Bar Tape How-to Video

by alex

Section head text.

The video age has come to VCN! We will begin showing how-to videos featuring area mechanics showing their repair tricks. We’ve decided to start with Arone Dyer from Bike Works. Arone is demonstrating her technique for a basic bar tape installation, while trying her best to ignore my shrill, squeaky voice and gnome-like features.

If you are a mechanic or a shop and would like to show us your tricks, please email us, and you, too can be pestered by schmalz.

115 Comments

Anonymous

So are we having a TT in Central Park this season? Is this something CRCA is even trying to do? The yahoo posting by KH left the impression that CRCA hasn’t even asked for it.

Anonymous

Dick, do you think this is the right forum to ask about that? If you’re so desperate to know, why don’t you just email one of the CRCA board members?

Anonymous

Good Lord Arone, you are totally “AMAZING”… (at bar taping, lol), but I have a little secret tip for you on how to finish it off, I’ll show you one of these days…

PS – You can do my bars anytime… 😛

😉

Anonymous

Good timing on this — I have the equivalent of a camaro on cinder blocks in my living room right now, building it up as I have the time. Bar-wrapping is a head-scratcher that no amount of reading and re-reading Zinn will cure.

Anonymous

you read a posting by the crca president and ask here instead of, say, asking him

I guess that makes sense.

I have a question about uptown fairway – does anyone know when it opens on Saturdays? TIA

Anonymous

Does it matter if you start on the left or right side of the handlebars?

I’m worried about that and don’t know what to do.

Anonymous

Well, if you go to the 4:15 mark of the video, you’ll see that Arone goes from the outside of the bars to the inside when she starts wrapping. You will need to adjust this for each side.

Anonymous

There is a great program called Sorenson Squeeze that creates clean compressed video for the web. Let me know if you needa copy (wink)

Anonymous

i think it’s a function of utube. they compress the shot out of any video.

better looking video would have to stream from the nyvelo server

Anonymous

Actually the footage began life at broadcast quality (not the sound though, we need to work that out – mic problems), youtube compresses the video, and since we can’t afford the bandwidth to broadcast video, we have to stick with the “tube”.

Anonymous

I did those along with editing the video and making the music – it’ show I spend my days. But don’t tell my boss – he’s a real jerk!

Anonymous

Thats a painfully long video on how to tape handlebars. Perhaps, some time-lapse on that shit? Will the next installment be the joys of routing cables internally with magnets, that should take about an hour….

Anonymous

…nice instructional job guys, but now the bike looks like crap w/ that neon orange tape…

…’opening & transitions’…they made me feel so, ah, gee, new york-y…but save the rimshots for dropped joke punchlines…

…yer takin’ notes, right ???…

Anonymous

Yeah, contacting the CRCA directly about having a TT in Central Park would be a good idea if they would respond.

Anonymous

Yeah, I think it’s great you guys are doing this. Seriously. And the heck with the length; who doesn’t want to watch Schm–I mean, Arone–for as long as possible? (Next time have her race not Liz but, say, that morose chick with longish hair at NYC Velo, see who can tape faster.)

So when’s the nyvelocity/velocitynation IPO?

Anonymous

Good idea, but I tape in the opposite direction. I tape by wraping to the outside. The reason is that when you are on the drops you tend to twist your wrists towards the outside, so that tightens the tape. If you tape the other way, it tends to loosen the tape. I do use the cheater tape as it is less bulky.

Anonymous

Alex R, that doesn’t make sense. Any twisting motion will tighten one side and loosen the other, regardless of wrapping direction.

If you wrap starting from the top, the tape edges tend to curl at the upper bends, above the hoods.

Anonymous

benotto ribbon or cotton is the way to go! Also, finishing tape should be wrapped in same direction as h-bar tape, and logo tape goes over electrical tape, should NOT be used by isself, then razor any overlap to clean the finished work. plugs should be oriented to display the logo, tucking in the overlap at the start, and while your at it stick a photocopy of racing license, med info, emergeny twenty twenty twon for the catarax

Anonymous

Alex, when you’re in the drops with your elbows out, you yank up to resist pedaling forces. That’s outside in, which means Arone has it right. And, that same direction works for the tops.

Anonymous

good start – thanks for putting it up and dealing with the anon posters who think that Second Life is a lotta fun and still have their moms change their bar tape.

Anonymous

I skip the finishing tape and use Liquid Nails or something similar to stick the end. Cut it like Arone does but make sure the end is on the bottom of the bar. Glue it and hold it in place with masking tape until the glue sets.

Anonymous

So, basically, everyone who watched this through would watch Arone watching paint dry, right? (And, yes, I would.) I mean, bar tape was just the excuse Schmaltz used to talk to her. Note how he repeatedly interrupted her taping job with inane questions wittily packaged, eg: “What kind of tension are we talking about?” when what he really wants to ask is “Can I smell your hair?”

Anonymous

It looks better. I once had some bike work done at Conrad’s once and they retaped my bars and glued the ends down. Best looking tape job I’ve ever seen.

Anonymous

I never meant to suggest that you start at the top, near the stem. You always start at the drops or you end up with the edges of the tape curling up.

Anonymous

one more thing, you should always wash your hands before appling the tape, so you don’t leave any bacteria on your new bar tape.

