What color bar tape should I go with?

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NorthCascades
NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
It's time to replace my bar tape. I'm trying to decide what color. I'm also open to recommendations on which tape, but I'm partial to cork. (I'm using Cinelli tape now.)

Red is obviously the fastest color, and would match the frame highlights. But I feel like it would be too loud. And slate gray would obviously work but may be too muted. Black and white are too common.

Here's the bike. I'm going to change the stem so ignore the blue.

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This is the jacket I wear about six months out of the year.

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Replies

  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    I still like the black, sorry no help here.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    Did you wrap that yourself, @Hornsby?

    Those are some quadzillas!
  • Triathlete1502
    Triathlete1502 Posts: 103 Member
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    Lime green? Or double tape red or black with lime green?

    Are you leaning towards blue, showcasing your blue jacket and I've noticed your watch strap is the same shade blue as well. You could double tape blue with black/red too.

    For me personally, I prefer black. It goes with your saddle/frame colour and doesn't smear as overtly as lighter colours.
  • CincyNeid
    CincyNeid Posts: 1,249 Member
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    FWIW I've got black on both of my bikes now. I'm dropping Blue on my Spec next time around, and Neon Green on my Aventon next time around.

  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Did you wrap that yourself, @Hornsby?

    Those are some quadzillas!

    No, a local mechanic did it for me. It would look completely jacked if I tried that...like a birds nest probably.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    I will tell you, if you can find someone that can double wrap or you try it and figure it out, you will get more compliments than you can imagine. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that every time I ride with someone new or a group of people that haven't seen it, I get asked where it was done, how to do it...etc.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    I'll call my mechanic and see if they've done a double wrap before. Maybe a sky blue / slate gray would be good on my frame.

    How does it feel in your hands? What kind of tape did you go with?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    It's squishy which I like. I used Bontrager tape as I like the spongey feel.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    So it's double squishy? But that isn't too much?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Not to me...lol. It's not all that different from a single. I don't wear gloves all that often unless it's like 100 degrees so maybe that's why i like.
  • CincyNeid
    CincyNeid Posts: 1,249 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    So it's double squishy? But that isn't too much?

    Is "squishy" ever bad?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    CincyNeid wrote: »
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    So it's double squishy? But that isn't too much?

    Is "squishy" ever bad?

    The missus thinks so.... Badumbump
  • JeepHair77
    JeepHair77 Posts: 1,291 Member
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    Yellow. Because DH's bike is black and red and he has bright yellow bar tape and a yellow saddle - and it looks bada$s.
  • Lisa_Ookoo
    Lisa_Ookoo Posts: 134 Member
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    I always choose black because I get grease on everything.
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
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    If you consult "The Rules" (per Velominati) you'll find that Rule # 8 applies. It states:

    Rule #8: - Saddles, bars, and tires shall be carefully matched.
    Valid options are:
    Match the saddle to the bars and the tires to black; or
    Match the bars to the color of the frame at the top of the head tube and the saddle to the color of the frame at the top of the seat tube and the tires to the color where they come closest to the frame; or
    Match the saddle and the bars to the frame decals; or
    Black, black, black

    Now, as a *kitten* stepchild (triathlete), I'm not bound by those rules, so I'd suggest a bright blue option, or a blue/red double wrap.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    The folks at Performance say they have one mechanic who's does double wraps, so that's an option.

    Slate gray with crimson, or slate gray with sky blue?
  • CincyNeid
    CincyNeid Posts: 1,249 Member
    edited September 2016
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    The folks at Performance say they have one mechanic who's does double wraps, so that's an option.

    Slate gray with crimson, or slate gray with sky blue?

    That's my opinion. for what it's worth.

    As an Ohioian. I hate anything with Crimson and Grey ..... But that's a different discussion for a different time.

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