Today we’ll learn how to wrap handlebar tape on road-style drop handlebars. For this job you’ll need a set of handlebar tape, some bar plugs, a sharp knife or razor, and some electrical tape. It’s also a good idea to keep your hands clean throughout the procedure.
Remove Old Tape
The first step is to flip back both brake lever hoods and remove the old tape. Some people like to simply cut it away using a razor blade, but I prefer to unwrap it to avoid scoring the aluminum or damaging the cables. Then remove the plugs from the inside of the bar ends.
Align Brake Levers
Before you begin taping, check the alignment of your brake levers. The bottom of each lever should be in line with the bottom of the handlebar and they should also be inline with the side of your bars. Make sure the cables are securely fastened to front side of the handlebar using electrical tape.
Begin Wrapping
Let’s start with the right side. Your new tape should have come with two extra 3″ strips of tape. Wrap this around the bottom of the brake clamp from the rear end. This hides the gap that is often left behind when you wrap around the lever.
To start wrapping, unpeel a bit of the adhesive backing and start by placing the end of the tape under the end of the bars. You’ll want to leave about half of the tape hanging over the edge on the first wrap, which we’ll tuck into the bar end later. The most common direction to wrap the tape is clockwise on the right side, and counter-clockwise on the left.
While you’re wrapping, make sure each rotation overlaps itself about 1/3. You’ll want to make sure the middle section of adhesive on the backside of the tape is always contacting the bars. Pull on the tape evenly through the process to keep the wrap tight, but be very carful not pull too hard or the fragile tape will snap. Pull off the adhesive backing as you go, as this will keep it from getting dirty until you’re ready to apply it.
Wrap Around the Lever
When you get to the brake lever, try to make sure the top edge of the tape overlaps a little bit of the bottom of the brake lever in order to avoid leaving a gap. Then pull the tape around the back end of the brake clamp and over the top.
Now pull the tape around and continue wrapping the top section of handlebar. Stop wrapping when you get to the handlebar’s clamping ferrule, or about an inch from the stem. If you have handlebar accesories you may want to leave some extra room for them to clamp on. Before you finish, it’s a good idea to go back and check that there are no gaps in your wrap job.
Cut and Tape
Holding the tape in place, cut the remaining angled section of tape away using a sharp blade, so that you are left with a clean cut. Then secure it with a few wraps of electrical tape. Make sure to pull the tape so that it stretches nice and evenly. I like to overlap the end of the handlebar tape and completely seal it with the electrical tape.
Bar End Plugs
Once the wrapping is done, go back to the bar end and tuck the extra tape into the handlebar using the bar plug. This will make it hard to fit the plug in, but if you push it hard enough or use a rubber mallet to tap it in gently it should fit and leave your handlebar ends nice and tidy.
To wrap the left side, repeat the same procedure but remember to start wrapping the tape counter-clockwise instead. The left side should end up being an exact mirror image of the right.
The last step is to flip your brake hoods back to where they were.
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Thank you so so much. As usual, you did this to perfection, camera angles were great and i love the new tips feature that pops up on the top. The alignment check is also a very good idea and i would have forgotten to do that.
I crashed a few weeks ago but luckily only the handlebar tape got damaged, cant wait to hide the scars on my poor jalopy before my summer tour (Lap of Ireland!)
Well done, and thanks so much again.
Niallo / Noccer
(ps im that same guy from stumble who sent you that video link)
Thanks Niallo, I’m glad to hear you survived that crash!
Awesome tutorial!
I have an older steel steed, and it doesn’t have hoods or anything and the cables come out the tops of the levers.
I like the method shown on the Park Tools site so that it is self-tightening on both the top and the bottom of the bars. It, of course, is self-tightening, and it covers my levers nicely as well.
Great stuff. I’m needing to do this and you’ve provided the guide at the right time. Thanks.
Thank for another good tutorial, Alex. (Slightly off-topic, I like the new video software with the little chimes showing the “tips”
Thanks Jim, the video software is courtesy of Howcast. They found this site and invited me to join and upload my videos and I’m so glad I did. They are working on all kinds of new features and tools as well, so keep an eye out!
Thanks for the tip, it’s so easy to mess it up.
Nice bike, Stephen! I’ve the same one. Identical brakes and I also have a Cinelli Campione Del Mondo handle bar!
Sweet new player Alex
Wished I had drops (or maybe horns) to try this out.
I do it the old-fashioned way. That is I start from the brake caliper and wind down towards the bar ends. Then I cut the tape and starting again at the brake caliper I wind up towards the stem. This ensures the tape is always overlapping in the direction of pressure on the bars, so that my hands don’t push against the open ends of the wrapped tape.
I just found this website and I really like it. I am new to working in a bike shop and this should help me learn how to repair and build bikes. Some things just haven’t clicked yet, but I consider bar taping to be one of my specialties. I am a little dissapointed that you didn’t show how to do a figure 8 wrap at the brake hood, but your way is a lot easier. The way we do it at the shop is to tape the bar tape down at the edge of the handle bars. This has a plus and a minus side. The plus side is that it is a cleaner look and if your bar end comes out, the end doesn’t unravel. The minus side is that the bar tape doesn’t help wedge the bar end in and the possibility for the end to come out is greater. For a cleaner look, we pull the tape very tight right at the edge of the bar tape so it curls over nicely and makes a clean look. With the figure 8 wrapping, it insures that it always goes in the direction of pressure on the bars so you are always tightening the tape instead of loosening it over time. To each his own, and your way is definitly easier, it just wouldn’t be acceptable in a bike shop. Thank you very much for this website though
I’ve not seen the figure 8 wrap done since the days of the old fashioned thin tapes - my experience is that it makes the area around the hoods a bit too bulky with most modern tapes.
I’m a fan of the “self tightening” method mentioned by Evan myself. I guess in some ways, bar tape and the way it’s wrapped can be as personal a thing as favoured saddle or pedal systems.