Brown bar tape

Why the hell is almost nobody making brown bar tape?! It appears that the only people making it are Charge, with the synthetic leather, and Brooks with the real leather tat costs a fortune.

Am I just completely retarded at using the internet or is this really the case? There is definitely call for brown tape as everywhere selling the Charge stuff is awaiting stock and has a waiting list for ordering it.

**Edit/update
*
Since I started this thread I've found several options for brown bar tape:

1. Charge U-bend - normal brown -- £6-8 - generally online and in shops, but is often 'out of stock'
   
2. Condor honey brown cork tape - £7 from condor
   
3. Fizik microtex (leatheret style) bar tape - Honey brown
   - Dark brown -- both £10.99 from Condor
   
4. Soma fab - order from America.
   
   

Then of course there is the expensive leather bar tape from Brooks and Cinelli for about £30-60. Too expensive for me and not in question in this 'budget' thread!

Cinelli do a natural leather tape....

for £60

that cinelli stuff is amazing, had my hands on a packet of the stuff the other day, better than brooks imo. But the charge stuff is decent for the very reasonable price

its worth the money.. but the OP should know its all about the Fizik

+1 Pip. all about the 'zik.

condor do brown bar tape

Why the hell is almost nobody makeing brown bar tape?! It appears that the only people making it are Charge, with the synthetic leather, and Brooks with the real leather tat costs a fortune.

Am I just completely retarded at using the internet or is this really the case? There is definitely call for brown tape as everywhere selling the Charge stuff is awaiting stock and has a waiting list for ordering it.

Soma Fab

http://store.somafab.com/gripsbartape.html

They even do brown camoflag if thats your thing.

http://store.somafab.com/thzecata.html

VO leather

http://www.velo-orange.com/volebartape.html

Sew on elkhide.

http://www.velo-orange.com/elsebarco.html

Cloth

http://www.velo-orange.com/trclhata.html

Toshi Leather

http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Toshi_Leather_Tape_357.html

Benotto brown
(from an old EBay list but its around)

You can sometimes pick up NOS brown bartape on EBay etc.

I'm Using Cinelli natural cork gel tape. Which looks and feels great (but is beige not brown).

so what you are saying Smallfurry is that Bike Destroyer is indeed retarded at using the internet :-)

£60 is definitely too much for bar tape, imo, especially seeing as my classic Raleigh only cost me £38!

Smallfurry: The Soma stuff and Velo Orange is all from the US. Surely I shouldn't have to order from America to get something as simple as bar tape. I do like the look of the Soma stuff though.

maxcrowe: Fizik doesn't seem to do brown anymore. I've heard people going on about it, but I can't find it for sale anymore. The double tape that Fiziki do (whith the sewn line down the middle) really appeal to me, they just don't have the colour I'd like.

There is definitely a gap in the market for brown bar tape in the price bracket of £5-15. It's all these damn hipsters wanting loads of bright colours. Damn them and their colour ways (slight pun intended).

I've got the Charge tape on my work-in-progress conversion, it's not as bad as you'd think, it's no cork though... properly shit in the rain..and seeing as how we live in the UK.

I had the Cinelli natural cork on my Dawes before it got smashed to bits... really good tape but as SmallFury says, it is most definitely TAN/Beige not brown.

san marco do leathertape in lots of colours

http://www.sellesanmarco.it/en/Vintage/Accessories/6/Bar%20Tape.html

Ouch.... 59 euros?

Give Condor a call re the brown Fizik tape as that was the last place I got it from.

Or... you can just go to a leather shop, like the hundreds around Bricklane, buy yourself a patch of leather (like I did), cut some stripes off and wrap it around the handlebars.
I´m pretty sure JOL did the same way back, with some red leather (he sew it tho').
All in all, it´s still leather.

Was that just from a leather shop? I didn't know whether you'd need to order it in specially to get it the right thickness and get the tapers to make it overlap ok. I guess if you're doing it like Jol, as in a piece that is sewn on, rather than wrapping then that would work.

I bought some really thin lamb hide, dark drown, from one of them shops, to re-cover a turbo saddle.
With some of the remaining bits (cut into stripes), I've tried to wrap around some bars, it works. Just
get some glue underneath, whatever keeps it from sliding off.
I had seen it before applied like this, specially if you use Shellac after.

BLB had Fizik brown bar tape in stock last week might be worth having a look.

Can you treat the leather first and therefore not need Shellac? I get the impression that it would make the leather go hard and that really doesn't appeal to me.

How much did the leather cost you for a seats worth and which shop did you go to?

The guy took me o the shop's basement and told me to choose from a bin (about 50x50cm) - £5.

Nicely. I think I might have to give that a go. I'd like to have matching bar tape and saddle, so it might be worth me getting enough to re-cover my seat at the same time as wrapping the bars.

Did you treat the leather or put anything on it after re-covering?

Not yet, but I'm guessing any of brooks products will do the job, very well.
Look out for any (micro)cuts that the hide might have, and try to choose
one with an even thickness.
; )

@ OP. Condor cycles has all manner of brown tape shades go there.

so what you are saying Smallfurry is that Bike Destroyer is indeed retarded at using the internet :-)

Errrm, oops.

Smallfurry: The Soma stuff and Velo Orange is all from the US. Surely I shouldn't have to order from America to get something as simple as bar tape. I do like the look of the Soma stuff though.

Sorry was being lazy. Velodrama in the uk stock a lot of Soma Fab gear. Contact them.
http://www.velodrama.co.uk/shop/category_13/Handlebar-Tape.html?shop_param=cid%3D%26
or the LFGSS member.
http://www.lfgss.com/member6360.html

BLB had Fizik brown bar tape in stock last week might be worth having a look.

That stuffs like rocking horse poo. Scott had it on his 'poo bike' (his words not mine)

The sew on stuff looks great, but offers little cushoning, and can start to move around. I may do it again but next time I'm using gel strips first.
http://www.lfgss.com/members3147-albums261-picture1204.html

Gel strips.
http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=A0258

That stuffs like rocking horse poo. Scott had it on his 'poo bike' (his words not mine)

What exactly do you mean by that? As in it's absolute shit and shouldn't be bought?

The sew on stuff looks great, but offers little cushoning, and can start to move around. I may do it again but next time I'm using gel strips first.
http://www.lfgss.com/members3147-albums261-picture1204.html

That bike looks really nice. I'm impressed. I really like the look of the leather on the bars. But not very practical due to discomfort and movement of leather?

What exactly do you mean by that? As in it's absolute shit and shouldn't be bought?

No. Rocking horses dont poo. So their poo is rare. Its just an old saying feels old. Fizik tape is great.

That bike looks really nice. I'm impressed. I really like the look of the leather on the bars. But not very practical due to discomfort and movement of leather?

It did'nt move loads to be honest. Extra double sided tape would have sorted it. Gel under the leather would sort comfort. The surface is really nice and I even found it OK in the rain. It holds up well, and scratches can be sorted with a bit of oil, so it should out last most other tapes. I blacked out after a fixed mountain climb, and ploughed the bars into the floor though. Never looked the same again :(

Might do it again though (the tape, that is).