Comparing the bars on my Raleigh Militis to my old turbo trainer bike, I realised the reason I can barely fit anything onto the bars (even a light & a GPS mount is a struggle) is because the bars are quite a bit narrower than the ones on the turbo trainer bike.
So, I am gonna get some new wider bars for the Militis; I could swap them round, but I don't find the ones on the turbo bike as comfortable.
The bar tape currently fitted isn't that old & hasn't really been ridden on much, so looks brand new. Is it possible to remove this & re-use it or should I just bite the bullet & factor in some new bar tape with my purchase? I don't wanna fit the bars & find I've wrecked the bar tape while trying to remove it, but equally I'd rather not spend money on new bar tape if I don't actually need it. Hey ho - first world problems, and all that!
Also, while on the subject of road bars it seems bloody stupid that some companies measure the width of the bars centre-centre, while others measure outside-outside. The bars i am planning on buying are measured outside-outside, while the ones I have are apparently measured centre-centre. I almost bought a set of bars with virtually the same width as the ones I already have because I didn't realise there were different measuring standards....I only realised while reading a comment in the reviews about it. Hmph.
It can be done, worth a try. Mostly depends on whether you can get it off in one piece. Making a decent job re-applying is a bit of an art too.
It might be possible to take it off and re-use.
depends if it’s sticky, or gel type backing strip.
try taking it off, but keep it pulled tight ish as you remove it from the bars.
there will be an element of luck involved too of course, I’ve managed it a couple of times, but not every time.
I rewrapped mine a couple of months ago, the sticky tape was past its best so i added some double sided tape to the bars. I was also careful to rewrap the tape on the same side as it came off. Done about 400km on it so far and it's not lifted or shifted.
It's one of those jobs that you might get away with and you might not so I wouldn't automatically buy new tape but equally I'd leave yourself plenty of time in case it doesn't work out and you need to start over.
Cheers. Sounds like on balance I'll just get some new tape, in case.
One of those jobs where if I don't have a back-up supply then it'll all go wrong & if I do have the back-up tape it'll go swimmingly & I won't use it. If I don't use it now, it'll get used eventually, I guess.
Ta.
Bought a new bike recently and while I love it, for reasons that I can't explain, the shifters were slightly out of alignment - one being a bit higher than the other. There was no choice but to shift one of them, so I carefully removed the bar tape, repositioned it, and then replaced it. I was very careful not to tear it, but as it was quite thick and chunky (gravel bike), it wasn't hard. This marks the first time I've ever removed and replaced bar tape without ending up chucking it away and replacing, either because I've torn it, or just because the end job looked shabby.
You may also be lucky...
You can get bar tape for £1.20 off ebay from china, it's nice and thick too.
Pro's: lasting better than the previous fizik stuff, does what bar tape is supposed to do, comfortable.
Cons: cheap bar tape always does look kinda cheap, doesn't say fizik on it.
Good thread for this - can anyone recommend half decent bar tape that doesn't cost the earth, but doesn't look rubbish when fitted? I've used Deda stuff in the past and it's seemed half decent for a modest (less than a tenner) sum of money, but I'd happily accept suggestions for alternatives and may stick a few rolls in the toolbox for a rainy day.
Zipp Service Course CX tape is very good, hardwearing and looks good for a reasonable price.
Zipp Service Course CX Bar Tape
I've previously used the SupaCaz stuff which is horribly expensive but was by far the best tape I've ever used but they seem to have changed the makeup of it recently, the last one I bought for my lovely new summer bike was awful, short and wouldn't conform to the bar very well at all.. on that basis I'm going back to the Zipp stuff.
If you prefer your tape thinner the regular Service Course (non CX) tape they do is thinner and doesn't have the texture on it.
eBay bar tape for £1.20.... I'll give that a look!
daern - I'm currently using the dhb stuff from Wiggle. Not really used many other to compare it to, but it seems good. I think they do 3 different prices. I went for the mid range stuff, I think, but it's currently out of stock in the colour I want.
I was tempted to try Deda next...
LifeLine stuff from Wiggle is good for the money, and the more expensive Selcof stuff at PX is also good.
If I don’t use it now, it’ll get used eventually, I guess.
By the time you come to use it you'll have changed bikes and it'll be the wrong colour 🙂
By the time you come to use it you’ll have changed bikes and it’ll be the wrong colour
Black is never the wrong colour, and white is always the wrong colour.
Glad I didn't have to start another thread on this...
I really try to keep my bikes looking tasteful, but always lose control in face of all the colour of tape available, re-taping in black always seems such a missed opportunity...
Would green tape work with a white frame with green decals and a black saddle? I might have to go all 'interior designer' and get some samples to drape over the bars... 🙄
I think the overriding weight of opinion says that bartape should match the saddle rather than the frame.!! 🙂
Well, my Militis is black and white and I went for bright red bar tape. Looks great, I think!
Black is boring and white looks crap as soon as it gets grubby...
Well, my Militis is black and white and I went for bright red bar tape.
I can't disagree, having done the same thing on my otherwise blacked out Canyon Ultimate a few years ago. Although a black and white frame with (presumably) a black saddle can get away with red tape. Having green tape on a green and white bike with a black saddle kinda leaves the saddle out of the colour scheme doesn't it.!?!? Hmmm maybe the colour swatches isn't such a bad idea after all.!! 🙂
#Edit: Oh and I completely agree about white tape unless you have a team mechanic that changes it every other ride.!! 🙂
Well my commuter has gone full magpie, pink frame with blue components, blue tape and black saddle. Looks OK (or rather, the bar tape/saddle are the least bad looking part of the combo!). But yeah, I can't see green bars and black saddle working.
Another month for my collarbone to heal, sounds like enough time to take a picture and photoshop the bars green...