Rule on handlebar tape color

[tihsepa]

Does anyone care?

I almost always run black or white. Is there any rule? Does it matter? I have heard to match the saddle but........

Thoughts?

[rider9]

Use what you want. Why would you "have" to follow someone else's rules?

I think it is a matter of taste. If you are eclectic, then nothing has to match and it can be done very tastefully.

If you like things to match, then do that. I know I am in the minority on this subject.

[tihsepa]

I am just wandering is all. Hell, i usually use either black or white. Thats all. Thinking about some 80's throwback splash tape or a dual color like Fizik or something.

[rider9]

I am in the process of building up a fixed gear bike and bought "natural" cork tape. My saddle is a light brown, so I did match them, sort of.

I bought a chrome stem, headset and handlebars are natural aluminum. The seat post is black. The rims and spokes are black. The crankset I bought has both black and natural aluminum.

Some people would shudder at my bike, but then it's my bike...

I was looking at the steel bike pictures last night and there was one bike that had black tape with red showing through the holes in the black. It looked really cool. The thread is located in the Frames section.

[tuffguy1500]

Bar tape shall match the saddle. Any other combo is also fine, since it's your bike. of the five bikes I own, all but one followed that rule, and it pained me deep inside.

[locustfist]

generally...who cares.

But as a designer for most applications it works well when the saddle and bars match or compliment each other.

[terry b]

These are the rules as I understand them:

• Always black, but sometimes white or brown or blue. It takes a special bike to warrant blue however. White can go on some bikes but with the understanding that it will soon look like hell. Brown only on retro (leather) or an off-white bike.
  
• Yellow or green (unless it's celeste on a Bianchi) are not allowed under any circumstances.
  
• Orange if >50% of the bike is orange.
  
• Red if >95% of the bike is white and it has some red trim. If red, then only Fizik brick red is allowed.

[terry b]

Got it.

I just changed it. I had to go outside and see what I had done in order to not be a hypocrite.

[Pitts Pilot]

Here is the rule:

Handlebar tape shall be black.

(You can use other colors, but it won't look as good.)

[tihsepa]

These are the rules as I understand them:

Always black, but sometimes white or brown or blue. It takes a special bike to warrant blue or brown however. White can go on some bikes but with the understanding that it will soon look like hell.

Red, yellow and green (unless it's celeste on a Bianchi) are not allowed under any circumstances.

Orange if >50% of the bike is orange.

Got it.

[55x11]

Does anyone care?

I almost always run black or white. Is there any rule? Does it matter? I have heard to match the saddle but........

Thoughts?

I can't believe nobody brought up RULE #8:

Velominati

Rule #8 // Saddles, bars, and tires shall be carefully matched.
Valid options are:

Match the saddle to the bars and the tires to black; or
Match the bars to the color of the frame at the top of the head tube and the saddle to the color of the frame at the top of the seat tube and the tires to the color where they come closest to the frame; or
Match the saddle and the bars to the frame decals; or
Black, black, black

[tihsepa]

I can't believe nobody brought up RULE #8:

Velominati

Rule #8 // Saddles, bars, and tires shall be carefully matched.
Valid options are:

Match the saddle to the bars and the tires to black; or
Match the bars to the color of the frame at the top of the head tube and the saddle to the color of the frame at the top of the seat tube and the tires to the color where they come closest to the frame; or
Match the saddle and the bars to the frame decals; or
Black, black, black

There you have it then.

Black it is. Or maybe white.

[chemical_brother]

Minty green fizik tape on drops, white saddle, white/chrome accented frameset. And a yellow Giant decal. Think a blue saddle is in order.

If you don't like the colors, don't look down!

[DonDenver]

Rule?! Express yourself.

[Special Eyes]

It could match your frame! Not sure how much longer I'll keep this tape, black is on the way.....

[SlurpeeKing]

I want to go camo for my next bar tape

[cpark]

Does anyone care?

I almost always run black or white. Is there any rule? Does it matter? I have heard to match the saddle but........

Thoughts?

Nope, I don't think anyone cares..

[DonDenver]

I just hope the fine posing done for the picture is not lost by by some of the viewers. Great shot. Oh, and ride that yellow tape till it fades away...

[scblack]

I just hope the fine posing done for the picture is not lost by by some of the viewers. Great shot. Oh, and ride that yellow tape till it fades away...

Very very nice looking bike.

Except:

• Bikes are normally taken from the drivetrain side.
• Chain is normally shown on the big chainring - (shows how soft you are riding in the little ring).
• Straighten the front wheel, if the bars are turned it looks off.

These are hardly a rule, but I reckon bikes look better if photographed that way.


And to Special Eyes: I just maybe (maybe) think a red bar tape could go well on that bike. Set the red tape off with the red highlights on the seat. A nice gloss red tape. Just a thought.

[Special Eyes]

Thanks, guys.

I don't want to hijack this thread and make it about MY bike, but I'll reply to your comments. I am a serious photographer (see my site), but made this with a point & shoot. It is one in a series of the bike from all sides. I just quickly grabbed this one to post here because it showed the bartape better. True, drive side images do show more stuff, but I didn't know the rule!! I'm looking at another seat for it with no red parts to keep the bike yellow/black. The Zipp decals have been removed since. I am not a 'fashion before function' person, but with this bike you can't avoid the fashion statement. I live on a hill, so when I get home, it's in the small chainring. I don't think that really matters. If I was doing a studio shoot, it would be all about details, and then I'd be spending hours on it. I'd rather be riding on it for hours.

see:
The new Bumble Bee Build

[Marc]

These are the rules as I understand them:

• Always black, but sometimes white or brown or blue. It takes a special bike to warrant blue however. White can go on some bikes but with the understanding that it will soon look like hell. Brown only on retro (leather) or an off-white bike.
  
• Yellow or green (unless it's celeste on a Bianchi) are not allowed under any circumstances.
  
• Orange if >50% of the bike is orange.
  
• Red if >95% of the bike is white and it has some red trim. If red, then only Fizik brick red is allowed.

So when is honey-colored Brooks allowed?

[Oxtox]

contemplating splash bar tape...? just say NO.

Splash Horror

[GrayBlack]

Get whatever color you think will look good on your bike. I don't think the bar tape police will come after you.

[velodog]

As long as the saddle's black and black shorts are being worn to match the saddle, I don't think it matters what the color of the handlebar tape is.

[Ventruck]

I went from black, to dark silver, to bright silver, to white...then I said **** it and went black again. It's kinda hard to go wrong with black.

Some other colors will look hawt on occasion, but they wear out on the eyes sooner or later. Black doesn't really do that imo. I sometimes tell myself "_____ would look pretty cool, but black tape doesn't necessarily look bad at all" and leave it at that.