Cloth Tape

[YesNdeed]

Dumb question for those of you who have been around longer than I have. I appreciate your wisdom and experience.

Is cloth tape good as is, or is meant to be a base beneath the super tightly wrapped hard layer?

I'm restoring an old Cannondale Criterium, and when it came to a fresh bar wrap, Newbaum's seemed like a cool choice. And cheap at $5.96 for a ten foot roll, until I realized I need two rolls...wrap and learn.

[jtakeda]

Youre good to go. I use newbaums on a few bikes. My only complaint is when its time to take off it leaves a mess

[YesNdeed]

Youre good to go. I use newbaums on a few bikes. My only complaint is when its time to take off it leaves a mess

Cool, thanks. What do you like to use for plugs? Evidently, the previous owner drinks much better wine than I do. He's a lawyer.

[jtakeda]

Cool, thanks. What do you like to use for plugs? Evidently, the previous owner drinks much better wine than I do. He's a lawyer.

Ha!
A lot of folks use champagne corks. I have some simworks/nitto plugs on one bike and some plastic fizik ones on another

[YesNdeed]

Ha!
A lot of folks use champagne corks. I have some simworks/nitto plugs on one bike and some plastic fizik ones on another

As if I need an excuse to get a couple bottles of Chimay. If those corks don't work, it's all for research purposes and that's ok with me!

[Frankwurst]

All my bikes have cloth tape no padding but I still like friction shifters so don't listen to me.
Cheap wine corks as bar plugs work but you need to drink alot of it to find a cork that suits your needs. If you need some plugs let me know my wife rather enjoys her wine . I often tell her I need to build a new bike and use some of these corks. Ain't workin':beer:

[Gummee]

My Criterium bike came with cork tape (or a facsimile of cork anyways)

M

[YesNdeed]

My Criterium bike came with cork tape (or a facsimile of cork anyways)

M

I guess a bit of era research would have served me. But if you want to try one with cloth tape, I've got a bike for you! After the second roll arrives...

[YesNdeed]

I often tell her I need to build a new bike and use some of these corks. Ain't workin':beer:

That's secure logic in my world! :beer:

[rrudoff]

Cloth tape demands Velox Plugs:):)

[Peter P.]

Cloth tape demands Velox Plugs:):)

Oooh; I forgot about those. True dat!

With cloth tape, you start wrapping near the stem and overlap the last wrap at the handlebar end. Fold over and tuck the end into the bars, then insert a plug to hold everything together.

I don't know what YesNdeed is talking about with the "super tightly wrapped hard layer" but it was common back in the day to leave old tape on the bar and add a second or third, if not for padding the to increase the bar diameter. The top layer always pulled off easier than the base layer, so it could be permanently left on the bars.

Tressoplast and Tressostar were the two popular brands back then.

[sg8357]

Cloth tape demands Velox Plugs:):)

Rustines are also French, so period correct.
Velo Orange has Rustines.

[Frankwurst]

Cloth tape demands Velox Plugs:):)

This is true but how can I justify a new build without using the wine cork approach? Mrs. Wurst doesn't know what a Velox plug is and if I play it right after a hard day at work and some wine she'll say yeah your right you should use up a couple of those corks. :beer:

[Gummee]

I guess a bit of era research would have served me. But if you want to try one with cloth tape, I've got a bike for you! After the second roll arrives...
I've got a few rolls of white already, thanks

M

[YesNdeed]

I don't know what YesNdeed is talking about with the "super tightly wrapped hard layer" but it was common back in the day to leave old tape on the bar and add a second or third, if not for padding the to increase the bar diameter. The top layer always pulled off easier than the base layer, so it could be permanently left on the bars.


What I think he's talking about is a layer of plastic tape, tightly wrapped over the cloth tape. He's in the room, by the way.

I don't know if that was a race bike thing or an off-the-shelf Schwinn thing, or if plastic tape commonly went over cloth tape at all. But my buddy and previous landlord Desi Brown, formerly of Team Shaklee, said that's what he likes to do. I'm pretty sure that's what he said, anyway. I'll ask him when I see him.

[chrismoustache]

Newbaums and others are good, but I'd put Toshi cloth tape in the 'great' category.

[BertoBerg]

I like cloth tape and especially the old, unpadded Velox stuff. White cloth will get dirty pretty fast though.

