Alternatives to handlebar tape?

Just renewed the handlebar tape on my road bike. Again. My sweat doesn't
seem to be compatible with it and also it tears whenever I scrape a bush
or something. Friends have told me that it wouldn't be much better if
I'd use cork or some other fancy material. In contrast, the handlebar
rubbers on my MTB have held up over two years with no discrenible wear,
despite several crashes (no crashes with the road bike).

I wouldn't mind riding the bare aluminum which is what I end up doing a
lot once the tape is in tatters. But it leaves nasty black markings in
my palms which are hard to scrub away and might also not be very healthy.

Is there any alternative to this flimsy handlebar tape? Leather that can
be glued on? Half shells that can be screwed on? Some tough texture spray?

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Wednesday, October 12, 2016 at 4:24:32 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
Just renewed the handlebar tape on my road bike. Again. My sweat doesn't
seem to be compatible with it and also it tears whenever I scrape a bush
or something. Friends have told me that it wouldn't be much better if
I'd use cork or some other fancy material. In contrast, the handlebar
rubbers on my MTB have held up over two years with no discrenible wear,
despite several crashes (no crashes with the road bike).

I wouldn't mind riding the bare aluminum which is what I end up doing a
lot once the tape is in tatters. But it leaves nasty black markings in
my palms which are hard to scrub away and might also not be very healthy.

Is there any alternative to this flimsy handlebar tape? Leather that can
be glued on? Half shells that can be screwed on? Some tough texture spray?

sounds like you forgot the shellac

Joerg wrote:
:Just renewed the handlebar tape on my road bike. Again. My sweat doesn't
:seem to be compatible with it and also it tears whenever I scrape a bush
r something. Friends have told me that it wouldn't be much better if
:I'd use cork or some other fancy material. In contrast, the handlebar
:rubbers on my MTB have held up over two years with no discrenible wear,
:despite several crashes (no crashes with the road bike).

:I wouldn't mind riding the bare aluminum which is what I end up doing a
:lot once the tape is in tatters. But it leaves nasty black markings in
:my palms which are hard to scrub away and might also not be very healthy.

:Is there any alternative to this flimsy handlebar tape? Leather that can
:be glued on? Half shells that can be screwed on? Some tough texture spray?

The cork tape on my bikes are five years old, and three. The three
year old stuff is about to come off, because the housings need
replacing. Cinelli cork, ends secured with jute twine, covered in shellac.
Shellac has been touched up a couple times.

--
sig 89

I use handlebar padding -- black foam tubes that you lubricate with
soap and slide on, and when the lubricant dries up it turns to glue.

Leastways that was how I did it when I bought my first set. When it
wore out, I had the guy who overhauled my bike put the new padding on.

The padding gives a good grip, and also makes the bars easier on my
hands. The new padding isn't as thick as the old was when it was new.

Caveat: because it made the bars thicker, I had to have child's brake
levers installed so that I wouldn't tear up my hands reaching levers
that were too wide. Since child's levers don't fit adult handlebars,
installing them took two engineers and a Dremel Moto Tool.

And the child's levers are too narrow to have hoods, so I don't have
as many places to put my hands.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

On Wednesday, October 12, 2016 at 7:24:32 PM UTC-4, Joerg wrote:
Just renewed the handlebar tape on my road bike. Again. My sweat doesn't
seem to be compatible with it and also it tears whenever I scrape a bush
or something. Friends have told me that it wouldn't be much better if
I'd use cork or some other fancy material. In contrast, the handlebar
rubbers on my MTB have held up over two years with no discrenible wear,
despite several crashes (no crashes with the road bike).

I wouldn't mind riding the bare aluminum which is what I end up doing a
lot once the tape is in tatters. But it leaves nasty black markings in
my palms which are hard to scrub away and might also not be very healthy.

Is there any alternative to this flimsy handlebar tape? Leather that can
be glued on? Half shells that can be screwed on? Some tough texture spray?

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

NO! We all now know that there is absolutely nothing bicycle related that'll meet your exacting standards. Buy a number of motorcycle grips and install them end to end until you havethe coverage you need.

