talk to me about bar tape...

[DebW]

How sticky? What kind of stick? How permanently sticky? I'm not too familiar with hockey stick tape, darn it! How does it compare to that tape for "DIY bandaids" -- you know, the kind for the really BIG boo boos!

I seem to remember doing some plastic type tape on my bike when I was a kid, but I don't remember any stickiness to it.

Karen in Boise

There was plastic tape back then too, and it was not sticky. You just overlapped a couple turns, then went down the bars and held the last turn with an end plug. It worked OK, but when it started to come loose it could all unravel. The cloth stuff was sticky like cloth bandaging tape but had a much more textured surface for a good grip. It was permanently sticky, but not quite as sticky as duct tape. Does that help?

[Kano]

There was plastic tape back then too, and it was not sticky. You just overlapped a couple turns, then went down the bars and held the last turn with an end plug. It worked OK, but when it started to come loose it could all unravel. The cloth stuff was sticky like cloth bandaging tape but had a much more textured surface for a good grip. It was permanently sticky, but not quite as sticky as duct tape. Does that help?

Yup, that helps -- now, repositionable forever, or did it get stuck stuck after you wrapped it? and how textured? Do we need to be thinking like denim, or pique? Or is a nice quilter's cotton something to consider? (corduroy comes to mind, but I don't think it would wrap nicely!)

At the moment, I'm visualizing making strips of fabric, and laying them on something like carpet tape. Then you've got the fabric stuck to the tape, which would then be sticky on the other side....

(more work than buying "ready made" but it could be fun to have unique wraps!)

Karen in Boise

[DebW]

Yup, that helps -- now, repositionable forever, or did it get stuck stuck after you wrapped it? and how textured? Do we need to be thinking like denim, or pique? Or is a nice quilter's cotton something to consider? (corduroy comes to mind, but I don't think it would wrap nicely!)

At the moment, I'm visualizing making strips of fabric, and laying them on something like carpet tape. Then you've got the fabric stuck to the tape, which would then be sticky on the other side....

(more work than buying "ready made" but it could be fun to have unique wraps!)

Karen in Boise

Not repositionable. Stuck forever until you rip it off and discard it. I don't know all these fabric types you talk about, but probably a texture somewhere between denim and corduroy. Just so it's not slippery in your hand.