# Bar Tape??



## spec4life (May 14, 2008)

I was just wondering if any of your used road bike bar tape on your mtb handlebar. I was looking for some new grips that were thin and thought of this...

Anyone???


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## superlightracer (Feb 11, 2004)

Its light, its kinda comfy. It can be done.


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## pop_martian (Mar 20, 2007)

I used bar tape for a while. It worked alright. Now I use foam grips.


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## dinoadventures (May 2, 2008)

If you want thin, use the ESI racer foamies. Works better.


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## WAZCO (Apr 5, 2004)

spec4life said:


> I was just wondering if any of your used road bike bar tape on your mtb handlebar. I was looking for some new grips that were thin and thought of this...
> 
> Anyone???


I been using it for 5 years now and hasn't gone back. I've experimented a few different ways and found that applying one foam tape at the length of grip that between the brake leavers and bar. Then wrap electrical tape on both end and middle.  Then wrap the remaining cork tape around it like you would on road bar. I still have more than half of the tape left over for the next wear down. The grip was something like 5-7 grams for the pair.


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## JmZ (Jan 10, 2004)

It works. I'm running some old Scott AT-LF2's. Don't really play well with normal grips due to the barends. 

Comfy, pretty light, and easy to replace when needed.

JmZ


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## Indiefab (Feb 5, 2005)

I used it for a year after I read about Chris Eatough using it on his endurance rigs. I figured if it kept his wrists from exploding, there must be something to it.

I liked that it was easy to customize the thickness and the distance it covered on the bar. One wrap job would last several months. I used white synthetic cork tape (Profile I think) and it cleaned up pretty easy. It makes a wavy surface that's different, but its easy to get used to. Making it look nice and match up to a bar plug was the trickiest part.

Its worth a try because the supplies are cheap. I switched back to lock-on grips for convenience and a little extra grip. Bar tape doesn't have the tacky rubber feel of today's rubber grips. If you're happy with the grip of a foam grip, that's similar to bar tape. I found that really thick, tacky grips like the ODI Rogues are too tacky and will tear up gloves and hands. I settled on Sunline's thin lock-on grips which sort of have the texture of bar tape with the benefits of a lock-on.


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## spec4life (May 14, 2008)

alright seems like a viable option...

So any tips on how to wrap it...I played baseball in high school and wrapped grips on baseball bats....same principle???

should i get tape with or without adhesive backing....


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## Hologram (May 30, 2008)

I wrapped from outside to in and taped the end properly. I also taped the outside end (tape is under the bartape = not visible), because it unraveled easily.

Light and good grip. It hasn´t been too hard even on a full rigid bike.


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## FTM (Sep 14, 2004)

If you want grippy and light, try Arundel Gecko Grip. It serves me well on my cyclocross rig (currently using ESI on my mtb) and weighed in at 55g for a full drop bar wrap.


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## Hologram (May 30, 2008)

Mine is 17g including barends. Bike Ribbon cork tape


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## Bikeon (Apr 17, 2008)

spec4life said:


> I was just wondering if any of your used road bike bar tape on your mtb handlebar. I was looking for some new grips that were thin and thought of this


 A lot of bikers and racers used to bar tape no MTB. A little worse it will work wit Grip Shifts. I heard so tape for tennis rackets works great too, for example Pro's Pro Mesh Grip.


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## zahgurim (Aug 12, 2005)

JmZ said:


> It works. I'm running some old Scott AT-LF2's. Don't really play well with normal grips due to the barends.
> 
> Comfy, pretty light, and easy to replace when needed.
> 
> JmZ


 Me too, same setup. I have big hands and like thicker grips, so ran a double layer.
Works good!


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## f3rg (Aug 29, 2007)

I use Bontrager X-Lite foam grips on my bars, and bar tape on my bar-ends ('cuz they're slippery otherwise).


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## Mattias_Hellöre (Oct 2, 2005)

I use salsas bartape, two layers.

Working great, somewhat reusable and light.


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## doctorthirst (Apr 24, 2008)

f3rg said:


> I use Bontrager X-Lite foam grips on my bars, and bar tape on my bar-ends ('cuz they're slippery otherwise).


Got any pics of this setup? Is it difficult to get the tape to stay put on the bar end?


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## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

doctorthirst said:


> Got any pics of this setup? Is it difficult to get the tape to stay put on the bar end?


+2 
I am going to try bar ends again, and I thought it would be pretty cool wrap both the bar and the bar end in tape.


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## sam111 (Sep 2, 2007)

I used specialized s-works tape and liked them for a while but the English weather ruined them. They actually ended up being quite dangerous to be honest. Stay away from them if you have wet, muddy weather.


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## f3rg (Aug 29, 2007)

doctorthirst said:


> Got any pics of this setup? Is it difficult to get the tape to stay put on the bar end?


 Sure, check out the little how-to I did on my site: http://one9.us/blog/cycling/padded-bar-ends?show=slide

After my first ride, I ended up wrapping a piece of electrical tape around the end so the bar tape wouldn't come off. Like I mentioned in my post (which I just updated), I haven't had any issues with the set up after almost a year of riding.


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## doctorthirst (Apr 24, 2008)

f3rg said:


> Sure, check out the little how-to I did on my site: http://one9.us/blog/cycling/padded-bar-ends?show=slide
> 
> After my first ride, I ended up wrapping a piece of electrical tape around the end so the bar tape wouldn't come off. Like I mentioned in my post (which I just updated), I haven't had any issues with the set up after almost a year of riding.


Thanks! Perfect. What bar ends are those? I've been trying to pick a pair that had a little bit of an inward bend to compensate for the slight sweep (7 degrees) of my bars - I don't want the bar ends pointing outward even slightly. Those ones look about right.


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## f3rg (Aug 29, 2007)

doctorthirst said:


> Thanks! Perfect. What bar ends are those? I've been trying to pick a pair that had a little bit of an inward bend to compensate for the slight sweep (7 degrees) of my bars - I don't want the bar ends pointing outward even slightly. Those ones look about right.


They're Titec mag99's. No longer made, and chopped down 3/4" from their original length. Titec still makes the aluminum version, though, called Micros.

http://www.titec.com/

Hover over bar ends, and click on Micros.


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## doctorthirst (Apr 24, 2008)

f3rg said:


> They're Titec mag99's. No longer made, and chopped down 3/4" from their original length. Titec still makes the aluminum version, though, called Micros.
> 
> http://www.titec.com/
> 
> Hover over bar ends, and click on Micros.


Cool thanks. I noticed in another thread you were looking at getting the EdgeElites from ebay. Did you ever get those? They seem quite cheap considering the weight.


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## f3rg (Aug 29, 2007)

doctorthirst said:


> Cool thanks. I noticed in another thread you were looking at getting the EdgeElites from ebay. Did you ever get those? They seem quite cheap considering the weight.


Yeah, my sister got me a pair of those for my birthday last year, but I ended up putting them on my wife's bike. They were the right length, but a little too narrow for my hands. Only after I put my mag99s back on my bike, did I get the idea of wrapping them in bar tape, so I guess I could have done that with the EdgeElites, but my wife likes them, so I decided to let her keep them.


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