Zimmy Clone (pic heavy)

[mastronaut]

That is absolutely astounding! Excellent work!

 

[bikeriderx]

Dude! VERY nice! You've got a great eye for style! Beautiful!

 

[herr_rudolf]

I think I like your bike more than the 'original', which I LOVE...

Great styling and use of modern parts. The old-timey gold pinstripe on the black 'hi-tech' wheel made me grin.

 

[Ed_Straker's_Rat]

Thanks again for the great comments guys. Got a set of white tires on the way and I'll post more pics after I install them (when it stops raining here, that is).

 

[BoLiles]

That bike is my dream ride. Nicely done.

How exactly did you go about wrapping the bars? I am interested in doing something like that for my single speed build this fall.

 

[Ed_Straker's_Rat]

That bike is my dream ride. Nicely done.

How exactly did you go about wrapping the bars? I am interested in doing something like that for my single speed build this fall.

Cheers, BoLiles

Wrapping the bars is actually pretty easy, it just takes a bit of patience and the ability to withstand hand cramps.

I knew I should have taken pictures as I went so you'll have to bare with me.

You'll need hemp twine (or equivalent), double sided tape, bar end plugs (or corks) and some shellac.

I started in the middle of the bar and worked to the end so that I could hide the ends of the twine as I went. First stick a couple of strips of double-sided tape along the bar so that it will hold the twine in place as you go. Then start wrapping the twine onto the bar, making sure that you use plenty of tension and that each row butts tightly against the previous one. This will stop the whole thing coming loose after a few months of riding (I learned this the hard way years ago).

Keep wrapping until you are about 1/4" from the end of the bar (by now you will have learned to deal with hand cramps and patience). At this point you will need someone to hold the twine or tape it to stop it from unraveling. Leave enough twine loose that will approx finish the bar and then tie it around the bar end plug (or cork). Finish wrapping the last 1/4" of the bar and then push in the bar-plug all the way, twisting as you go to take up any slack. This will secure the twine and hide the strings of the final knot.

Apply a couple coats of shellac to seal the whole deal. I used orange shellac to give it a 'Brooks Leather Wrap' look but you can use clear shellac on hemp twine and it comes out greenish looking. I wrapped the bars with a second layer to give them a little more thickness for comfort.

I'm going to be doing a set for a friend's fixie so I'll post pictures on the 'How To' section.

There is a good post on the 'Instructables' website on how to use twine to finish of your reg bar wrap that is good for reference, I just modified it a bit for the whole bar

http://www.instructables.com/id/SA61SISF3C4XKBG/

Cheers, Simon