By Greg Conderacci
Recently, RBR launched this new series to enlighten our ultra-cool readers about the benefits of dorkiness. In Part I, we explored screening your helmet; in Part II, we messed with your handlebars; in Part III, we reflectorized your machine; in Part IV, we prepped you for flats.
Today, we’re singing the virtues of electrical tape and zip ties. Careful readers (I know you don’t want to admit it) of this series will recall that I’ve already praised duct tape and reflective tape. The indispensable third leg of the tape stool is electrical tape.
First, take an 8-inch strip of it and wrap it around a pencil stub. On the same pencil, wrap a similar length of duct tape. In addition to a handy writing instrument, you now have enough tape to save you in most emergencies, especially if you add a couple of zip ties. These are especially useful for reattaching things that fall off, like lights, speedometer wheel sensors, Garmin pedal sensors, pumps, etc. etc. And duct tape can boot a torn tire.
Why are those things falling off your bike? Because you merely used the rubber band or plastic clip that what supposed to hold them on. If you zip tie them and/or tape them, they won’t fall off… as easily anyway. (See photos)
Do you have a dorky tip to share? Don’t be shy. We’ll withhold your name upon request. Remember a dorky tip has one or more of these characteristics:
- Pro riders do not do it (nor does just about anybody else)
- It’s cheap or maybe even free
- It usually adds weight
- It will NEVER be featured in fancy bike catalogs, because, well, there’s no money in it.
Greg Conderacci is a marketing consultant and a former Wall Street Journal reporter, non-profit entrepreneur, and investment bank chief marketing officer. In Getting UP!, he brings you the same skills he teaches at a top graduate school and Fortune 500 companies. Lots of people promise better performance … Greg proves it. Using his energy techniques, in 2015 he rode a bicycle across America in just 18 days — averaging 150 miles a day.
What email address do I use to send a tip?
[email protected]! Please and thank you!
Actually pro mechanics DO use electrical tape, quite often in fact to hide non-sponsor logos and to secure wires. I use it to cover unsightly scratches on my bike.
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/10-clever-hacks-used-by-worldtour-race-mechanics/
https://www.bikeradar.com/features/11-clever-hacks-of-worldtour-race-mechanics/
I use electrical/black tape to wrap around the base of the seatpost before putting it in my work stand so I can ensure it goes back to the correct place on the seat tube when done. I’m sure plenty of readers do this. My Dad was a master electrician so I have more tape than I know what to do with.
I love heat shrink tape. My light cables are semi-permanently mounted to the bike with it
Great tips! Thank you!
I created a chain slap shield on the drive side chain stay of my MTB with a wrap of old road tube and electrical tape. I sliced a section of old road tube lengthwise, wrapped it around the stay and secured it with electrical tape. Really not all that different from taping your handlebars or regripping a tennis racquet.
I use gaffer tape, to avoid leaving sticky adhesive residue. I have several pieces wrapped around my top tube, where the tube pack touches, to avoid chafing/rubbing/marking the CF.
Great tip! Thanks!
I’ve switched to self-fusing tape (“E-Z Fuse” in black at Home Depot, a few other colors on Amazon) for bar tape finishing. Much less creep, and no sticky tape residue compared to electrical tape! It does seem to be somewhat reusable which helps get the look just right.
duct tape can boot a torn tire…no it doesn’t, like I mentioned in my comments about booting a tire with heavy envelope paper this crap you guys come up with is just parroted stuff you read but never tried or tested it.
A tire rarely gets torn but does get penetrated, this means if you are using a boot of some sort it will get penetrated before it gets torn. A thumb tack can penetrate duct tape like butter, thus a duct tape boot is completely worthless.
There isn’t much that thumb tack, or wire, or piece of glass can’t penetrate when it comes to ALL the various materials I’ve read that people claimed to use as a tire boot. The only things I found that worked was a piece of tube and that was iffy, a plastic rim tape, and the best thing I found was the Park Boot Patch. So spend a couple of bucks and buy the Park Boot patch and quit doing stupid stuff that won’t work, do it the right way.
I’m glad you made this point. If by “boot” you mean a permanent repair of a seriously damaged tire, essentially nothing works. For safety and sanity reasons, spend a few more bucks and get a new tire. If I’m booting a tire, it’s to get me home after the “rare tear.” For that, I’ve used the Park Boot patch, tape, pieces of envelopes, and, yes, even the famous “dollar bill.” Maybe I’m being a bit too conservative, but I don’t ride booted tires, except in an emergency when I have no choice.
Sorry Fred, but Tyvek does work in the real world. I’ve used it as a good boot to get me home. No one is recommending it as a >>permanent<< fix.
I tore the sidewall of a brand new tire. Not wanting to throw it out, I used the Tyvek boot and rode at least 300 miles on the road and 1000 miles on the trainer before it blew out on a Zwift ride.
Hockey tape is my go to. It doesn’t leave a sticky residue, melt in the sun and is very strong!