Changing road bike handlebar tape: How to wrap new handlebar tape in 5 minutes
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Rain, sweat, dirt, sun oil, chain grease - all sorts of things collect on the handlebar tape. Regular replacement is therefore not only pleasing to the eye but also provides an opportunity to check the handlebars for corrosion or damage. We show you how to wrap the tape in a stylish, durable and non-slip way.
With the expert tips from TOUR workshop manager Christoph Allwang, you will have your Handlebar tape changed in just five minutes:
You can read all the steps for changing the handlebar tape again below.
The step-by-step guide
Level of difficulty: for everyone
Tool:
- Scissors
Excipients:
- Insulating tape
- White spirit or petroleum ether
- Coarse fabric tape
- cloth
Tips for wrapping handlebar tape on a road bike:
Check handlebars
After removing the old tape, check the surface of the handlebars for discolouration, cracks or corrosion. If you have any doubts, show them to your bike dealer.
Start at the bottom
Do not wrap the handlebar tape from the top of the handlebar centre downwards. This may look nicer at first glance, but experience has shown that the tape slips quite quickly on the upper handlebar bend.
Practise beforehand
Winding handlebar tape takes time. Don't despair if you have to unwind the tape a few centimetres more often. This is necessary to ensure a perfect fit.
Keep clean
Use soap or, better still, hand wash paste and rub the tape by hand. Wipe it with a damp cloth and dry it with a cotton towel. The tape will then be almost as good as new.
Changing the handlebar tape: Step 1
Turn the brake lever rubbers forwards and unwind the old tape. Remove grease, dirt and adhesive residue from the handlebars, e.g. with white spirit or petrol. Do not use abrasive cleaners, especially on carbon fibre. Allow the cleaning agent to evaporate completely.
Changing the handlebar tape: Step 2
Stick a strip of coarse fabric tape, e.g. from Velox or a remnant of fabric rim tape, to the upper handlebar. This will create a rough surface on which the handlebar tape will not slip. Carefully remove the protective film from the adhesive strip on the back of the new handlebar tape.
Changing the handlebar tape: Step 3
Place the tape on the inside of the handlebar end and allow about half a bandwidth to protrude outwards. Hold the beginning firmly and wrap the tape around the handlebars once at an almost right angle. The Ribbon must protrude at least five millimetres around the entire circumference.
Changing the handlebar tape: Step 4
Keep the strap taut and continue to wrap at an angle towards the brake handle. Lay the individual windings on top of each other so that the tape overlaps by about a quarter to a third. The limit is usually the adhesive strip. If you overlap the handlebar tape too much, the surface will become wavy.
Changing the handlebar tape: Step 5
The tape should overlap slightly on the outer radius of the handlebar bend, while on the inside it should overlap a little more due to the shorter distance. The lower edge of the grip hump should be slightly covered by the tape. Some grips leave a gap to the handlebars through which the tape can be fed.
Changing the handlebar tape: Step 6
Wrap upwards over the fastening clamp and check where the additional short piece of tape supplied needs to be positioned so that the handle is completely covered. Loosen the handlebar tape again to below the grip.
Changing the handlebar tape: Step 7
Stick the separate piece of tape there and insert its ends under the rubber grips without shortening them. Pull the handlebar tape tightly upwards and make sure that the tape, together with the grip rubber, completely covers the handlebars and grip body and lies in the recesses during the next turn.
Changing the handlebar tape: Step 8
Wrap the tape, which is always kept under tension, evenly around the upper handlebar up to the start of the thickened handlebar cuff. If you have leftover handlebar tape, wrap this area again and then with more overlap, this will make it more comfortable.
Changing the handlebar tape: Step 9
Continue to hold the tape in the winding direction and cut off the excess tape at the height of the thickening with scissors at an angle perpendicular to the handlebars so that the remaining end tapers off. Never cut the tape on the handlebars with a knife; the resulting notches can cause the handlebars to break.
Changing the handlebar tape: Step 10
Place the tapered end of the tape around the handlebars so that a straight end is formed. Then stick the tape in place with the end tape supplied or with two to three layers of insulating tape.
Changing the handlebar tape: Step 11
Now shorten the ends of the piece of tape on the handle that may be too long so that the rubber grip does not bulge unnecessarily. Perfectionists only cut the adhesive strip from the centre of the tape. Any splines between the rubber and the handle must not be blocked by the tape.
Changing the handlebar tape: Step 12
Push the protruding end of the tape into the inside of the handlebar and press the end plug into the tube. If the plug does not hold by itself, wrap an additional two to three layers of coarse fabric tape around it.
Further workshop tips can be found in the standard work "The road bike workshop" RRP 19.90 euros.
TOUR author Dirk Zedler is the owner of the Zedler Institute for bicycle technology and safety GmbH. Zedler - Institut für Fahrradtechnik und -Sicherheit GmbH specialises in testing bicycles and components in its own test laboratory. The company also develops and builds test systems and equips test laboratories for bicycle manufacturers.
