Cleaning White Tape on the handlebars

[Custardcup1]

My new Felt bike has white tape and it is starting to get a little gray looking. What is the best way to get the tape super white again??

[Jiffer]

I have used products like Simple Green or 409 in the past on my light pink tape, which seemed to attract dirt. However, switching to a tape that doesn't attract dirt is even better. I use Fizik Microtex, but Lizard Skin makes a good one, too, that stays pretty clean. My husband has white tape. He's used Lizard Skin and liked it, but I think currently has Fizik.

[Abarnes]

Simple Green leaves a film that makes the bars very slippery when wet (sweat or rain). I've always used Comet or similar porcelain sink cleaner with some warm water..make a paste and scrub!

[tzvia]

It helps to clean them after every ride. Not some big heavy duty cleaning, just a wipe down with a damp cloth, with maybe a little dishwashing liquid. I do that as a matter of course, along with a damp cloth wipe of the bike and a cog/cassette wipedown.

If it's really bad, I start with some Simple Green. Then a damp cloth, followed by a damp cloth with a little window cleaner or dishwashing liquid, then another water dampened cloth.

Right now I am using the Specialized gel-tape, it is holding up well, which is bad because I can't stand it, it's too thick. Deda tape is much thinner and easier to get my hands around. Lizard Skins is between the two, and held up ok but didn't clean up as easily as the Specialized tape.

Every time I spend the time to clean my bar tape, I think I should switch to red (bike is red and white) but the saddle is white and red bar tape just won't do.

[Custardcup1]

Thanks so much for the replies. I think I will try the dishwashing liquid tomorrow after my ride. I'm trying my new Selle Italia Gel Flow Saddle tomorrow too. Will let everyone know how it works!

[Seajay]

My new Felt bike has white tape and it is starting to get a little gray looking. What is the best way to get the tape super white again??

We use spray carpet cleaner. One thing to choose white, but the bike industry is nuts for stocking white bar tape on floor model bikes.

[Owlie]

I don't know why they do that. Especially when you get to the point in the year when you start selling the floor model. I can't count the number of times that someone has said "I really like the bike and it feels good, but the bars are all dirty..." Face, meet palm. The other option of course is that they're fishing for us to change the bar tape for free.

My bike, despite being advertised as having white tape, came with black. There's a reason I left it that way when I bought new tape, even though my saddle's white!

[Owlie]

Remove tape. Open package containing brand new shiny white tape. Replace.

Or: "Remove tape. Replace with black tape. Never worry about it again."

[Penny4]

I wonder if a Mr Clean Magic Eraser would work? I don't have white tape so can't try it....but I use those erasers on everything!

[Aromig]

Someone at my LBS just commented on how all the handlebar tape and seats are white because they apparently are "flashier" on the floor, but nearly everyone changes both. I keep seeing references to seat color - is it tradition to match seats and handlebars? (I am shockingly ambivalent about bike color and matching - doesn't matter that much to me).

[Owlie]

Someone at my LBS just commented on how all the handlebar tape and seats are white because they apparently are "flashier" on the floor, but nearly everyone changes both. I keep seeing references to seat color - is it tradition to match seats and handlebars? (I am shockingly ambivalent about bike color and matching - doesn't matter that much to me).

There's some sort of "rule" that your bar tape must match your saddle. It's the cycling equivalent of "bag must match shoes" or something. I'm not entirely sure how that's possible unless you have black, white or maybe brown tape, because saddles usually only come in those three colors (most often only two of those colors), whereas there's a rainbow of options for bar tape color. Bicycling magazine had this ridiculous graphic of what was (not) acceptable to coordinate. (Between that and the lengthy "how to shave your legs" article from last summer, I have pretty much lost any respect I have for that magazine).

I don't know that it matters that much. Black pretty much goes with anything, and who cares if they match? As long as you can stand to look at the bike, it doesn't matter. And relatively few people are going to see your saddle anyway. Your butt will be on it!

[Aromig]

. And relatively few people are going to see your saddle anyway. Your butt will be on it!

Ha -- especially mine! Can't see any of that saddle...Tee hee. I have white bar tape on my new bike. Hate it. I've only been riding on a trainer, and its already dirty looking. Just switched the saddle to black, guess that gives me permission to switch tape too! Yeah, it all sounds very silly. I actually have more respect when I see bikes that are "mismatched" (I saw one yesterday with different color tires, seat, etc. -nothing matched!) To me, that means the person rides it enough that things need to be replaced.

Its funny that I could care less about bike colors, etc., because all of my skydiving equipment is totally matchy matchy (we make a tongue-in-cheek joke that your skills are increased if you match)

[KDNYC]

Fizik tape stays pretty clean.

You might also try Magic Eraser. I used Magic Eraser on my vintage white Turbo saddle, which I'd deliberately neglected since it was for city use. Except for the tiny wrinkles on the side, it looks new again.

[SFLiz]

Someone at my LBS just commented on how all the handlebar tape and seats are white because they apparently are "flashier" on the floor, but nearly everyone changes both.

My LBS manager said the same thing. I bought the actual bike that I test rode last Sunday which had never been ridden before (2013 model). They unwrapped the plastic covering the tape in front of me before I test rode. I rode for 20 miles and when I returned the bike to the shop, the tape was a tad grungy already. And I always wash my gloves after each use (would be gross otherwise since my nose runs incessantly while I ride....ewww). I asked them to change the tape to black in their prep before it comes home to me this weekend, especially since the saddle was already black.

Matching looks great but clean (or at least non-grungy) looks better.