How To Tape Your Handlebars In The Figure Of 8 Style | Maintenance Monday

In association with Profile Design.
If your bar tape has seen some miles, become scuffed, rough or even perished over time you'll want to replace it. Here's how to wrap your bars in a figure of 8 style to give your bike a refreshing look:

It was about time to replace Simons bar tape after seeing some winter miles and Paris Roubaix. Fresh bar tape is great for your riding comfort and a quick cheap way to get your bike looking fantastic!

We also found out that the Figure of knot is also known as the Flemish knot! how about that for a cycling connection 😉

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Leave us a comment below!

[gcn]

Who can do the figure of 8? let us know 👇

[theotheraccount]

Pause and replay 100x during the figure 8.

[CyclingOffToSomewhereIDK]

I just taped my new Surly Truck Stop handlebars yesterday, having watched MANY videos on the process. This is the one I learned from, and emulated. I havent wrapped bars in almost 40 years, and it wasn't the best job, but I took it for a 2 mile ride and it felt amazing. The 3cm rise in the bars was great too. I'm going for another 20ish mile ride in about 30 minutes, just to really break the bars in. Thanks GCN, another very instructive video

[svfutbol]

I always thought this was a mystical art held only by the greatest bike mechanic sensei, but this looks pretty easy! Thanks for the guide

[andrewfeatherstone]

Going to try to wrap my bars for the first time today. Thanks for all the amazing videos, they help me loads as I’m new to road bikes!

[steveprokopiw]

I'm just glad there's a video showing the conventional method that mentions that pro mechanics wrap the opposite direction. I have been doing the 'outside-in' method of wrapping the drops since my crit racing days starting in the late 80's. When I sprint and even when I'm riding steady in the drops, the heel of my hands load inward not outward. I always wrapped outside-in on my track bikes too.

[simonderoo]

It's me again.. stil can't remember how to do it after 5 times...

[crnkspinnr]

I always use tape I had left over from a previous wrap job to place a strip on the bar top from levers toward the stem to make the bar a bit more cushioned.

[stagumphs]

Just did it. Figure 8 was good. I also did the clockwise right and anticlockwise left. My finishing was shit. On the aero bars. I used cut down gaffer tape as opposed to electrical tape. Not the best. But sufficient. Club ride in the morning. Nobody will know the difference and it looks equal. This video really helped. Thanks. Gave me confidence and saved me $70 at my local shop

[tyraelasd]

That feeling when you are watching a video about how to tape your handlebars and you don't even own a road bike 😂

[foodforthought]

Third or fourth time wrapping my own bars, but the first time I have done it correctly, was after watching this. Great information!

[marcivic]

Hey, there's more pedantic comments on here than views 😂 A couple of things I found helpful about this (free) advice (meant for the unpractised) 1) stretch as instructed as otherwise you lose a lot of the spring in the cushioning and will just throw that away 2) any more than a third overlap and you may struggle to get that nice hill/valley effect that looks great and gives better feel during the ride. The rest of this I found effective and is otherwise personal preference. My own tips 1) some (or all?) types have a tapered edge on one side, so ya know, make note of that directionally 2) stretch the 1st loop tight as it helps the finish and getting the cap on (if too much resistance trim it) Thanks GCN👍😃

[rollinrat]

In my shop we use the figure 8 method. It the best way to do it fast. We wrap clockwise left side, CCW right side. If you have real wide bars or want cushy handlebars then use strips behind levers. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!

[Naturalhighz]

I always tape inwards because when you hold the top of the bars you have a tendency to twist your hands backwards. When you do this having taped inwards makes it so that you actually tighten the tape when you do it as opposed to loosening it. Taping inwards therefore is a lot more durable which is also why most pro mechanics do it that way.

[josephalaguna]

This is brilliant. GCN always has it going on.

[MrIanMoss]

Wrapping from the outside to inside, (opposite to Simon) this gives the outside view of the bars the very neat view of the vertical section of the figure 8.

[jaywhitney]

Fantastic video for first-timers 😎🤙🏽🚴🏿‍♂️

[stagumphs]

Simons therapeutic voice helps me during my first attempt. Thanks mate!

[VestigialVoice]

Wonderful way to describe the elbow-wrap portion! You really helped me out, bud, thank you!

[alantang]

Excellent video - helped an amateur like me make the handlebars look good!