Self maintenance?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

any suggestions for wrapping around the brake levers?

You suggest I ride unwrapped?
I'm switching the drops that came on it with a slightly different bar. Like the Salsa Short 'n Shallow... and narrower, too. 36cm, fitted to my shoulder width, which fit *inside* the bars the former owner had.
The stem on it currently is pretty long for me. With the seat moved to a place where I get the proper KOP, my torso is stretched way out, with straight elbows to even reach the hoods, so there's a lot of weight on my hands, rather uncomfortably.
But yes, I feel like I'm venturing into very foreign territory. I believe in going what 'feels right'... but the whole concept of riding in that road position, with drop handlebars, is still strange, to the point that I don't know what 'right' is yet.

That's how I felt at first too when I switched from hybrid to road bike. I went through the whole weight on hands thing too, and I didn't really know how it all was "supposed" to feel. It's all new stuff and doesn't always feel right at first. It'll all work well in the end for you. It takes time to recognize what feels right and what works for you. Those sound like a very good choice of bars you are putting on, and good to put a slightly shorter stem. Keep in mind that your body and muscles will also be adjusting with time to the new position, making it slowly become more comfortable as well.
I only meant that before putting your tape on you should ride and make adjustments for a while. Some adjustments, like where the hoods go or how they are slanted, can't be changed after taping up. It won't hurt anything to ride without bar tape for a week or two- just put some electrical tape here and there to hold the cables in place until you tape.

As to tips for taping around the brake levers- you can cut a 3" piece of tape before you start, and wrap it around the bar right at the hood area, with the ends pointing up where they will be covered by the hood gums when you fold it back down. This will cover the little triangular bar "gap" for you and make it easier to just skip and angle around the gap under hoods as you tape along with the long piece. The long tape will cover the edges of the 3" piece as you go.

[Kitsune06]

I'm wondering if it'd be possible or advisable to wrap temporarily using the wrap that's currently on the older bars; something that, while not great looking, would still provide some 'grip' just in case it rains. (I intend to use Merqueri to commute for awhile to get the feel for her new positioning) hanging on to bare metal bar, using a semi-broken-in brooks (with a plastic bag on it if it rains...) sounds like a slippery affair, but I agree that making the leap to final taping so quickly may be hasty moving on my part.

[DebW]

Ouch, that hit a nerve!
There are some things you do *once* so you can say you have done them. Taping falls into this category for me.

When I wrapped my bars with cloth tape last year, it took 3 tries on one side before I reached the end. Double ouch. I like to put a fancy figure-8 around the levers, and that's an extra 2 wraps. I think that was the last time I'll go for cloth tape. Besides being short, the stuff doesn't stretch and makes it tough to go around bends without leaving wrinkles. Wise choice of tape will make the job easier.

For the allen bolt above the stem, see http://www.parktool.com/repair/readh...p?id=65#adjust. Leave the stem loose, take out the play in the fork with the allen bolt in the top cap, then tighten the stem bolts. You can play with it by moving the allen bolt
in 1/8 turn increments and checking it out. Should feel smooth but with no play in the fork and no binding. Try riding it a tad loose and a tad tight to get the feel for it. It will be obvious when you do.

[DebW]

I'm wondering if it'd be possible or advisable to wrap temporarily using the wrap that's currently on the older bars; something that, while not great looking, would still provide some 'grip' just in case it rains.

If the old tape is usable, go ahead and use it. But if it was well stuck to the bars you'll probably rip it getting it off. If necessary, buy some cheap not-very-sticky tape that you can undo and rewap a few times. You indeed may want to reposition the brake levers a few times until they feel perfect.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I'm wondering if it'd be possible or advisable to wrap temporarily using the wrap that's currently on the older bars; something that, while not great looking, would still provide some 'grip' just in case it rains. (I intend to use Merqueri to commute for awhile to get the feel for her new positioning) hanging on to bare metal bar, using a semi-broken-in brooks (with a plastic bag on it if it rains...) sounds like a slippery affair, but I agree that making the leap to final taping so quickly may be hasty moving on my part.

Like Deb says, when you take off the old tape it may rip or be stretched and lumpy. But if you can re-use it why not? Electrical tape may be ok for temporary tape- but I think it's way more hassle than it's worth. If you wear biking gloves (with leather palms) it won't really be like gripping bare metal anyway, and I doubt it would be slippery with the padded leather palms. When we change stems and stuff, taping comes later on when we are all settled in and happy with all the changes. Heck, you have plenty to keep you busy for now anyway!

