Quote Originally Posted by OakLeaf View Post
+1

And +1 on the bars being rotated oddly, but maybe you did that to bring the shifters closer to you? Which means that if you want to put the shifters where they're comfortable and have the bars rotated so that you can ride in the drops, you'll need to re-tape the bars anyway.

The good news about that is that you only need to re-tape above the shifters. I just did it myself, in fact. Before you unwrap the handlebars, put masking tape just below the shifters - low enough so that you'll be able to re-position the bit of tape right against the clamp, but high enough so that it holds the tape in place and you're not unwrapping any more than you have to. The hardest part to tape is the ergo bump, and you won't have to do that if you don't unwrap them.
I bought it used and the handlebars/shifters came like that. I do really like where the shifters are.

So - do I need more handlebar tape before I start this mess? The shifters are on top of the tape . . . .

I'm getting a little intimidated by this whole process. I am seeing myself sitting there surrounded by tape and handlebars and pieces, not knowing where everything's got to go . . .