Cheerio

On 13/10/16 01:24, Joerg wrote:
Just renewed the handlebar tape on my road bike. Again. My sweat doesn't
seem to be compatible with it and also it tears whenever I scrape a bush
or something. Friends have told me that it wouldn't be much better if
I'd use cork or some other fancy material. In contrast, the handlebar
rubbers on my MTB have held up over two years with no discrenible wear,
despite several crashes (no crashes with the road bike).

I wouldn't mind riding the bare aluminum which is what I end up doing a
lot once the tape is in tatters. But it leaves nasty black markings in
my palms which are hard to scrub away and might also not be very healthy.

Is there any alternative to this flimsy handlebar tape? Leather that can
be glued on? Half shells that can be screwed on? Some tough texture spray?

This stuff

https://www.velovitality.co.uk/produ...wn-on-bar-wrap

Is very good, last forever, but once it's on, it's on, so think about
the state of cable outers.

Been on a friends bike for years, and looks nicer as it tans and stains.

On 13/10/16 03:30, Joy Beeson wrote:

I use handlebar padding -- black foam tubes that you lubricate with
soap and slide on, and when the lubricant dries up it turns to glue.

Leastways that was how I did it when I bought my first set. When it
wore out, I had the guy who overhauled my bike put the new padding on.

The padding gives a good grip, and also makes the bars easier on my
hands. The new padding isn't as thick as the old was when it was new.

I used this on my old butterfly bars, the foam comes in two types, a
lighter density, which is ****, and a much higher density which I used
to get a couple of years out of in daily use. Very comfortable indeed,
easy to fit, when it comes to removing a box cutter will do it in 2 minutes.

On Wed, 12 Oct 2016 16:24:36 -0700, Joerg
wrote:

Just renewed the handlebar tape on my road bike. Again. My sweat doesn't
seem to be compatible with it and also it tears whenever I scrape a bush
or something. Friends have told me that it wouldn't be much better if
I'd use cork or some other fancy material. In contrast, the handlebar
rubbers on my MTB have held up over two years with no discrenible wear,
despite several crashes (no crashes with the road bike).

I wouldn't mind riding the bare aluminum which is what I end up doing a
lot once the tape is in tatters. But it leaves nasty black markings in
my palms which are hard to scrub away and might also not be very healthy.

Is there any alternative to this flimsy handlebar tape? Leather that can
be glued on? Half shells that can be screwed on? Some tough texture spray?

Sure, there are all kings of non-rubber tapes. See:
http://cyclingtips.com/2013/01/bar-tape-tech/

Or talk to Andrew. He probably has some of the old cotton tape stored
away somewhere.

Or Vello Orange:
http://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...bar-grips.html

--
cheers,

John B.

On 2016-10-12, Joerg wrote:

I wouldn't mind riding the bare aluminum which is what I end up doing a
lot once the tape is in tatters. But it leaves nasty black markings in
my palms which are hard to scrub away and might also not be very healthy.

Wear gloves!

--
Gregory S. Sutter Mostly Harmless

http://zer0.org/~gsutter/

On 10/12/2016 6:24 PM, Joerg wrote:
Just renewed the handlebar tape on my road bike. Again. My
sweat doesn't seem to be compatible with it and also it
tears whenever I scrape a bush or something. Friends have
told me that it wouldn't be much better if I'd use cork or
some other fancy material. In contrast, the handlebar
rubbers on my MTB have held up over two years with no
discrenible wear, despite several crashes (no crashes with
the road bike).

I wouldn't mind riding the bare aluminum which is what I end
up doing a lot once the tape is in tatters. But it leaves
nasty black markings in my palms which are hard to scrub
away and might also not be very healthy.

Is there any alternative to this flimsy handlebar tape?
Leather that can be glued on? Half shells that can be
screwed on? Some tough texture spray?


Cork-chunk tape and faux-cork expanded foam are common,
cheap and available in a rainbow of hues, even multicolor
patterns, very popular.
There are also natural cotton tapes, real leather wrap,
sew-on leather panels, vinyl, rubberized and so in many
materials. Stop into an LBS and look at a few dozen tapes.

In particular check out the Torelli ersatz leather wrap
which is tougher surfaced than most (albeit less cushy).
There are some carbon-look tapes of that material too under
various brands.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971