Wow! Thanks so much for posting these...absolutely fantastic photos of a lovely bike and ride, Matt!
Really, really happy for you. It's got all the details, too, including a ring-lock!
What kind of sticky stuff will i find under the tape and how best to remove it?
You'll likely find some sticky stuff beneath the tape, and t is best removed before trying to slide on foam tubes. A number of potions work well, the difference being time-to-effectiveness:
• WD-40
• Peanut butter (creamy rather than crunchy), and peanut oil
• Olive oil
The main thing is to put it on till the goo dissolves, then wipe. Repeated applications may be necessary, and I would suggest a clean with detergent and a rinse after so the 'bars aren't oily.
To install the foam grips, the people either go with diluted dish detergent (me) or aerosol hairspray (heaven help you if it flash-dries before the tubes seat, and the effects on bike paint/finish are
not good at all). I made a little tool that allow the job to go much faster: An old Atom pedal cap backed by the expanding rubber from a handlebar-end plug. The pedal dustcap prevents the foam tube from snagging in the end of the handlebar and also prevents the bar-end from punching a hole in the foam tube (don't ask how I know this
). Any small plug that can be easily removed will do, just something to ease the foam over the 'bar. I just finished sliding Grab-Ons grips over my shot-peened compact drops a few weeks ago. Boy! Installation and workout in one! Now, I need to compression-tape the foam tubes using a padded vinyl tape. Doing so greatly increases the foam's durability and abrasion resistance.
Hope this helps. If you run into problems, give a shout.
My! What a beautiful bike! Very happy to see it complete and "out in the wild" for you to ride, Matt!
Best,
Dan.
