newbie ?: can you use grip tape on mtnbike bars?

[ikkin]

hi there, this might be totally silly, but i just built up my new SC juliana last night, and i'm totally psyched!! the female in me wants to color coordinate the grips with my saddle, however, and i can't find grips in the color i want. can i just use road bar tape? will it work? any suggestions for application/how to?

thanks ladies!

nikki

[velogirl]

I wouldn't do it. With a mtn bike bar, you move your hands (while on the bar) in both directions (toward the bike and away from the bike). Not to mention movement from side to side. The bar tape would likely come unwrapped pretty quickly.

On a road bike, your tape just gets wound tighter as you ride because it's wrapped in the direction you put pressure on the bar.

Check with your LBS. Ask them to look at catalogues. You can find just about any color of grip -- shops just don't carry them in stock.

Congrats on your new bike!

[SalsaMTB]

I haven't done it, but people do! Here's a link with a picture

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/2005/probikes/?id=eatough_trek

Click on the picture on the right for a close up.

Also, have you checked out Oury grips? They come in quite a few different colors and are very comfy!

http://www.ourygrips.com/

[emily_in_nc]

hi there, this might be totally silly, but i just built up my new SC juliana last night, and i'm totally psyched!! the female in me wants to color coordinate the grips with my saddle, however, and i can't find grips in the color i want. can i just use road bar tape? will it work? any suggestions for application/how to?
nikki

Just out of interest, you have a colored saddle? What color? I love color and get so bored with black saddles. Whatcha got?

Thanks!
Emily

P.S. Welcome to Team Estrogen! :)

[bcipam]

Listen... don't chatchie the mountain bike up too much. Road bikes OK, mountain no.

Other ways to add some color - how about a Hope seat post clamp and in some pretty color and Hope Skewers instead of Bar Tape? No bar tape on MTBikes! Just wouldn't be right plus you really need the rubber grips for support.

My MTBikes are pretty dull I guess. One is Silver and black to which I added blue Hope Seat post clamp and skewers and the other bike is red which I added red seat post clamp and skewers. Enough bling, just enough for MTBing.

[fatbottomedgurl]

Well...
IMHO if you want to "chatchie" your bike- go ahead. My bike is yellow and red and I just put Panaracer Fire XC tires with red sidewalls on her- looks *****en'. I have a black Pedro seat bag with yellow piping, and my water bottle has a yellow cap. I'm not the pink type obviously.


Hmmm... the auto edit didn't like my 70's term. How about... beyotchen?

[SadieKate]

I, too, would think tape would come unwrapped quickly. Remember also that your mountain bike gets dirty. Sometimes basic washable rubber is good.

[SadieKate]

Salsa skewers come in colors and you can get seatpost collars to match.

http://www.speedgoat.com/product.asp?part=43977&cat=260&brand=216

[SAMbike]

Hi Nikki,

I've got road bar tape on my mountain bike handlebars right now - so yes, you can do it. It makes for a smaller grip diameter which is nice if you've got small hands. It was pretty easy - just be sure to overlap the end about 1/3 so that you have something for the end cap to hold on to. I used electrical tape to hold the other end. Basically just like putting on road bars - but easier IMO.

I just did this recently and it has worked fine in tame situations but not sure I'll keep bar tape on because I raced last week and my hands slipped a bit - so will probably go back to my regular grips soon (as soon as I get the energy to deal with putting grips on!)

Susan
p.s. I've got a Juliana too - it's the best bike!

[mellic]

I will second the oury grips. They are awesome and come in red, blue, white, grey, purple, biege, pink, orange, green, yellow and black.

[ikkin]

wow, thanks all....great suggestions.

i currently have oury grips on the little beast. and yes, they're pink. hot pink, to be specific. which is why i was considering the bar tape...it'd match better. :o ahhh! i never considered myself a pink girl either, but i bought a pink watterbottle holder for my old hardtail, and the pink thing got addicting when i started building my new juli. my original plan was to clash/uglify the componets as much as possible (just for kicks), but then i found the following accessories in pink, and started thinking...

PINK terry butterfly donna saddle
PINK crank brothers candy C pedals
PINK bontrager watterbottle holder
fabulous 80's HOT PINK oury grips

i currently only have the waterbottle holder and grips on my bike, and i'm debating about the saddle and pedals. and then i found pink cable housing on ebay. :eek: :o i'm thinking that's taking it a step too far, however. hehehehe.

my other plan is to put yellow panaracer fire xc tires on her...poor little thing...she's probably lamenting her girly-ish outfit. oh well.

thanks for the suggestions. i'm thinking of some salsa skewers. maybe green? :)

[ikkin]

i just realized that i called componets "accessories" in my post above. oh lord. get me to a doctor.

[SadieKate]

Careful about your choice of saddle. The other day, I tried the Butterfly (I think that was it) on TrekHawk's Juliana and could get off the bike without really concentrating on spreading my legs (no smart remarks, please). In my opinion, it's just too wide and poofy for a mtb saddle. I'm sure there are those that like it just fine.

Also, a pink saddle will get filthy really fast and dirt in the scuff marks will probably be permanently ingrained.

Just a couple of thoughts since these "accessories" aren't cheap.

[Crankin]

The word os t'chochke.... Yiddish for junk, curio, vulgar, flashy stuff.

[ikkin]

thanks guys, after reading reviews on the butterfly, i've decided against it. i also think its just too much pink. hahaha!

we'll go with a normal black saddle. function over form. i'm over it!

thanks again!

[ikkin]

I just did this recently and it has worked fine in tame situations but not sure I'll keep bar tape on because I raced last week and my hands slipped a bit - so will probably go back to my regular grips soon (as soon as I get the energy to deal with putting grips on!)

Susan
p.s. I've got a Juliana too - it's the best bike!

susan, my roomie showed me a trick for getting grips on...spray the inside with some sort of all purpose cleaner like pedro's or windex or something. the grips will slide right on. you need to let them dry overnight, but it's way easier than having a wrestling match. hope that helps!

and go juliana love. you're right, this bike rules! i'm having so much fun with it!

[fatbottomedgurl]

You can also use... hair spray. And what girl doesn't have that laying around?

[DirtDiva]

Um, this one... :p

[sarahkonamojo]

I had to go buy hairspray to put grips on.

[SalsaMTB]

The best adhesive I ever found was an automotive adhesive used for interior trim components. I can be purchased at any auto parts supply store. That stuff REALLY made the grips stick. I used it on my aluminum bars and it worked really well, had to cut the grips off sometimes because they were on so tight. Basically, one slice down the grip and it would peal off. Then I used it on my new carbon fiber bars and it was way too strong of an adhesive. I had to cut the grips off, piece by piece, and was worried I would ruin the bars. It took forver to get them off. I don't use the adhesive anymore with my carbon bars :) But, for metal bars, it works great, just be ready to replace your grips of you need to take anything off your bars!