Mermaid Platypus bar tape match help

[Tom Palmer]

Hi all,

I am getting the mermaid Platypus dialed in and wanting tape for the hooks of the flipped VO Granola bars. I have Celeste green Newbaums and some bright blue padded bar tape. I haven't been this particular of any bike in my long bike history, but this one definitely deserves the attention. I could just go black to match the bars also. I will be finishing out the all black build this weekend. Picture attached in studded tire ice road mode.

I have no real imagination with this stuff, so any ideas are greatly appreciated. 

Tom Palmer

Twin Lake, MI

[DavidP]

I usually try to contrast with something on the bike, or match something else, or both.

I ended up going kind of boring with khaki Newbaums - most of my bike is neutrals so it works (and it's pretty close to the khaki on the basket bag). I also got a roll of gray but I in the end I wanted some contrast with the grips.

I considered Celeste but I didn't think it would actually match the Mermaid paint (which has a bunch of different looks depending on the light).

Sometimes I think some cream grips would look great with that headtube, but I'm not sure if it would translate to wrap.

In your case the gray Newbaums could set off the trim on your saddle and the silver of your brakes and ends of the grips - it may look pretty sharp with those black bars.

-Dave

[Bill Lindsay]

If you were a rule-follower, or more specifically a follower of "The Rules" then you would ponder Rule #8

https://www.velominati.com/

Bill Lindsay 

El Cerrito, CA

[Eric Marth]

Hi Tom — That's a nice bicycle you have there and I love the mermaid paint. I have the same on my Appaloosa. 

For bar tape and other accents I aim for harmony. Sometimes that involves contrast, sometimes it requires neutrals. I think that Dave's khaki Newbaum's is a great pick for the bar tape on his Platypus. Echoed by the coffee brown walls of the endurance casing (or endurance plus?) tires. I'd wager it looks even better in person as I've found my cameras don't quite accurately render the mermaid paint color. It's lighter and more subtle, further from Atlantis green than suggested by many pictures. 

When I first built up my Appaloosa I was aiming for harmony but looking back it seems quite "matchey-matchey." Gray tape and saddlebag. Maroon tape with amber shellac gets a deep red-brown that's close to the leather saddle and leather on the saddle bag. I have to say that looking at it now the black rear mech, front mech and cable hanger make me want to scream out loud. I've since swapped them out. 

I would recommend light gray Newbaum's with clear shellac for a Rivendell mermaid bike. I think given your black saddle, crank, bars, gray grips, the light gray would work well with the rest of your build. 

This is merely my opinion but I very much dislike cable housing and tape matched to the frame color. It almost never works because the colors are close but not quite making the whole assembly entirely wrong. I'm thinking of something like a blue Homer with blue housing and blue tape, all in slightly different colors which add up to something that in conflict rather than harmonious. 

Of course color, designs decisions and details are highly personal and subjective. There are instances of totally wild colors and combinations that I think work. Though I can't think of any monochromatic rigs that I have filed away as beautiful builds. 

Do keep us updated with what you decided and share some pictures!

[Shoji Takahashi]

I like Dave's advice of a contrasting color. I have a few rolls of Newbaums, and would see if orange or maroon or purple would work. If it didn't look great, amber shellac it and get a shade of tan. 

Since you have the Celeste or blue wrap, maybe just give it a shot? 

How's the platypus for riding in the snow?

All the best, 

shoji

Arlington MA

On Friday, January 6, 2023 at 11:52:03 AM UTC-5 DavidP wrote:

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Tom, I’m still elated there will be another Platypus on our Michigan Riv Rides this season. Ok, I have your color of Platy and I did it up with greens and golds. Do you think lime bar tape would be too far out there? A combo of lime and aqua might be really smashing. But I do like a LOT of color…Here’s my mermaid, in many shades of green, plus golds, for reference:

[Garth]

Frankly To, the black that is shown in the photos all works. While I'm generally a fan of complimentary colors, with all the black parts you have, but especially with the saddle, bars and stem, keeping the bars black is the way to go. Adding colored tape would just look out of place.

[aeroperf]

I go with Eric.  I tried to match blue cable housing with the blue on a Homer.  It didn’t quite work (photo)
Meanwhile the black of the seat, fenders, front drive, all looked pretty good.
If I had it to do it over I’d put black cable housing ends on grey cable housing on that build.
On our mermaid Platy I’ll use silver housing ends on grey housing and see how that looks.
Love Eric’s light grey Newbaum’s with the grey housing.

[Tom Palmer]

Thanks for the ideas. I like the grey bar wrap - the pedals are grey and it looks nice with the mermaid. I will have  it way more blacked out soon- seat post, headset, and brake levers.  

Looking forward to some wrench time tomorrow,

Tom

 

[DavidP]

Gray Jagwire housing with silver ends is what I did on my Platy. Though the brass ends on Eric's build are fantastic too - his housing looks a bit darker gray and the contrast with the brass is super. 

Here's a bit of the (regular) gray Newbaums on the back of the brake levers, in it's natural state it's pretty close to the gray of the grips (I didn't use shellac on any of the cloth tape).

On Friday, January 6, 2023 at 4:09:02 PM UTC-5 aeroperf wrote:

[Joe Bernard]

Tom, 

I'm with Leah on this, but I'm biased towards the "let's throw more color at it!" vibe on her bikes. Back in the day when I rode them I liked a dropbsr bike to have a big smashing color for the bar wrap that didn't really match anything else on the frame; I think liime on the front of an otherwise mermaid/black Platy would be sweet. 

Joe Bernard 

[Kim Hetzel]

Hi Tom,

May I suggest this bar tape:

https://www.campandgoslow.com/product/eastern-rattler-bar-tape

If you are unable to find it, PM me and I will tell you where.

I have the Western Rattler bar tape on my Clem Smith Jr. "L" bike. It looks really cool. Today, I wrapped the handlebars of the same tape.

Kim Hetzel

Yelm, WA.

[Kim Hetzel]

I just noticed on the Campandgoslow website that both tapes are restocked. ..

Kim Hetzel

Yelm, WA.

[Tom Palmer]

Hi all,

Swapped the seatpost, brake levers, and stem adapter for more black. Ordered some Grey Newbaums and will wrap when it comes in and decide on shellach then.

here is a picture of almost latest build, I took the front basket off and have a repurposed military surplus bag on the handlebars. Rode this morning with the front bag and handled a little better than with basket, I will be keeping it for now at least.

Thanks again for the ideas,

Tom

[Doug H.]

Tom,

I think the black looks great with the frame color. Have you considered adding a splash of color with colored chainring bolts and/or colored crank bolt cap?

Doug