DIY Bike Grips

by Ronnie.W13

19K1610

Intro: DIY Bike Grips

I bought a cheapo fixie bike from Walmart back in March. After riding through summer time traffic in Ocean City, MD a couple of times I decided my handlebars were too wide... so I cut them to the width of my shoulders. Since I'm too lazy and cheap to go buy some new grips I thought I would just make them out of an inner tube I had blown a few weeks back.

-This Instructable will show you how to make grips for a bike using trash and supplies from around the house.

STEP 1: Supplies

You are going to need:

-An old inner tube
-Scissors
-Electrical Tape

STEP 2: Cut the Tube

Measure out how long you want the grip to be. (Mine are just wider than my hands.)

STEP 3: Cut Again

-Cut a straight line down the side of the tube.
-You may also want to wipe out the inside of the tube with a rag, there is some sort of powder in it that makes it hard for tape to stick to.

STEP 4: Making the Grip

-Sit the tube on the bar and put a piece of tape on the tube going into the bar.
-Tape the shorter section to the bar itself. Make sure it is secure because you will be pulling the rubber fairly tight.

STEP 5: Finishing the Grip

-Pull the longer side of the tube around the bar making sure it is tight.
-Tape the edge down.
-Get rid of any wrinkles by stretching the rubber or by letting some of the pressure off.
-Finish wrapping the end of the tube. (This doesn't secure it any more it just makes it look cleaner.)

STEP 6: Wrap the Grips

Using electrical tape, start at the end nearest the stem and wrap the tape tightly around the tube, the tighter the better.
-It doesn't have to be electrical tape but it was the look I was going for.

STEP 7: Watch Out!

This little (a little larger than a 50 cent piece) Wolf spider almost got me while i was crouched down wrapping the grips. 

STEP 8: Finished!

After the grips are wrapped tight you are finished, just cut the tape and make 'em look pretty. Now repeat for the other side.

10 Comments

yeeeeeap 11 years ago

RONNIE!! ELECTRICAL TAPE HAS LEAD IN IT!! NOT GOOD IDEA!!

veryken 11 years ago

Why not use tube repair rubber cement instead of the electrical tape? It'll look even better (seamless) and won't get all gooey like elec tape does after a while.

profpat 11 years ago

this is cool, but unfortunately the electrical tape will eventually loose contact and be loose, i would recommend to slip on the grips a rubber shrink tube and heat it up so it will shrink to fit.. you can get the shrink tube at radio shack or any electrical supply outlets..

Yard Sale Dale 11 years ago

I have used electrical tape and Gorilla tape for make-do bar tape before. They stink. The glue gets hot and runs, then it's all a sticky mess. Try cutting the rubber tube into a 1" wide tape. You can start at one end of a mtn bike bar, insert the bar ends or cut-down wine cork, then wrap all the way to the other end, and cork it off.

Yard Sale Dale 11 years ago

I have used bar-tape made from inner tubes on a road bike drop bar. It has a LOT of grip, even when wet, and feels like leather tape. Pro-tip: Use spray adhesive and bar-end caps. I like it way better than the $20 store-bought cork tapes and will never go back.

useraaaaa 11 years ago

yea..
make slippery handles for you bike :-)

Ronnie.W13 11 years ago

Its not bad, its kinda like a tennis racket grip, and its better then bare metal.
-Ronnie

FriendOfHumanity 11 years ago

Hey Ronnie,

A nice clear Instrauctable but may I suggest that you do yourself a favour by covering  the open ends of your bars with either some bar end plugs or simply by taping a penny/cent over each end ( before step one).

Landing on an unplugged bar can do some serious damage ( I did it).

Happy Riding.

PS
It will also keep the spiders out.

Ronnie.W13 11 years ago

I thought about the bars ends but didn't feel like driving to get some, I live about 30 minutes from civilization and was being lazy. The penny is a good idea and I will probably do that now.

I also fell yesterday (11.11.12) because when I replaced my bars I apparently didn't tighten the stem all the way and when I went to stop on my fixie the front wheel turned and I'm fairly bloody now- YOLO! I also need to rewrap the right grip because its a little scraped up.