Alternatives to handlebar tape?

On 2016-10-12 16:40, Doug Landau wrote:
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


It was friends who tried cork and they did it per instructions.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 2016-10-12 22:16, Tosspot wrote:
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.


If it's long enough that would work for the lower part of the drop bar
(it's a road bike). But what alternatives are there for the top part? I
use the top 90% or the time.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 2016-10-12 16:59, David Scheidt wrote:
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.


Maybe I should look for Cinelli cork then. Five years is pretty good
although chances are that it won't last that long for me. We have
offroad sections where where scraping through brush is normal. Hold the
bar in the middle, let one hand go for a second if needed, then plow
through. Especially in spring when everything overgrows. Starthistle is
particularly nasty since it grows 5ft high and can really tear into
stuff, T-shirts, skin, handlebar tape.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 2016-10-12 22:07, Tosspot wrote:
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.


Aha, thanks, now we are getting somewhere. I don't even need it all the
way through. Just the lower part up to the brake levers (which I
preferably don't want to have to take off for the job) and then some
part of the upper would be fine.

The regular stuff relies on some flimsy plastic end caps to hold it on.
Caps that often already fly off during the first few offroad stretches.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 2016-10-13 00:30, John B. wrote:
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


Looks like Elkhide is the ticket, like Frank suggested and is shown also
in your link. From an oil job I had boots made with Scandinavian deer
leather and they lasted well over a decade.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 2016-10-13 01:40, Gregory Sutter wrote:
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!


I have nice leather gloves but at 100F that isn't very comfortable.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 2016-10-13 06:05, AMuzi wrote:
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.


Thanks. Less cushy is ok, I only need the aluminum covered with
something durable that prevents the bare aluminum to blacken my hands.

I wish there was some sort of tough yet skin-safe spray-on texture
coating. Clean, maybe sand, mask off rest of bike, shake can ...
phhhhsssst ... done. There ought to be a market for that.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 10/13/2016 9:18 AM, Joerg wrote:
On 2016-10-12 22:16, Tosspot wrote:
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.


If it's long enough that would work for the lower part of
the drop bar (it's a road bike). But what alternatives are
there for the top part? I use the top 90% or the time.


To use insulating foam (made in 1000 foot spools, see any
HVAC supplier) you'll have to remove the levers when
installing the upper section on a road bar. With aero cable
routing this can be tedious and time consuming[1].

[1] For us that's 'billable time'. For you that's 'lost time'.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On 10/13/2016 10:28 AM, Joerg wrote:
On 2016-10-12 22:07, Tosspot wrote:
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.


Aha, thanks, now we are getting somewhere. I don't even need it all the
way through. Just the lower part up to the brake levers (which I
preferably don't want to have to take off for the job) and then some
part of the upper would be fine.

The regular stuff relies on some flimsy plastic end caps to hold it on.
Caps that often already fly off during the first few offroad stretches.

A little heat-shrink tubing of suitably large diameter works for me to
keep the end of the tape permanently in place. Of course, it won't work
for you, for some reason...


--
- Frank Krygowski

On 10/12/2016 7:24 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?

This stuff was once popular:
http://www.grabongrips.com/bicycle.php
Sort of like foam pipe insulation, but more dense.

--
- Frank Krygowski