Road bike bar tape

[PpPete]

I've done mine from the centre out as well on my two dropped bar bikes, one with cork tape and one with traditonal cotton tape. No need for insulating tape to finish, and it hasn't started to unravel, as some say it will due to the way it overlaps (after 2,800 mi). This was using cheap cork tape from Halfords.

Yes the halfords one isnt so stretchy...
I found going from centre outwards with some nice soft feeling but rather stretchy non-adhesive Bontrager stuff, it tended to move over time so the overlap became uneven - and eventually left gaps. Doesnt seem to happen starting from the ends.
Black tape and black insulating tape to finish looks OK IMO

 

[raindog]

It will start to lift up taping from the centre because the overlap is the wrong way round. Pressure from the hands on the tops and on the drops is towards the edge of the tape and it will start to lift, taping from the ends means the pressure is away from the edge of the tape and helps to keep it firmly in place. I've tried it both ways but always go from the ends now. If in doubt about any issue, look at the pro's bikes - there's usually a good reason for the way their machines are prepared.

 

[chillyuk]

Thinking about it some more, and after reading peoples comments on here, maybe the modern materials make a difference. I always used to use the embossed plastic tape. It wasn't thick or cushioned at all, but went on and didn't move when wrapped from the centre to the bar ends. This modern stuff is much thicker, and cushioned, which may prevent it being wrapped as tightly as the old tape I am used to. If that hypothesis is anywhere near correct I can then see the sense of wrapping from the ends up to the middle. I will give it a try but I am not going to finish off with insulating tape. Rather, whilst the bars are stripped, and the brake cables are off (I am renewing them), I will slip the brake levers off and slide some heatshrink sleeving up the bars to capture the ends. Once shrunk at least it wont look so much like a bodge job.

 

[raindog]

Does cloth tape still exist? That's what we used in the old days, but we'd start at the bar end and then turn round near the middle and come back again so we had a double thickness. It used to fray though and soon looked scruffy.

 

[tyred]

Does cloth tape still exist? That's what we used in the old days, but we'd start at the bar end and then turn round near the middle and come back again so we had a double thickness. It used to fray though and soon looked scruffy.

Cloth tape is still available from a variety of sources and generally very cheap. I just thought I'd try it on another old road bike I've been working on recently as I have always found the cork tape on my Peugeot a little thick and squishy for my tastes. I believe a coat of Shellac makes it last longer so I might try that but it's too soon to say how long it will last as I've only done 22 miles on the bike so far.