Preparing the handlebars
Fresh bar tape does more than just make an old road bike look new; it absorbs road vibrations and ensures a secure grip in wet weather. Before you begin winding the new rolls, strip away the old tape completely and scrape off any adhesive residue left behind on the metal or carbon. Clean the bars with rubbing alcohol to create a completely dry, non-slip surface. If your brake or shifter cables run along the outside of the bars, secure them tightly against the tubes using electrical tape in three or four key spots so they do not shift while you are wrapping.
Next, roll back the rubber hoods on your brake levers to expose the metal clamping bands. Adjust the levers if they have moved out of alignment, ensuring they are perfectly level before you commit to wrapping around them. Many tape kits include two short, extra strips of tape; set these aside for now, as you will need them to cover the metal clamps later if you choose not to use the figure-eight method.
Starting the wrap
Start at the bottom end of the drop, leaving about half the width of the tape overlapping the open end of the bar. This extra material will be stuffed inside the tube when you push the plastic bar-end plug in at the very end. This process of wrapping drop bars is much more tactile than adjusting a toddler’s balance bike, requiring constant, even tension to prevent the tape from slipping over time. Begin winding from the inside out, moving clockwise on the right side of the handlebar and counterclockwise on the left side.
As you wrap upward, overlap each turn by roughly one-half to one-third of the tape’s width. Keep the tape taut but do not pull so hard that the material tears. Consistency is key here; keeping the spacing uniform ensures a smooth grip without any uncomfortable ridges or thin spots that will wear out prematurely.
Navigating the levers
When you reach the brake lever body, you must decide whether to use the extra filler strips or a figure-eight wrap pattern. The figure-eight method is cleaner but requires careful overlap to avoid creating a bulky lump right where your hands rest. “Pull it tight,” my old cycling mentor used to say when teaching me how to stretch the material around the lever body. If you see any silver metal peeking through … you will need to unwind a turn and try again with tighter spacing. Managing this transition requires the same patience as fixing a wheel with a broken spoke in the middle of a tour.
Securing the end
Once you have wrapped past the curve and onto the flat top section of the handlebar, stop about two inches before you reach the stem. Cut the tape at an angle so that the final wrap ends in a straight line perpendicular to the handlebar. Wrap electrical tape around this final edge three times to hold it in place. This task is much easier if your bike is secured in a way that keeps the front wheel from flopping side to side, though you do not need a fancy repair area — even resting the bike on its flat pedals against a low workbench will do the trick. Push the bar-end plugs into the ends of the drops, securing the tucked-in excess tape, and roll the rubber hoods back down.
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