uh oh! i don't like my new bar phat!

[caligurl]

hmmmm ok... so i've mentioned i don't like to wear gloves in the summer cuz i get icky tanlines.... (so please don't recommend that as a solution!) but my hands tend get sore on longer rides..... (i can do 40-50 with no gloves... no problem)

also.... when i switched over to pretty silver fizik tape on ruby.... it is the type with holes in it.. the stupid OEM bar phat (which is just globs stuck on the bar... NOT like the nicely packages stuff you buy in the store) started oozing through the holes.... also... the fizik take is MUCH thinner than the nice cushy tape that came on ruby...

sooooooo i was in the bike store looking at the bar phat display.... they had a handlebar with one side 2.5, the other 4.5.... i really liked the feel of the 4.5 stuff! nice and cushy... thought it would be nice for non-glove rides!

sooooo i bought some.... also had read at bikeforums about double wrapping my bar... thought i'd do that! extra cushy! well... it's not double wrapped yet... need another package of silver fizik first.... but with just the 4.5 bar phat and cushy tape... i THOUGHT i'd like the bar... just holding it after hubby did it... felt nice... but last night i went for a ride after work.. and my hands were.... not sore... but bothered.. and all red on my palms... now part of me things MAYBE it's cuz i did two longish rides sat and sun.... but the other part worries that the cushy bar is actually hurting my palms not helping!!!????

now i'm considering taking the black off and just wrapping the thinner silver over the bar phat! that should result in a thinner diameter bar but still cushy from the bar phat! i'd better get this sorted out before saturday! i have a double metric to do and don't need sore palms/hands!

if you've made it through all that... any thoughts on the bar phat actually hurting my hands? or do you think it's just they were irritated already from the weekend?

[Squirrel 2]

I think you simply have too much going on there. My guess on your soreness issue is that there is so much thick stuff on your handlebars that in trying to grasp it your hand will move around & get friction. The double-wrapping suggestions you encountered elsewhere would probably refer to the traditional, thinner handlebar tapes. I don't think anyone conceived of double-wrapping with 4.5 bar phat!

You're not going to like the easiest fix for your double metric -- re-wrap the tape to what first came on your lovely Ruby (probably the 2.5, which should be plenty cushy), & get a pair of well-padded gloves! I ride with the 2.5 bar phat, but can't imagine riding without gloves. My hands get too sweaty to safely grip, and I get callouses & areas that are rubbed raw. If the tan-lines make you crazy, you can address those later with better living through chemistry (ie, sunless tanning lotions).

[caligurl]

unfortunately.... i'm sure hubby threw out the glops of gel that they called bar phat!

i think i will have him rewrap tonight... taking off the black... and seeing if he can get the silver to fit since it won't have the black...

i tend to agree that maybe there's too much going on (and it's not even double wrapped yet!!!!!)

the bike shop did try to warn me! lol! worst case... i'll have to spend the money to rebuy the 2.3 that is nicely encased (vice the glop that came on my bike!)

hopefully that will work since the silver really IS that much thinner than the black specizlized!

(makes me think of people saying gel seats... although cushy... sometimes cause problems!)

too bad i didn't have time for him to rewrap before i ride tonight! but i can suffer one more ride!

editted to add: i actually seemed to have less pain when riding on the gloppy stuff and the silver tape... without gloves... than on the cushy 4.5 and black tape!

as for fixing the problem with sunless tan... tried that last year.. doesn't work! lol! and it gets all over my clothes!

[KnottedYet]

What about putting sunscreen on before you ride, so you don't get tan lines in the first place?

I'm really interested in this thread, because I'm thinking of putting drops on my Kona (I know, more money on the cheap bike....) so I can change hand positions more often. I'm thinking Ritchey BioMax, but haven't decided on a wrap yet. Hadn't thought of bar phat, either.

Keep us posted on what works!

[Susie]

I have that exact same bar tape and I love it. I did put the gel pads on, though and they really do make a difference. I'm sorry they aren't working for you.

Susie

[caligurl]

What about putting sunscreen on before you ride, so you don't get tan lines in the first place?

