Olmo Scatto SLX w Fluro & Fadez + Campa Record /// + various other projects

oops, totally forgot about that. I'll post it later!

@SideshowBob
Alright, here we go - how to wrap bars in Alcantara.

I bought my alcantara from here: http://www.ebay.de/itm/322081304664?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&var=511009924004&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

1x1,40m only costs 6€ + shipping so it's very reasonably priced especially since you'll have enough material to wrap at least 4-5 bars or maybe even more.

When you get the material, there's a white mesh kind of material attached to the underside of the alcantara, as seen below.

1 Attachment

In my first attempt, I just cut thin stripes and wrapped it around the bars, as you can see in the photo below, it looked really gash since there were little fibers of the white mesh and the alcantara itself around the edges. I tried flaming the edges with a lighter but it didn't really help so I needed to come up with a new plan.

1 Attachment

Enter the double faced adhesive tape fold over method :)

I used some tesa double faced tape which is approx. 4cm wide.

1. Cut down a stripe of the alcantara which is approx 5-6cm wide. Make sure to use the full length (1,45m) as you'll need the full length to cover drop bars. For flat bars, a shorter piece will suffice.
   
2. Tear off the white mesh material from the underside.
   
3. Place the adhesive tape on the underside of the alcantara, while still leaving on the protective foil on the top side.
   
4. Since the adhesive tape that I used was roughly 4cm wide, it was a bit too wide for what I had in mind so I cut off one cm from the left side which left me with a bar tape that would be approx 3cm wide. This is still a bit wider than normal bar tape but it is neccessary since you only get 1,4m in length which is a bit shorter than most bartapes.
   
5. Cut along the alcantara so that the alcantara is approx. 7-8mm wider than the duct tape and you have a clean cut.
   

4 Attachments

Now you use a ruler to draw a line on the protective foil which is parralel to the long side of the tape. Not sure how to explain this but the picture pretty much speaks for itself, it's not rocket science. You tear of the stripe of protective foil which should have the same width as the overhanging alcantara.

1 Attachment

Now you fold the overhanging alcantara and stick it to the part of the adhesive tape which is exposed after you took of the stripe of the protective foil.

And there you go, your tape is pretty much ready.

3 Attachments

The sticky part of the bar tape is still protected which is very helpful when you wrap the bars. If the protective foil was already off, it would be a sticky mess and it would be difficult to get a clean and even wrap.
When you wrap the bars, make sure to use a lot of tension. I upholstered some parts of the bars with some old cork bartape beforehand, since the alcantara is relatively thin and doesn't provide much cushion.

2 Attachments

That's pretty much it, the wrapping requires some getting used to and is comparable to wrapping rigid leather bartapes. So there you have it: a cheap, light and fancy way to wrap your bars. The material is very grippy, light and pleasantly cold in the summer. It's even fire resistant which is probably more of a selling point for car manufacturers than for bikes but it's still something I guess ;) so far it holds up really well, if you want to try it yourself and have any more questions feel free to ask.

Needless to say you can also use this method to make your own leather bar tape or whichever material floats your boat.

2 Attachments

Superb and comprehensive tutorial - thanks very much.

You're welcome, glad if it's of any help :)

Thanks for the tutorial, probably will try this in the future! Awesome job!

brilliant with the double sided tape!!

damn this is amazing. Can't believe I hadn't seen it earlier...

How is that tape holding up now?

Cheers!

@anidel unfortunately I haven't been riding the Olmo much so I can't really report on its durability yet.