[giordana93]

cloth tape is good as is, but not as padded of course as modern tapes. older bars were skinnier diameter so not as stiff as modern 31.8s, same for steel forks vs modern carbon, so a little less cush was ok (I still prefer thinner, less padded tapes even on modern stuff). 1 layer was the norm, 2 was pretty common; early plastic tapes didn't have adhesive so would slip on bars, so the cloth underlayment gave cushion and grip. cinelli cork changed all that

bar plugs should be velox, but they only seem to come in black, so the Rustines available in color are a good choice if tape isn't black

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Pair-Rustines-Colored-Rubber-Handle-bar-End-Plugs-French-Retro-Velox-Style/292044877193?hash=item43ff3b2d89:m:meeARI0pOlu4Ra9 aYgEv5ZQ

the anodized aluminum ones offered by a few places are cool too, but not retro

[YesNdeed]

cloth tape is good as is, but not as padded of course as modern tapes. older bars were skinnier diameter so not as stiff as modern 31.8s, same for steel forks vs modern carbon, so a little less cush was ok (I still prefer thinner, less padded tapes even on modern stuff). 1 layer was the norm, 2 was pretty common; early plastic tapes didn't have adhesive so would slip on bars, so the cloth underlayment gave cushion and grip. cinelli cork changed all that

bar plugs should be velox, but they only seem to come in black, so the Rustines available in color are a good choice if tape isn't black

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Pair-Rustines-Colored-Rubber-Handle-bar-End-Plugs-French-Retro-Velox-Style/292044877193?hash=item43ff3b2d89:m:meeARI0pOlu4Ra9 aYgEv5ZQ

the anodized aluminum ones offered by a few places are cool too, but not retro

Sounds like I had it right then. I won't be going to the extent of plastic tape over the cloth, but that is why Desi said he does it.

It's been fun finishing the Criterium with cloth tape and I think it looks great. The second roll arrived yesterday, and once it's wrapped up, I'll be listing it for sale locally. If I can get $400 for it, I'll be thrilled.

[Ken Robb]

I learned about cloth tape coated with shellac from Grant Petersen and I liked it on bikes that didn't put too much pressure on my hands. The shellac makes it look good, stay clean and last a long time.

[giordana93]

never tried the shellac, but one of the nice things about cloth tape (especially down in Louisiana where I cut my teeth) was that it could wick sweat and stay dry/non slip. Don't know that shellac would allow that. Cloth tape was cheap so having it last long wasn't a big deal. As for looking good longer, that was a choice made with the color: black lasted until it faded in the sun. White or yellow was dirty after a couple rides, but when a big ride was coming, you spent a couple bucks for a fresh wrap. Wasn't Roy Knickman famous for putting on new white tape before almost every race?

[8eh3iub]

never tried the shellac, but one of the nice things about cloth tape (especially down in Louisiana where I cut my teeth) was that it could wick sweat and stay dry/non slip. Don't know that shellac would allow that. Cloth tape was cheap so having it last long wasn't a big deal. As for looking good longer, that was a choice made with the color: black lasted until it faded in the sun. White or yellow was dirty after a couple rides, but when a big ride was coming, you spent a couple bucks for a fresh wrap. Wasn't Roy Knickman famous for putting on new white tape before almost every race?

To add to what Rob said, and if you prefer black tape - applying 1-2 layers of clear shellac will prevent/slow the color from fading, even in really sunny climes. And in my experience, when shellac, it's almost grippier than when raw. And it definitely still absorbs liquids. While not exactly convenient, if you reapply once a year or so, it will continue to look and feel nice for years.

[YesNdeed]

And yet another retro bar wrap method I wasn't aware of. Shellac the cloth tape, wow. It's obviously time to start a vintage steel project.

[zennmotion]

And yet another retro bar wrap method I wasn't aware of. Shellac the cloth tape, wow. It's obviously time to start a vintage steel project.

Yes and the truly dedicated crush their own beetles to make the shellac. Doesn't work though unless you have a waxed handlebar mustache first.

[HTupolev]

Yes and the truly dedicated crush their own beetles to make the shellac.
Shellac is basically a purified form of the resin secreted by lac bugs. It's not made out of the bugs themselves, and beetles aren't involved at all.

[commandcomm]

Hemp twine at the end if wrapping from bars adds a nice touch. Rivendell provides a instruction video.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tO8DcaOJzrA

[marciero]

Cloth tape demands Velox Plugs:):)

Not so. There is a cool trick. Commandcomm beat me to it.

Hemp twine at the end if wrapping from bars adds a nice touch. Rivendell provides a instruction video.

[YesNdeed]

hemp twine at the end if wrapping from bars adds a nice touch. Rivendell provides a instruction video.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=to8dcaojzra

ftw!