I'm really interested in this thread, because I'm thinking of putting drops on my Kona (I know, more money on the cheap bike....) so I can change hand positions more often. I'm thinking Ritchey BioMax, but haven't decided on a wrap yet. Hadn't thought of bar phat, either.

Keep us posted on what works!

i wear sunscreen! but i still get tanlines! sunscreen doesn't block ALL the sun! wearing gloves during the summer isn't an option! lol!

[KnottedYet]

Yeah, I forget that you guys get real sunlight... Around here we have clouds blocking a lot, and a layer of sunscreen really will keep you from getting any color!

I've got the frog-belly white skin, courtesy of genetics and Seattle sun! (or lack there of) Coppertone fake tanner is my legs' friend.

[caligurl]

ok..... rode with the tape and bar phat as it was.... still didnt' like it! i guess it's a case of TOO MUCH cushy!

i started getting sore palms at 6.5 miles! by the time i got home.... only 8 miles... my palms were red! go figure!

so hubby took off the thick cushy black tape wrapped the fizik tape over the phat.... it seems much less.... well... big! it almost feels the same as it did before... but i know this is thicker... so more dampening! i'll see tomorrow when i ride how i like it! (i did NOT like that the OEM goop oozed through the holes! so this should be gbetter in that respect at least!)

(previously i was able to ride for hours with the fizik tape and OEM goop stuff gloveless!)

[KnottedYet]

If the goop is oozing through the holes, is it possible the goop is irritating your skin?

I'm writing down your tape experiences in my bike list notebook. Someday I'll use that list to create a bike.

[caligurl]

no... the new stuff isn't oozing through... cuz it's sealed in.... plus.... the black tape doesn't have holes... the silve fizik has the holes (am i confusing everyone yet!?)

i had the black specialized tape on my bike originally.... with the OEM goop.... no problems...

then i put on the pretty silver fizik... the fizik isn't as thick as the specialized tape.... i didn't have issues really... but wanted more cush.... (except the goop oozing through the holes in the tape was annoying!)

so i bought the packaged bar phat... that is encased in... something... plastic? and put on the black tape... no holes... that is thick and cushy... TOO fat and cushy....

now i have the silver on (by itself) over the bar phat... is much thinner... so we'll see how that goes tomorrow!

ya... we get sun 360 days a year i think! and of course heat!

i despise tan lines... and do what i can to alleviate them where i can (i have the white tummy and white spot in the back of my back from racer back jerseys! and of course white feet! but i wear no-show socks so they lines is as low as possible! but that's another subject..... except to state that for most rides... i'm not gonna wear gloves (will start most centuries or long rides with them til about 8 a.m.!) cuz... well... i'm anal! :D

[Eden]

there's another good reason to wear gloves - God fobid you ever fall down, but accidents do happen and scrubbing the grit and gravel out of your abraded palms would be very very painful.

[SadieKate]

Ditto.

Just wear bracelets on both wrists off the bike and no one will notice the transition.

[caligurl]

there's another good reason to wear gloves - God fobid you ever fall down, but accidents do happen and scrubbing the grit and gravel out of your abraded palms would be very very painful.

yes.... i know all this... but this isn't a "wear gloves" thread..... i've been through the falling without them... i've chosen not to wear them! :)

again... as stated in several posts... wearing gloves 100% of the time is NOT an option to fixing the problem (plus i had NO PROBLEM whatsoever with the crummy original goop.... so there IS a solution!)

[caligurl]

ok.... so i rode the bike yesterday with the "new" bartape on it... (the fizik silver).... i was much happier! YAY!

i think the 4.5 with the thinner fizik tape is a good combination (the 2.5 with the fizik wasn't cushy enough!) and of course... the 4.5 with the really cushy specialized tape was WAY too much!

i'll know more after this weekend (128 mile ride)..... i'll start out with gloves since the sun won't be up.... but around 8 i'm sure i'll take them off! (unless for some reason it's still cool at 8 and i still have my jacket on... but with the forecast... i doubt that!)

so my very own opion..... only get 2.5 if you are going to use specizlized cushy bar tape.... you can use 4.5 with fizik (or other thin tapes!)