Terrible Idea

Here's an idea for securing bar tape:

30mm heat shrink tubing

Run a short ring of that shit over your bars, wrap 'em up, and then position the tubing over the end and apply heat. Easy! Electrical tape sucks. The finishing tape that comes with bar tape sucks.

Oh, you'll have to remove your brifters when you want to rewrap? Don't cry, little one. Just add an extra section of tubing and let it hang out near your stem or something. Don't accidentally apply heat to that piece though! Done correctly, you've got a trashy handlebar bangle bracelet.

Conversely, come to terms with the fact that you screw with your bike so often you'll have the brifters off around the time you need new bar tape, at which point you can slide a new piece of heat shrink on and re-wrap those sweet drops.

Innovation score: 6/10