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]

Originally Posted by 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

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]

Originally Posted by YesNdeed

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]

Originally Posted by jtakeda

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'

[Gummee]

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

M

[YesNdeed]

Originally Posted by Gummee

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]

Originally Posted by Frankwurst

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

That's secure logic in my world!

[rrudoff]

Cloth tape demands Velox Plugs

[Peter P.]

Originally Posted by rrudoff

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]

Originally Posted by rrudoff

Cloth tape demands Velox Plugs

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

[Frankwurst]

Originally Posted by rrudoff

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.

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by YesNdeed

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]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

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.