Hi Steven,
I have the same exact problem. When I was a kid I worked in a big bike shop and I was the only one of about a dozen mechanics who could get the cloth tape to lay down nice. It got to the point that everybody else just gave up and I had to do all the cloth tape jobs... Anyway, these days I just can't get it to lay flat. I know that the trick to it is to stretch the tape on the bias; but it just wont budge no matter how hard I pull. I'm thinking that they must have changed the tape.
Regards, Jamie Swan - Northport, N.Y. http://www.centerportcycles.com (mapped) http://www.limws.org http://www.liatca.org http://www.cabinfeverliquidations.com
On Nov 19, 2005, at 4:03 PM, Steven Willis wrote:
> I have just covered a set of handle bars on a freshly built up older
> bike of mine a Steven Calvert with old Campagnolo NR parts and the last
> thing to do was the bar tape with the old stand by Velox cloth tape.
> then all these memories came back. This stinks! I tried to remember if
> there was some old trick to get it to lay flat but noooo. Too many
> years
> of Cinelli cork tape in my hands. My hands have lost the grip to get it
> to not get those little folds in the tape. Then I remembered I never
> could get it to lay down perfect I would be happy to just hide it under
> the bar where the customer might not see it. I did remember to hide
> both
> of the ends under the new rubber hoods so it looks pretty clean. I need
> to find some one who likes to do this, maybe Ray or Dave is coming over
> for Friday night beer and I can get them to do it for me. Other then
> selling my soul does any body have any stories to get it to lay flat
> for
> me.
> Steven Willis
> 1778 East Second Street
> Scotch Plains NJ 07076
> 908-322-3330
> http://www.thebikestand.com