmark Germany Steel Two-Prong Cork Puller with Cover (Silver Satin): Wine Accessory Sets: Home & Kitchen