Anonymous

It’s going to really suck for all of your lame asses when Jared returns to competition after his suspension; has fullfilled all of his obligations with the out of competition testing, and kicks your f’n asses once again. Just like Pulla is about to do.

12k living

It’s going to really suck for all of your lame asses when Jared returns to competition after his suspension; has fullfilled all of his obligations with the out of competition testing, and kicks your f’n asses once again. Just like Pulla is about to do.

164

one more thing, you should always wash your hands before appling the tape, so you don’t leave any bacteria on your new bar tape.

Alex R

I never meant to suggest that you start at the top, near the stem. You always start at the drops or you end up with the edges of the tape curling up.

Aaron

It looks better. I once had some bike work done at Conrad’s once and they retaped my bars and glued the ends down. Best looking tape job I’ve ever seen.

scogordo

So, basically, everyone who watched this through would watch Arone watching paint dry, right? (And, yes, I would.) I mean, bar tape was just the excuse Schmaltz used to talk to her. Note how he repeatedly interrupted her taping job with inane questions wittily packaged, eg: “What kind of tension are we talking about?” when what he really wants to ask is “Can I smell your hair?”

Anonymous

Alex, when you’re in the drops with your elbows out, you yank up to resist pedaling forces. That’s outside in, which means Arone has it right. And, that same direction works for the tops.

brian g.

good start – thanks for putting it up and dealing with the anon posters who think that Second Life is a lotta fun and still have their moms change their bar tape.

Aaron

I skip the finishing tape and use Liquid Nails or something similar to stick the end. Cut it like Arone does but make sure the end is on the bottom of the bar. Glue it and hold it in place with masking tape until the glue sets.

Anonymous

benotto ribbon or cotton is the way to go! Also, finishing tape should be wrapped in same direction as h-bar tape, and logo tape goes over electrical tape, should NOT be used by isself, then razor any overlap to clean the finished work. plugs should be oriented to display the logo, tucking in the overlap at the start, and while your at it stick a photocopy of racing license, med info, emergeny twenty twenty twon for the catarax

Alex R

Good idea, but I tape in the opposite direction. I tape by wraping to the outside. The reason is that when you are on the drops you tend to twist your wrists towards the outside, so that tightens the tape. If you tape the other way, it tends to loosen the tape. I do use the cheater tape as it is less bulky.

Anonymous

Alex R, that doesn’t make sense. Any twisting motion will tighten one side and loosen the other, regardless of wrapping direction.

If you wrap starting from the top, the tape edges tend to curl at the upper bends, above the hoods.

Anonymous

Yeah, contacting the CRCA directly about having a TT in Central Park would be a good idea if they would respond.

ks

Yeah, I think it’s great you guys are doing this. Seriously. And the heck with the length; who doesn’t want to watch Schm–I mean, Arone–for as long as possible? (Next time have her race not Liz but, say, that morose chick with longish hair at NYC Velo, see who can tape faster.)

So when’s the nyvelocity/velocitynation IPO?

bikesgonewild

…nice instructional job guys, but now the bike looks like crap w/ that neon orange tape…

…’opening & transitions’…they made me feel so, ah, gee, new york-y…but save the rimshots for dropped joke punchlines…

…yer takin’ notes, right ???…

Anonymous

Thats a painfully long video on how to tape handlebars. Perhaps, some time-lapse on that shit? Will the next installment be the joys of routing cables internally with magnets, that should take about an hour….

schmalz

I did those along with editing the video and making the music – it’ show I spend my days. But don’t tell my boss – he’s a real jerk!

schmalz

Actually the footage began life at broadcast quality (not the sound though, we need to work that out – mic problems), youtube compresses the video, and since we can’t afford the bandwidth to broadcast video, we have to stick with the “tube”.

schmalz

Well, if you go to the 4:15 mark of the video, you’ll see that Arone goes from the outside of the bars to the inside when she starts wrapping. You will need to adjust this for each side.

riss

There is a great program called Sorenson Squeeze that creates clean compressed video for the web. Let me know if you needa copy (wink)

Anonymous

i think it’s a function of utube. they compress the shot out of any video.

better looking video would have to stream from the nyvelo server

Anonymous

Does it matter if you start on the left or right side of the handlebars?

I’m worried about that and don’t know what to do.

Anonymous

you read a posting by the crca president and ask here instead of, say, asking him

I guess that makes sense.

I have a question about uptown fairway – does anyone know when it opens on Saturdays? TIA

z

Good Lord Arone, you are totally “AMAZING”… (at bar taping, lol), but I have a little secret tip for you on how to finish it off, I’ll show you one of these days…

PS – You can do my bars anytime… 😛

😉

Anonymous

Good timing on this — I have the equivalent of a camaro on cinder blocks in my living room right now, building it up as I have the time. Bar-wrapping is a head-scratcher that no amount of reading and re-reading Zinn will cure.

Anonymous

So are we having a TT in Central Park this season? Is this something CRCA is even trying to do? The yahoo posting by KH left the impression that CRCA hasn’t even asked for it.

Anonymous

Dick, do you think this is the right forum to ask about that? If you’re so desperate to know, why don’t you just email one of the CRCA board members?

Comments are closed.