Change that dirty bar tape

Dirty bar tape is a pet hate of all mechanics in the world, but there is a serious side to this too! At the very least dirty bar tape sets a bad impression. But there’s more to it: dirty, and specifically, sweaty bar tape can hide all manner of wrongs underneath it.

We all sweat to different degrees and the salt that is in that sweat will make short work of your aluminium handlebars, especially where the shifters clamp on, underneath that filthy tape. Galvanic corrosion is sped up by warm salty water and it’s not uncommon to see handlebars completely fail. Obviously, you don’t want that happening during a ride. Learn to wrap your own bars at home, buy some different coloured tapes and have fun with it, as it’ll freshen your bike up in more ways than one. It’s a really rewarding skill to learn and if you don’t get the hang of it, it can be fixed cheaply and easily.