- With the Cobbled Classic season here upon us,
we start to see some changes on the bikes
of professional cyclists.
One of the most common changes is in fact,
double wrapping handlebar tape.
The reason they do so is to get a little bit more extra
comfort when riding over cobblestones.
However, it's not just limited to cobbles.
It can also be to give you a little bit of extra grip.
Sometimes you've got smaller hands
or indeed you want just an extra bit of comfort.
So today let's look at the process
of how to double wrap your handlebars.
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So preparation is obviously key here.
And what are we going to do first?
Well, ideally you're gonna want
to remove your handlebar tape
and then do some inspection.
One thing to check is certainly the outer cable.
So check to make sure there's no cracks.
There's no rust forming,
no corrosion, nothing like that.
Also, where the cables go into the shifters,
that there's no frayed ends or splits starting to appear.
If you've got carbon fiber handlebars,
inspect them carefully for any cracks.
Because even if you were to drop your bike,
it's surprising how fragile carbon can be
if hit in the wrong direction.
Another thing is to make sure that your brake lever clamps
have got either grease on them or locked tight
to hold those bolts in.
Also worth checking to that for corrosion.
Now it's just a case of refitting your existing bar tape
if it's in good condition.
If it's not, then really just buy some new tape
to go on there.
Now if are refitting your current bar tape,
make sure that it is nice and clean
on the top of the surface,
because you are going to be wrapping that second layer
on top, and if there's any grease or grime on there,
the new tape is gonna have a hard job sticking
to the top of it.
Also, a top tip from here
is to actually start a few centimeters
from the end here,
and finish a few centimeters from the end here too.
You'll see why shortly.
(slow music)
So what are we gonna need for the job?
Well, you are gonna need another roll of bar tape.
There is a huge amount of different varieties
of bar tape available.
You've got ones with gel in.
You've got very thin ones.
Cork bar tapes.
I'm not gonna run them all through
with you right now.
But I'm sure everyone out there
has got their personal favorite.
Mine?
I like to actually use a nice thin bar tape.
But I actually use two layers of it.
Sounds crazy, doesn't it?
You're also gonna need a pair of scissors
and a sharp knife.
That's obviously for cutting and finishing off the tape.
And finally, some electrical tape or insulation tape.
That's to do the final touches here of the bars.
So I prefer to actually unravel the roll of bar tape,
so the second layer, and actually hang it
over the top tube.
Reason being, it makes it a little bit easier to work with,
because it's not in a tight coil.
So it's a little tip there.
(slow music)
Now the next step is to remove the handlebar end plug.
So pop that out.
And then you're gonna wanna measure
a few centimeters from the end of the bar
or a couple of ravels here you can see.
And then make a little mark on it perhaps.
And that's gonna be basically the way
you're gonna cut around the circumference
of the handlebar and remove that bit of tape.
You also want to do that the top of the handlebar too
where you finish the taping.
The reason being that will allow you
to tape over the handlebars
and be able to tuck it in underneath the bar end plug.
Of course, if you followed my previous step
where I said if you are retaping with the original layer,
then you won't need to do that.
However, if you are just going over your existing bar tape,
this is what you're gonna need to do.
Now the process of wrapping the second layer
is just like the first layer.
So personally if I stood behind the bike and looking at it,
the left-hand bar tape I'm going to start wrapping
on the drop in an anticlockwise direction.
And the right-hand side in a clockwise direction.
Why?
Well, when you move your hands on to the drops
of the handlebars,
normally you become a more aggressive cyclist,
and in turn you actually start to grip
and tighten the bars in that direction.
So essentially you want to continue
to tighten the bar tape with your hands whilst riding.
Doing it the other way you run the risk
of slightly loosening the handlebar tape.
And that's not ideal,
because nobody likes loose handlebar tape.
Peel back a bit of the backing tape
of the handlebar tape
and then start so
that the sticky section
is just on the edge of the handlebar
and wrap that around.
And then simply begin wrapping.
Now you're gonna soon find out how much stretch
the bar tape has got.
And you can even practice on a small section
of the handlebar tape before you start wrapping.
(slow music)
So once you actually get to the lever hood,
now it may or may not be possible to do the figure
of eight style pattern around there.
That is gonna depend on how thick your bar tape is,
and also if the lever hoods themselves
can actually cope with the extra bulk of the bar tape.
Now when you pass the lever hood,
essentially then you won't start wrapping it towards you
if you stood behind the bike.
Reason being you can get some extra torque
from your hands and you're not gonna be loosening
the bar tape whilst you're climbing
or applying that extra pressure.
Because generally we tend to pull backwards
on the handlebar tape a little bit
when riding along on the tops.
Continue wrapping until you pass
the finish point
of the first layer of handlebar tape.
Have a quick look as well at the bar tape
to make sure that there's no
horrible overlaps or any big lumps, anything like that.
And then pop back the hood just to make sure it fits
before finishing off the final bit of the handlebar tape.
Then the next step is just to apply your electrical tape
again in the same direction backwards.
Give it a couple of rotations so it's nice and tight.
So you're not working against it.
You're always tightening it.
And then try
and cut it so it's hidden away then and there.
Just try and keep it a little bit neater.
Finishing touches.
Yep, you're gonna wanna tuck in the end
of that handlebar tape into the end plug.
Now if your end plugs are a little bit loose,
you can always wrap them
in something like masking tape.
Give it a few wraps and then whack it in.
Don't be afraid to hit it in quite hard,
because ultimately you don't want them to actually fall out.
(slow music)
So there we are.
That's one side of the handlebar done.
The other side is exactly the same process.
Important to remember though.
Again, let's recap.
On the left-hand side of the bike,
whilst looking at it from behind
is to wrap in an anticlockwise direction on the drops.
And the right-hand side in clockwise direction.
Once you pass the actual lever hoods,
you want to start wrapping the bars towards you
as you sit on the bike.
Therefore when you start to pull back on the handlebars,
you're actually tightening and not loosening
the tape potentially.
Now I did actually see a recent study
that showed that by using gloves on a bike
doesn't necessarily improve comfort
as much as handlebar tape does.
So there is some interesting reading to be had,
and the link to that is in the description down below.
Now remember as well to leave me your comments
on how you like to wrap your handlebar tape.
This one always sparks debate,
and I'm gonna be keeping a very close eye on it.
Remember as well to like and share this video
with your friends.
Maybe tagging a friend who is terrible at taping handlebars.
Remember as well to check out the GCN shop.
shop.globalcyclingnetwork.com.
You can buy all sorts of things.
Hoodies, T-shirts, workshop apron.
You name it.
Hopefully we've got it for you or a loved one.
And then finally to check out
another great maintenance video,
click just down here.