Back in about '88 I used a lightly-padded white plastic tape made by Cateye. I remember it lasting forever and cleaning-up nicely. Heaven knows where you might score some. Benotto ribbon is available in a mother-of-pearl sort of color, but I don't know how well that would clean up.
I've never tried shellac-ing white cloth tape, but I'd think it would turn the tape a weird shade.
Not to be heretical or anything, but I've never seen the sense in white cloth tape, for the very reason you describe: it starts to look dingy after two rides (not in an interesting patina sort of way, either, just downright awful). For a pro, such trivialities were irrelevant because their tape got changed every race. Even if we're talking about wanting to look 'period-correct', I don't think it's committing a sin to put, say, black cloth tape on the bike since that color was available back in tha day, and was probably(?) in wide use by *sensible* non-pro cyclists.
Michael Doleman, Sacramento, CA
raleypc@netscape.net writes:
> All,
>
> I really like the look of white cloth tape on classic era bikes but I must say the dingy look it gets after a few sweaty rides is not all that great. I like the looks enough to put up with cleaning it regularly on a few of my bikes (Clorex Gel and a toothbrush works good but spots aluminum)but is there an alternative white cloth bar wrap? Any white plastic available? Any other materials? Anyone tried white pigmented shellac on cloth tape? This would at least make it easier to keep clean. I have amber shellac on my "French style" International and it appears bullet proof.
>
> Finally, the white handlebar tape on E-Richies' 30th anniversary model at the Cirque was superb...was that double wrapped cloth perhaps?
>
> Paul Raley
> Snowing in Leonardtown MD
>
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