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Bar taping your drop bars

What you need

• Bar Tape (enough for both sides) / Kit
• Scissors and sharp knife
• PVC tape (strapping tape)

Optional Items

• Coloured PVC tape
• Gel/pressure pads
• Bar plugs

Preparation

Firstly remove all bar tape. You can obviously leave any strapping tape if you are just re-taping rather than installing new bars. Reflect rubber hood covers before you start.

Using PVC tape (I use cheap electrical insulation tape) to anchor the shifter and brake cable housing to the bars.

I usually use a bar tape kit as it includes everything you need (gel pads, tape for both sides and finishing tape) but you can obvioulsy use what you want. You can buy tape in different thicknesses but I go for max (4.5mm) for comfort.

If using gel pads place them on the appropriate areas of the bars with the correct oriantation (self adhesive).

Again place gel pads in the correct orientation and at a site where your hands rest/contact the bar.

Bar Wrapping

Next use the included small tape strips and place around the back of each lever to fill in the gap which is made when taping. With thinner tape you can use a figure of eight taping method around the lever body when winding if your tape is thin but this is the modern method.

The tape on the inside is self-adhesive to stop it unwinding when wrapping. Start the winding at the bottom of the bar. Start behind the end of the bar as the excess will be  pushed into the bar and the bar plug inserted after the wrapping is completed. The direction of the wrap may also effect how it retains it tightness on the bar. The general direction is to wind inwards i.e. anti-clockwise on the right drop and clockwise on the left drop.

Keep the tension whilst winding, it takes a little practice and a few attempts to get the tension and overlap even. Cyclists generally pull back on the top of the bars and so this wrapping direction will be self-tightening.

If the tape you are using is self-adhesive, it should be overlaped so the adhesive is on the bar. Sometimes the tape may be fragile - e.g. cork - and sometimes strong so go careful for the first few winds. The amount of bar tape varies quite a lot. I usually use the same type but if a new type assume it may come up shorter. I usually use a greater overlap ontop bar as this is where you have your hands most of the time.

Continue until you get to the lever. As explained before this is not the traditional figure of eight method. As you come under the bottom of the lever body travel vertically on the outer aspect of the lever body.

Then over and back under then you will automatically start wrapping the end of the top bar of the bar. Make sure the gaps are small enough that in use the tape will not start to gap and also make sure you have not unsightly gaps around the lever body.

Continue toward the bar centre/stem. You may need to practice the angle you wind in the corners as this is the most tricky part.

The end of the tape can be finished cleanly by marking the bar where you want it to end. You continue the wrapping past this point for a couple of wraps.

You can then cut diagonally from the tip of the tape (the tape above has already been cut but now being trimmed) so when wrapped it creates a straight cuff.

Use the supplied piece of PVC tape or electrician's tape to end the wrap. Wrap the tape neatly, dont pull too tight as the PVC tape will stretch and become narrow. This is a location where bad wrapping is very noticable. Cut the PVC tape so it ends underneath the bar.

Next you can push the remaining tape into the inside of the bar end and push the plug into place.

Make sure its a snug fit. You an always use a little adhesive if it is loose.

Repeat the taping on the opposite side. Roll the hoods back and you're finished.

Richard Fox - Features Contributor

Richard has been mountain biking for over 17 years,7 years on his local trails, Dartmoor. He also regularly rides away from home – usually riding each year (while doing the mechanics for others) in various events such as the Cheddar Challenge, Rough Ride, Soggy Bottom, Dyfi Enduro and twentyfour12.

All these years of riding (and breaking) bikes, has resulted in Richard acquiring the wealth of experience (and the tools) to keep his, and inevitably all his riding crew's, bikes on the trails. Richard is a Cyclist No.1 features contributor.

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