Bar tape wrapping (Which method do you prefer?)

[bikinchris]

I have a question for those of you who wrap your own bars.

Do you use the figure 8 wrap when you pass the brake lever? Or do you use the two piece wrap. The one where you use a short piece of tape behind the lever itself?

[dpdan93]

I watch a video how to do it ten times, then get to that point and have a stroke.

[Geemalar]

I’ve always done the small piece of tape behind the lever, it seems to always end up looking properly finished when complete. Sometimes I have to go back and slightly unwrap the tape around the lever area for a slight adjustment, just to get it to where I like.

[tuscanyswe]

Figure 8 almost always look bulky with modern levers and tape. Looks much better with the extra piece under the tape version of wrapping these days (imo).

Its not that hard just requires bit of practice. Always go back further than you think when you get to the lever and the tape just seem to overlap at the wrong spot. Ie not close enough to go on top of lever and not far enough away from lever to go another pass below it without almost double wrapping that section. Go back quite a bit and try to spread the tape over that distance so it matches better. Rather than to do the best with what you got at the lever when you get there so to speak. Wrap tighter than you think.

[CDollarsign]

I just did this today with the figure 8 technique. Left side got it in one try and the right took me like 6 times until it was acceptable. I’ve always deferred to a ‘pro’ for this but today I am no longer intimidated.

[LJohnny]

It also depends on the brand of tape. Some, for instance the Lizard skins are on the short side and in all honesty barely provide enough for the whole thing. I think their reasoning is that their tape runs towards the thicker side, even the thinner one, thus trying the figure 8 would be way bulky.
This tape is polarizing, among the people I’ve known to try it, either keep coming back to it or don’t want to touch it again

[huckjai]

Originally Posted by LJohnny

It also depends on the brand of tape. Some, for instance the Lizard skins are on the short side and in all honesty barely provide enough for the whole thing. I think their reasoning is that their tape runs towards the thicker side, even the thinner one, thus trying the figure 8 would be way bulky.
This tape is polarizing, among the people I’ve known to try it, either keep coming back to it or don’t want to touch it again

I just installed Lizard Skins on a friend's bike the other day and they are definitely short. I normally wrap covering the middle each wrap, but with the lizard skins I had to wrap covering the end each wound I wrap. And Lizard skin says not to stretch the tape so that doesn't help. Definitely can't figure 8 wrap a full bar with it. I had barely enough to finish the bar. They work fine on aero bars as I usually don't wrap the flat section.

I hate wrapping bars. Never look forward to it. I prefer the figure 8 wrapping, but sometimes I still need to add pieces behind the shifters. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, haha.

[huckjai]

Originally Posted by dpdan93

I watch a video how to do it ten times, then get to that point and have a stroke.

Haha. That is like how I am with wrapping bars. I get one side done, then can't figure it out on the other side until like 6 tries.

[steelbikerider]

I quit messing with the short piece and don't even do a figure 8. I start wrapping at the bottom, clockwise on the right, counter on the left, do a single diagonal from inside to outside at the lever and end up wrapping forward over the tops of the bars to finish. No one has ever said anything about it other than "How do you keep the white tape clean?"

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by dpdan93

I watch a video how to do it ten times, then get to that point and have a stroke.

Haha funniest post in ages. Made my day.

[bicycletricycle]

Small piece, figure 8 too bulky.

Recently on a few bikes I have been setting up the leavers, than when I get to the lever loosening it and putting the wrap under the lever. That way I can wrap up tight against the clamp on the bottom. Than I wrap as normal and tighten the lever down onto the tape. This way I can usually get away with not having the extra little piece. I think this method was more popular in the cloth tape days.

[Seramount]

with Fizik Microtex 2mm, I use the short pieces...

wrap bottom-to-top, finish with self-fusing tape.

looks proper to me.

[jemdet]

Always an initial pass over the clamp followed by a figure-8. No extra piece needed. Exposing a handlebar or lever clamp should be a crime punishable by up to 5 years in jail.

[Mzilliox]

its bar tape.

if you ride a lot on it, it will wear out. so i like my tape to wrap the way i put weight on it. that means outward on the drops, figure eight, and forward on the tops. unless you angle your wrists in odd positions, this is the natural way to keep the tape tight when wrapped. you put a natural outward motion to the tape when riding in the drops, and a natural forward motion when pulling hard on the tops while climbing. so wrap your tape accordingly.

it wraps nicer the second time.
keep tension.
space it the same, like wrap over the 3rd dot on fizik or others that have perfs.
it takes so little time and is so very easy.

[carpediemracing]

Little piece.

With Benotto the figure 8 would work, or the old vinyl wrap that came on Schwinn Travellers and such. But with current padded tape a figure 8 gets bulky.