Here's a video of one way to twine your handlebars. The twine I'm using is made from hemp and you can get some from Rivendell if your local crafts store doesn't have it.
What can you twine?
Well, I usually do my handlebars (where the tape ends). I've twined my top tube where the brake levers would hit if the bars spun. You can use twine instead of a chainstay protector. You can even use twine to cover up dents in paint, looks nicer than electrical tape. Skys the limit. I'm planning to twine a frame pump when I finally get a hold of one.
If you learn better from pictures and text, check out this excellent tutorial here.
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8 comments:
Hi Russ - I know nothing about this subject but I do like the leather/twine look. Question - Do you put anything over the top of the twine such as a sealant or something or just leave it natural?
Love your new site!
Michael
Michael...good question and the answer is it depends...though i mostly tend to shellac them afterwards (I've just been to lazy on this new bike).
The shellac works to keep the twine from unraveling and also gives it a bit more color.
I usually use Bullseye Amber, but you can get it in flake form (haven't tried that yet, but want to).
Looking forward to the new site... and I might have to twine my Brook's leather tape now. I'll need to get some white or grey to match the bike though and contrast the black tape.
-Mike
Just and fyi "twining" is called whipping in the sailing world.
There are a load of more or less simple and decorative ways of doing it... be careful at work googling "whipping rope" though!!
Aidan...ah, thanks for that....i love cross-discipline references...
Love the look of natural products on a bike and this is a technique I wasn't familiar with so thanks :) Should also be mentioned the twine can be shellaced for weather resistance,"staying" power (will stay in place) and color
Posted your tutorial to my blog too http://www.bikemandan.com/blog/
Just a head's up. You can get colored hemp twine from dick blick art supplies. I usually just use a little framesaver (technically linseed oil) to keep it in place make it semi waterproof. The longest i've had it on the bike like that was a year and a half (i like to change things up on a regular basis), but it help up just fine and took some effort to remove after that time.
Thanks for putting this up, I've been wondering how to do it forever.
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