Depending on the gauge of the leather and the amount of slack you have as it wraps the bars... the best choice may be a baseball stitch or a lock stitch. Afterwards, for a tight slip resistant fit --shrink it. But not too much. Shrinking hardens the leather & makes it more dense. If it gets too hard or so tight it stretches the stitches you can sometimes soften it a bit with little Lexol but too much conditioner will loosen the fit.
The trick is holding it in place for stitching. Use a section of split garden hose (one cut--lengthways & straight) to hold the leather strip in place while you stitcher up.
Use at least a three-ply or better linen.
A stitching needle makes the lockstitch go a lot faster. Don't have one? Get one! Ya ought to have it anyway....does more fabric and leather jobs than glue and most of them better.
Use beeswax if the thread isn't prewaxed.
Good luck.
Calvert Guthrie
Kansas City
2 to three inches of wet snow.
Finally....gotta be the first real snow
we've had so far this winter.