Leather bar tape

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
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nick12
Posts: 274
Joined: 26 Sep 2017, 9:10pm
Location: Skipton

Leather bar tape

Post by nick12 »

Looking at putting leather bar tape on my bars probably spa rather than brooks purely because of the price difference.
My main concern is how does rain affect the leather do you need to treat it at all. Is it easy to fit.
gregoryoftours
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Joined: 22 May 2011, 7:14pm

Re: Leather bar tape

Post by gregoryoftours »

I haven't fitted it myself but a colleague found it a bit of a headache to fit without crinkles around tight bends because it doesn't stretch at all.
markjohnobrien
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Joined: 4 Oct 2007, 8:15pm

Re: Leather bar tape

Post by markjohnobrien »

Pearson’s fitted Brooks leather bar tape to my custom Pearson Compass: they said it was a pain to fit.

Doesn’t need treating but the colour can fade over time (slightly).

Found it comfortable.
Last edited by markjohnobrien on 21 Apr 2021, 7:02pm, edited 1 time in total.
Raleigh Randonneur 708 (Magura hydraulic brakes); Blue Raleigh Randonneur 708 dynamo; Pearson Compass 631 tourer; Dawes One Down 631 dynamo winter bike;Raleigh Travelogue 708 tourer dynamo; Kona Sutra; Trek 920 disc Sram Force.
tatanab
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Joined: 8 Feb 2007, 12:37pm

Re: Leather bar tape

Post by tatanab »

I fitted some Brooks tape 9 years ago. I don't recall any problems with fitting, but I did not keep it more than about 6 months. I found it a bit slippery in the wet and hard on my hands. This from somebody raised on cloth tape. I wasn't about to start wearing mitts to be a slave to the leather tape, so off it came. Obviously there are many satisfied users to offset my experience.
rjb
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Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: Leather bar tape

Post by rjb »

Some have gone down the DIY route after visiting a charity shop for a leather coat. :wink:

viewtopic.php?t=80263
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
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nick12
Posts: 274
Joined: 26 Sep 2017, 9:10pm
Location: Skipton

Re: Leather bar tape

Post by nick12 »

Thanks for the replies. The diy route could be an option too. I'm planing on using on my on-one Geoff bars which aren't as hard to wrap as drop bars. Be nice to match the brooks saddle and tan wall tyres.
roberts8
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Joined: 20 May 2011, 9:14pm
Location: Surrey

Re: Leather bar tape

Post by roberts8 »

A couple of years ago Pilgrim Cycles fitted leather to my Roberts and it is comfortable, perfectly fitted and gives the classic look. I would.d have found it tricky on the bends.
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simonineaston
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Re: Leather bar tape

Post by simonineaston »

After putting off using leather bar tape from Brooks due mainly to the price of their product, I plumped instead for the cheaper version available on Amazon. It was good quality and has been on my BRG TSR for a few years now and has survived all that the weather has thrown at it. I am pleased with it and can recomment the product. It has a nice look & feel that compliments any brown Brooks well. The leather is v. tough and has coped with a couple of rewraps. I'll post a link to the product if I can find it.
Having said that, I've also used the faux-leather Deda Elementi tape from Amazon too, at under a tenner and tbh there's not a great deal of difference in either the look or the feel!!
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
peetee
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Re: Leather bar tape

Post by peetee »

I have leather effect tape on my steel Colnago. It does feel very leathery and looks great but it was a pain to fit without wrinkles (impossible around the brake levers) but that’s not the biggest problem. In my fingerless mitts the grip is fine but my winter Planet X gloves have no grip at all. I can’t just rest my hands on the tops - I have to grab them.
The older I get the more I’m inclined to act my shoe size, not my age.
leftpoole
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Re: Leather bar tape

Post by leftpoole »

I tried (I am pretty good at fitting bar tape) but decided, after fitting one side to remove. I ended with standard tape. No stretch to go around brake levers and even on the bends (sounds nasty) it showed signs of imbalance (?).....Wrinkled looked horrid. Sorry Brooks!
KM2
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Joined: 23 Oct 2008, 5:38pm

Re: Leather bar tape

Post by KM2 »

I have a set of Cinelli VIP bars and stem from the 1970’s. The leather is a sleeve, and I’m sure that was still available a few years ago when I looked. Not Cinelli.
Maybe worth a look as an alternative to tape.
Squibnocket
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Location: Leek, Staffordshire

Re: Leather bar tape

Post by Squibnocket »

Just a point to note, I've used some Spa leather bar tape on a pair of Cinelli bars this week and there was only just enough to wrap them, infact I didn't even use a pair of scissors as it was only just long enough!
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Ride-sleep-repeat
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Re: Leather bar tape

Post by Ride-sleep-repeat »

simonineaston wrote: 23 Apr 2021, 8:44am Having said that, I've also used the faux-leather Deda Elementi tape from Amazon too, at under a tenner and tbh there's not a great deal of difference in either the look or the feel!!
I replaced my Brooks with a similar product and TBH I much prefer the look and feel of the faux-leather tape.The Brooks was a pain to wrap and imo looked cheap and nasty!
I only bought Brooks to match my saddle and wouldn't pay the price for the bartape again.
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