cheap ebay chinese cork bar tape

[Captain Stupido]

Just went to wrap my the bars on my nearly finished Trek build with some of this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324179541946

It's got no self-adhesive bit!

Am I missing something or is it totally f****** useless?

 

[Jonny69]

No, you’re not missing anything. I got some without realising. It doesn’t stay put.

 

[MR OX]

Re:

I used some on the Trek I built ages ago, sprayed the bars with hairspray, wrapped it proper tight tucked the ends in the bars & secured with plugs & it was okay.

 

[allenh]

The same, you have to wrap it tightly from the top of the bars downwards and then secure at the ends with the plugs and then it stays put just fine.

It is a case of you get what you pay for and I've only used it to get the colour I want but its actually quite comfortable if you get it on right. When I've used it I over wrap once when I start to trap the end at the stating point at the top of the bars and then keep it reasonably taut as I work down to the bar ends, I also make sure a fair amount goes in the bar end so the plug has to go in with the help of a mallet so it locks it good and tight.

 

[pigman]

Re:

contrary to Allen, I always start at the bottom and work upwards and then tape at the centre of the bars. This is because I ride mostly on the hoods and if I were to start at the top, it collects muck at the overlap points and could result in the ends turning over with the downward pressure of my hands.

ive had that cheap tape and was ok - as good as the standard Deda one. Cinelli cork is still the best

 

[hamster]

I agree - wrap from the bottom then there are no pockets for muck.

Wrap clockwise on the right, anticlockwise on the left (looking from the rear of the bike). Then when you get to the top, the tape will run from rear to front on the upper surface of the bar - and your hand pressure will naturally tighten the tape.

I re-use Profile tape long after the glue has gone, and it is fine without glue whan wrapped this way.

 

[allenh]

Oops I wasn't clear.

generally yes wrap from the bottom when using proper tape but I've found with this cheap non sticky stuff it's easier to keep taut if you wrap from the top and lock it into the end of the bar with the end plug.

 

[Captain Stupido]

Might have a go later. Maybe a little bit of double sided tape would help it stay put, too.

FWIW with "normal" stuff I've always wrapped from the top anyway (with the tape in a forward direction i.e. clockwise on the right and anticlockwise on the left) and never had any problems at all. I get the arguments for going the other way, but the advantage of the top down technique is you don't have to use tape to tidy up the loose ends, and in my experience it works fine. I'd personally rather have the dangly bit tucked neatly in the end of the handlebars.

 

[legrandefromage]

Its ok stuff

 

[Captain Stupido]

Actually yeah, it's fine. Bit of double sided sticky tape at the start and end didn't hurt. It's even nice to be able to reposition it if you aren't happy... this was a rush job in between shouting at the kids but you could get very anal with this stuff! Anyway, it'll do.