When you do tape, you'll need to overlap more on the curves, ...but on the straight parts, try to stretch the tape and only overlap a bare 1/8" to conserve tape til the end, or you may run out 2" from the end. (and why the heck don't they just give us the lousy extra 3" leeway to begin with??? God knows they get enough money for the stuff!)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Do you gals do your own bike maintenace? Like adjusting cables and replacing headsets? I am too scared to mess with it...

Some stuff is way easier than other stuff.
I suggest you get Park's Blue book of bicycle repair & maintenance. You can get used cheaper copies on Amazon.com. Read about the procedure you are thinking of doing, look at the diagrams, and if you think you understand what they are saying then try it.

[KnottedYet]

I really like taping bars. It's kinda like knitting. Quiet and contemplative.

Samson and Cinelli tapes are nice to work with.

[Kitsune06]

Update:
So last night I put Merq up on the trainer and phutzed and farted around until I had the old stem annd handlebars off, brake/shifters off, etc. You're right, Deb, I could tell right away when the 'cap' was on right. The new stem, along with a slight upward tilt on the brooks and slightly different posturing solved some other problems I was having, as well.

The Salsa short'n shallow is proving very comfortable, too.

I'd gotten Specialized bar phat tape, but decided to re-use the old tape as it still looked like new and had come off well (and in one piece)

I did use the the gel pads, though.

Re-wrapping was amazingly easy. I only backed off a couple times in a couple places. There are two small 'burps' in the tape, where the foamy material of the tape had been stretched in the previous wrapping. I ended up doing a figure-8 as well, as that was what had been done previously.

so.... I think I'm going for my first ride after work tonight, if the weather allows....

*hope! hope! hope!*

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

so.... I think I'm going for my first ride after work tonight, if the weather allows....

*hope! hope! hope!*

GREAT! Keep in mind that your body and your muscles will also do some adjusting over time, and things that seem a bit weird and uncomfortable now may not seem so in a month- at least that's what happended to me. I think my core muscles strengthened over the weeks after switching from a hybrid to a road bike posture.

[Kitsune06]

Yeah, I'm told that as I go on the trainer, my body moves back and forth a bit which will make me go ~~~~~~~~~ on the road (not used to something so weight and balance sensitive!) but X says I'll get used to that and get used to being 'very still'. I'm still anxious about clipping/unclipping on a tippy road bike. It's like bass boat vs. canoe... but I'm excited!!!!

[DebW]

Yeah, I'm told that as I go on the trainer, my body moves back and forth a bit which will make me go ~~~~~~~~~ on the road (not used to something so weight and balance sensitive!) but X says I'll get used to that and get used to being 'very still'. I'm still anxious about clipping/unclipping on a tippy road bike. It's like bass boat vs. canoe... but I'm excited!!!!

And like a boat, the lower you put your center of gravity, the more stable you are. On a bike, that mean weight on your feet for stability.

[madscot13]

I was thinking that if I was too scared to mess with my trek 520 that I could take an old internal three speed that has been rusting away and try and fix that up. Nothing to the extent that you have been doing Deb, but it would get my hands wet, I mean greasy. What do you think Deb?

[DebW]

I was thinking that if I was too scared to mess with my trek 520 that I could take an old internal three speed that has been rusting away and try and fix that up. Nothing to the extent that you have been doing Deb, but it would get my hands wet, I mean greasy. What do you think Deb?

The advantage of the Trek 520 is that your LBS has parts and can give you advice and it's NOT rusty. How rusty is the 3-speed? How many parts need to be replaced? Chances are you could clean the chain, oil the hubs, headset, and bb and be able to ride it. And you could learn by dismantling hubs, bb, etc if you want. It would be a fun project.

[madscot13]

Yeah that sounds good, I am not into replacing parts hardcore. But I think it wuld be fun to replace the brakes and all of the cables of the bike, change the tires, and that easy stuff that I should learn how to do. I don't know how I feel about replacing bearings and taking apart the hub and oiling it however.


yeah the more I think about it, the more fun it sounds.

I actually get the trek 520 back from rei tomorrow. woot! woot!

[madscot13]

I am not so sure what to do about the rust. Right now it just seems cosmetic.

replacing super worn out parts may be a job for next next summer.