Keeping white bar tape white?

[Rafa]

Hi Y’all,

I recently replaced my thirty year old Raleigh Technium with a fifteen year old Serotta Legend Ti. (I joined this forum at about the same time, so this is also my first post.) Needless to say, the Serotta is a dream. I’m really digging the white bar tape, but dang, it’s hard to keep clean. Two questions:

1. What are good ways to keep it clean? A bike mechanic buddy mentioned citrus degreaser, but do other folks have other ideas?

2. Is there a preferred brand of white tape that people use because of comfort/clean-ability?

3. Gloves, or no gloves?

Thanks,

Rafa in Austin

[Ken Robb]

Wash your hands. Welcome to the land of smart Alecs. :)

[vqdriver]

I think it totally depends on the actual tape itself. Some are more porous / soft / absorbent than others. Ive cleaned those with some dilute windex. The fizik tape that I'm using now is a high gloss white and is easily clean with a damp cloth.

[jtakeda]

Have a roll of new tape on hand.

I like the look of dirty white tape though

[msl819]

I believe matching saddle and tape. White saddles are equally as hard to keep clean. They look great but are high maintenance. Heaven forbid you get geese on your hands changing a flat or the likes.

[dave thompson]

Windex or alcohol often works quite well.

[dbnm]

Saran wrap.

[Cicli]

My white tape is black. No issue here.
Seriously, leather and Fizik are easiest to keep clean.

[ojingoh]

Fizik is the best to keep clean. The "cork" stuff from Cinelli is actually EVA - ethyl vinyl acetate - it's the stuff jogging shoes are made from. It's open cell foam, it's going to get dirty.

[Idris Icabod]

To clean I use oxiclean and a terry towel. I don’t wear gloves when riding.

[Matthew]

Beautiful Serotta!! I use windex as well or baby wipes.

[Seramount]

Fizik Microtex white tape stays white for a long time.

cleans up nicely with just a little dish soap or windex and a damp cloth.

[shovelhd]

Citrus degreaser.

[hmai18]

Cork / foam tape will only be white before your maiden voyage.

If you want white tape that's easy to clean, you want something non-porous. Fizik Microtex is probably the most widely available solution, but you're looking for something with the same material/texture.

Solutions for cleaning in ascending order of aggressiveness:
soapy water > degreaser / Windex > Mr Clean Magic Erasers

[Tickdoc]

I echo the beautiful bike sentiment. I have nothing to add to whiteness, but most athletic shoe stores like footlocker sell some magic stuff to keep your kicks White that would probably work well on bartape too.

[bironi]

Clean hands and an occasional cleaning with soft scrub. I use cork tape.

[OtayBW]

A citrus degreaser cleans up the white Cinelli cork on my Legend just fine...:banana:

[adub]

White bar tape makes as much sense as white underwear.

Sorry, couldn't resist! :banana:

[rccardr]

Ronsonal lighter fluid and a CLEAN rag. I have white tape on several bikes, and it always looks new, even after years of use.

Gloves, every ride.

[quickfeet]

Blue, and only blue, dawn dish soap

[cadence90]

Blue, and only blue, dawn dish soap

x2.

Blue Dawn is the best household dish detergent for bicycle cleaning out there. Works great on ti frames too.
.
.

[Brian Cdn]

Resolve laundry stain remover and a scrub brush.

[stackie]

I had one of the Fizik bar tapes on my bike for over two years and it looked pretty much spotless. Just a little wipe with pledge when I did the bike. I can't remember which one it was, but it was a bit on the shiny side. I never had problems with grip, however. It only came off as needed to rebuilt after a traumatic car incident. I have another less shiny Fizik in the parts stash that I'm going to use, just because I have it. Will definitely search out the shiny version if this one soils easily.

White gloves only. And white shoes. Total Euro-trash.

Jon

[cribbit]

Black tape it never gets dirty the longer you use it the blacker it gets

[lhuerta]

409

[Peter P.]

White bar tape makes as much sense as white underwear.

Sorry, couldn't resist! :banana:

In a similar vein: Keeping white bar tape white is as easy as herding moths.

[Tony T]

I don't use white tape, so I can't provide personal experience, however, I read once that Lemon Pledge works well (but I would expect that this would make the tape slippery).

[bigbill]

A good patina shows an appreciated bike. Here is the Ti bike with white Cinelli tape back in June after a ride over to Skull Valley from Prescott. Contrast the white saddle and truck against the tape. I've had new white tape on the shelf since last summer, I'm waiting for it to tear or otherwise wear out. At this point, I'm probably holding out until next spring.

[fignon's barber]

Fizik Microtex white tape stays white for a long time.

cleans up nicely with just a little dish soap or windex and a damp cloth.


This. It's the only white tape you can keep white.

[coffeecake]

Mr Clean Magic Eraser. That works for the Fizik glossy stuff, at least. :D

[Skenry]

Automotive whitewall cleaner

[Rafa]

Thanks for all the suggestions thus far. Sounds like I’ll try the Fizik tape when His stuff wears out. So far, the citrus cleaner works OK, just wanted to see what else is out there. I’m also trying gloveless for a while and yes, washing my hands. Lol.