Handlebar tape and cross levers

[PpPete]

Those cross levers are uglier than suicide levers !

I'm another who prefers to start in the middle and work outwards so as not to have to mess with insulating tape. The annoying thing is when you decide you want the tape starting half inch further out, because you want to fit new bar bag/mapholder/computer/light/GPS and you have to redo the whole tape.

Lost count of the number of times I've re-done the tape on my "best bike".
So much so that on N+1 and +2 I've relented and used insulating tape.

 

[rh100]

As promised but my Camera had ran out of batt. I filmed my Handlebar with my Helmet Cam instead.

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PeeVQRXq1s


What you need to do is to cut the beginning of the Tape at an angle so that you can tuck it in without bundling up. Start from the bottom of the Handlebar slightly overlapping the beginning of the tape, you might have to use electrical Tape to secure it but don't worry you wont see this as it is under the Bar. Good Luck

Thanks for the vid and the info. I notice yours are quite near the centre, I'm thinking I may put mine further out,firstly due to there being a metal sleeve about an inch either side of the stem, also as porkpete says,I'm likely to want to attach stuff, so may have the levers more towards the corners. I tend to cover brake levers with my hands anyway whilst riding and i'm guessing my hands will be further out.

Those cross levers are uglier than suicide levers !

I'm another who prefers to start in the middle and work outwards so as not to have to mess with insulating tape. The annoying thing is when you decide you want the tape starting half inch further out, because you want to fit new bar bag/mapholder/computer/light/GPS and you have to redo the whole tape.

Lost count of the number of times I've re-done the tape on my "best bike".
So much so that on N+1 and +2 I've relented and used insulating tape.

Oi! Those in particular or cross levers in general? They are in the shed at the minute so can't look to check, but if I remember right the logo is a bit smaller than on that link,so hopefully won't look too gaudy.

Have been polishing everything up today, thanks for the tips on another thread on here, the gear looks a bit better now but some of it is quite pitted despite wire wool and brasso.

The frame is stripped bare, have had the forks off and regreased the headset, will start bolting everything back together tomorrow hopefully. I have also got a bottom bracket to replace (thanks for the advice on that one Porkypete). Having an issue with wheels now though - expect another thread soon!!

 

[PpPete]

I think it's cross top levers in general I don't like.... . They seem to clutter up the bars, but it's a personal thing, my bars have lights, small computer just as speedo, GPS mount, and often a bar bag as well so I don't that I've any right to say yours is ugly !!!!!!

Wheels ..... you know I'm going to say handbuilts don't you?

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

And it used to be that sticky bar tape as well

I recall in the days of suicide levers everybody (well, many) had these spongy tube things on the bars. I recall they were easy to put on and off, saved nerves in Carpal tunnels as well as light and super comfy... Never fully understood why they disappeared from the market.

 

[4F]

I recall in the days of suicide levers everybody (well, many) had these spongy tube things on the bars. I recall they were easy to put on and off, saved nerves in Carpal tunnels as well as light and super comfy... Never fully understood why they disappeared from the market.

Blimey those were the days. 5 speed racer, spongy tube grips, suicide levers and those little titchy mudguards

 

[manalog]

Thanks for the vid and the info. I notice yours are quite near the centre, I'm thinking I may put mine further out,firstly due to there being a metal sleeve about an inch either side of the stem, also as porkpete says,I'm likely to want to attach stuff, so may have the levers more towards the corners. I tend to cover brake levers with my hands anyway whilst riding and i'm guessing my hands will be further out.

Mine are near the center because my Handlebar is the Aero type and this is the furthest they will go.
Not sure why they are called suicide levers I thought they were call Girly Levers :troll:. On a serious note those Girly Levers have saved me a few times certainly not suicide levers. Here is a footage when I nearly rear ended another cyclist notice the skid mark on the road as he braked hard. If I was on the hood, there was no way I would have avoided him.

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwMtS6rKCLo&feature=channel

 

[Norm]

The levers on the tops are not suicide levers. Suicide levers use the same pivot as the normal levers, with an extension so they can be reached riding on the tops, like this.

Modern dual brake levers are interrupter levers, the brake cable runs through them and their action on pulling the cable through the outers is what applies the brakes, like this.

I like brakes on the tops, and they are easily powerful enough for me to lift the back wheel - as I found out on Wednesday.

 

[rh100]

Doesn't look too bad....

Levers fitted, new cable and outers and tape fitted aswell, what do you think for a first effort? Not too sure of the colour now though, but maybe once weathered it will look ok.

The levers feel ok, seem to feel quite firm and don't bottom out on the handlebars, haven't had a test ride yet though. There was not much choice in where they went as the tops seem quite narrow.

Finally got something sorted for the wheels. I had bought a really cheap set off the web, I know I need some quality wheels but the budget just can't afford them yet Anyway, the cheapo wheels turned out to have an OLN of 135, not 130 as advertised so sending them back. So what I did was took the old knackered wheel that came with the bike, learnt how to replace a spoke brasso'd the spokes and cleaned the rim, replaced the tyre and tube and regreased the hub cone bearings. It seems to run fairly true, the wheel is old but has a deor hub, when doing up the cone I couldn't get it past finger tight without it feeling a bit lumpy, so just tightened the outer nut over it and will give it a try. For the front I just used an old wheel that came from the hybrid, it has black spokes so a bit of a mismatch but so long as it rides for now, also a new tube and tyre for this one. The front is 622-19 and the rear is 622-17, with 622-32 Conti City Ride tyres.

All that is left now is final adjustment of the brakes now the wheels have been messed with, fit the gear cables and a new gear outer to the derailleur and I think that's about it.

Extras like racks and guards will come later if I get on with the bike, see how it goes.

Thanks All.

 

[rh100]

Finally got out for a test ride today, about 12 miles worth.

Blimey, it's a different beast and will take getting used to. However, I'm really pleased with it, no undue creaks or groans on it, the new BB seems fine and the wheels just seem to roll on forever.

The brakes seem to be working well, but I think I need to change expectations from what I am used to with the V brakes on the hybrid. The cross bar levers do the job, and even when trying riding on the hoods and braking it seemed ok, so hopefully i got the pad adjustment right. Riding on the hoods feels weird, and it made my hands hurt between the thumb and finger, just not not used to it I suppose.

The most comfortable place on the bars seemed to be the corners, but most confident position was covering the cross levers towards the middle, although the steering was obviously more twitchy from here.

Handling wise it felt more steady than I expected, although it did seem to lean at times, not sure why. Riding posion felt a little cramped in the legs, the saddle is the same height as my hybrid but maybe the leaning forward position is the cause of this, will have to experiment a bit.

Struggling a bit with the tube shifters, I stayed on the middle ring all the way but at times felt I could have used the big ring (never get to that point on the hybrid), the rear shifter was awkward to use, not always able to hear if it was grinding but when I could ended up faffing fine tuning it, could do without that distraction, and because changes wern't so quick I coasted a lot more than normal when spinning out instead of changing up then down again like I would with the indexed gears.

Oh and I definitely needs padded shorts next time I go out on it

 

[potsy]

Hideous

 

[rh100]

Black tape turned up today, it's needs toning down a bit