Bar tape

[SlowDave]

The bar tape on my Fargo keeps coming loose.  It is the Salsa tape which has plenty of cush but it just won't stay in place.  Any tips on tape that will stay in place and cushion on rough surfaces?

Thanks in advance.

[boddunn]

I bought some industrial strength 3M double sided tape from eBay when I was reinstalling some Brooks leather bar tape, you need a crowbar to get that stuff off although it's relatively easy to peel it off the bars when you want to remove it. It's not cheap though, cost about £10 but you can do quite a few applications with the roll.

[mgindle]

Do you have it wrapped in the correct direction? With your hands on the bars, in the drops, or on the tops, the leverage from your hand to your arm around the bars should be in causing the tape to actually tighten around the bars. At the transition from the drops, over the hoods and onto the tops, it is sometimes easy to get started in the wrong direction when wrapping around the hoods such that with your hands on the tops, it will actually unwrap the bar tape. The direction of the tape edges on the left and right side of the bars should make a "V" with the point being towards your stem or top tube, and
No need for extra adhesive or double sided tape, they will just fight you when you want to change the bar tape and make a mess. Sometimes there just comes a time when the tape is stretched and worn and time to replace.

Hope this helps

[boddunn]

Ah yes, that'll be the simplest most obvious answer. In the inimitable words of Homer Simpson, doh! Park Tool have some good tech tips about it on their site.

[GRAVELBIKE]

Do you have it wrapped in the correct direction? With your hands on the bars, in the drops, or on the tops, the leverage from your hand to your arm around the bars should be in causing the tape to actually tighten around the bars. At the transition from the drops, over the hoods and onto the tops, it is sometimes easy to get started in the wrong direction when wrapping around the hoods such that with your hands on the tops, it will actually unwrap the bar tape. The direction of the tape edges on the left and right side of the bars should make a "V" with the point being towards your stem or top tube, and
No need for extra adhesive or double sided tape, they will just fight you when you want to change the bar tape and make a mess. Sometimes there just comes a time when the tape is stretched and worn and time to replace.

Hope this helps

+1 on this.  I always wrapped my bars in the other direction, after following Park Tool's instructions, no more unraveling. 

[SlowDave]

Hmmm...  Makes sense.  The wrap job was done by Salsa using Salsa tape and re-done by the dealer a few hundred miles later.  Another poster here with a Fargo was having the same problem a while back.  I will check out the Park video.  I have some new tape on order because I endoed the Fargo going down a ski slope last week and damaged the tape. 

I can't say thanks enough for the great answers I get to my dumb questions.  This community is a great resource.

[GRAVELBIKE]

I've found that most of the gel cork tapes tend to stay "tight" better than the non-gel versions.  Bontrager and Salsa's gel cork have been the best with respect to not slipping, IME.

[mgindle]

Switch it up a bit with some new tape, you might just be having some tough times with the tape you've got.