Geez, 4 or 5 years? I think you're lucky. Since I'm giving the bike to someone it's good enough but if I were going to be riding it, I'd pull the stuff off and retape the bars. It has a cushy feel but doesn't overlap smoothly like the old tape and leaves an annoying ridge line. I just put some of the new fi'zi:k Endurance Classic Touch 2.5mm thick tape on a bike this weekend. It's a bummer going out for a ride on a bike that looks great in the morning and by the end of the day the tape is all shredded. The only problem is after 4-5 years the top coating starts to peel off, especially in areas where the tape has been stretched to fit. I've used fi'zi:k Super Light Classic on many of my bikes since it came out. I don't like the "dry feel" of many kinds of popular foam bar tape, especially the cork types. LA Show Bike - 1st 753 Raleigh Team bike in the US - Whiteġ982 Worlds - White or Silver Benotto Cello Tape (note the goose among the ducks on the Raleigh Team Support car - the silver Eddy Merckx bike with the 114 number plate)Īndy Hampsten, Raleigh USA Team 1985.- looks like white cloth tape. When the white cloth tape gets too much patina I'll just tape over it with more white cloth tape just like we used to do: after several layers, remove the old stuff and start over again. The 753 fork is still the original black so it may have had a carbon fiber fork when it was being used (as a team spare)? It was repainted probably by Raleigh USA with the 1992 Technium Team kit.
I have white cloth tape on my 1985 SBDU Raleigh USA Team Pro 753. That's why they always look good on pro bikes. NOTE: Team mechanics rewrap the bars after every race or stage. Good point about riding it, didn't think much about that.
I would just hate to spend big bucks on something that is or will degrade quickly. I have dealt with thousands of degrading old taped bars that come off on your hands, (but to be fair have likely been on the bars since the '80s). I just turned into more of a steward than rider with this one, it seems. It's too much to handle at the end of a long day.Ĭheers, EricI think my hands are tied now that I know it's the real deal. I am assuming you will be riding this beauty.īut please don't post any more pictures with that stem and tape combo visible. I would go with the NOS white or if it's dirt you're worried about, I wouldn't freak out if you used a washable white. The old bar tapes I have used have not failed with any great speed. Bitd, they were seen with black tape sometimes, iirc. I think you'd get a pass from anyone, to even wrap one layer of the old tape back on.
Screw should, get that mastodon headpiece off of there. I would love to go NOS, but I am sure the durability would be super sketchy (even without UV exposure) 33 years later. I have received the Cinelli XA, which I am itching to swap, but bars should be wrapped at the same time (and in oof. To maximize ride feel without compromising comfort, ENVE Handlebar Tape is 3 millimeters thick with a vibration damping silicon backer strip that ensures comfort for long miles over rough roads.So,the jackassery that resulted in a garbage modern stem being grafted onto the Levi's bike has to be rectified post haste. As such, ENVE Handlebar Tape is designed with a grip compound that ensures bare handed traction despite wet conditions. Bar tape that becomes slippery when wet, and causes discomfort diminishes confidence and the ride experience. 250cm in length, 3mm thick, and silicone-backed compound that provides the right amount of stretch for ease of installation and durability.įor ENVE, handlebar tape is more than a fashion accessory, it is a key component that sets the tone for your ride. Grip compound maintains traction when wetĮNVE designed bar tape that provides maximum ride feel without compromising comfort and ensures grip in wet conditions.250cm in Length – Accommodates bars up to 50cm.