Bar wrap

[limey]

Been noticing something in this years Tour, the pros bars seem more padded than mine - I use fizik tape.  Apart from Paris Robaix, do the pros double wrap their bars, or is there a more padded tape available?

[Painkiller]

Limey it would be hard to know unless you asked them in person. what is your bar size? That alone might look like thicker padding. Yes some wrap is thicker than others, some might use padding under the wrap. I use adhesive backed foam rubber that I cut to suit, I can also sand it to contour to my taste also. I find that you can easily cut yourself short on wrap depending on the bar and extra padding. Normal wrap and gloves with padding seems to work for me. Even with padding you only do key spots on the bar, not the whole bar.

[elmore leonard]

(07-11-2015, 11:10 AM)limey Wrote:  Been noticing something in this years Tour, the pros bars seem more padded than mine - I use fizik tape.  Apart from Paris Robaix, do the pros double wrap their bars, or is there a more padded tape available?

With golf clubs they wrap masking tape around the shaft were the grip goes on, pour alcohol on the tape, alcohol you buy at the drugs store, on the masking tape and then slide the grips on over the tape. The masking tape increase the thickness of the grip, makes it stick good so it won't slide off, and makes it softer. I suspect this would work good under handles bar wrap as well. 

[limey]

Hi painkiller, the only place that I find that kinda feels 'hard' to me after an hour or so, is the top of the bars.  I have just moved to 31.8 and they feel a little better, so I was thinking maybe a little more would be great, then I saw a few close-ups in the Tour and it sure seemed like they had done something too.
I looked at the gel strips that you can buy, but they seemed ugly, I also thought about a strip cut from old inner tube under the tape, but Elmore's suggestion of alcohol soaked masking tape may work - I actually do my own club grips and use lighter fluid on those.  Just got to save $20 for new tape before I try it, cos my old tape would probably come up short.

[Painkiller]

If you are replacing your old, buy some Scotch double-sided tape, apply it to strips of your old tape. Place it where you need it(2 layers perhaps). then wrap as normal. Where are you located? U.S. or across the pond?

[limey]

Would that be thick enough and resist the heat?  I was thinking blue painters tape with the greasy finish removed with solvent, so that I can get it off easily when I need to.  Getting old masking tape off golf club grips is a pain in the butt. 
40 + years in the great State of Texas.

[GeorgeET]

I have been using padded wrap on my bars and gel palm gloves. This works fine for me. I have seen thicker slip on foam bar wraps that are thicker. Even plumbers foam pipe wrap may work. Usually comes in a 6 foot length, of different diameters. . Just put on bar tops and if needed glue the open end shut.

I use it to pad my bike rack where it rests against the car.

[limey]

Thanks, but I think it would be a tad too thick. a short 1/2" wide strip on top of the bars would work for an extreme problem. but I'm looking for a more subtle change  - just a slight increase in diameter to see if the extra bearing surface is more comfortable.
I did solve my sore butt problem by cutting two pads out of old dis-used shorts, sewing them together and then slipping them inside my regular padded bike shorts.  Old men with boney butts have to be creative !!!
Painkiller, I should have also said 'preceded by 35 years in England'.