Bar end plugs serve a few purposes. They protect the end of your bar. They can prevent taking a core sample of your mid-section if you get a bar to the stomach during a crash. They can also anchor your bar tape (if you prefer to wrap it that way). They also offer an opportunity to customize the look of your bike. But they can’t do any of this if they don’t stay in place.
Fortunately, there are products out there like the new Alloy Bar End Plugs from Wolf Tooth Components. Made in the USA from high-quality 6061-T6 aluminum for the cap, the 7075 aluminum bolt pulls on the glass-filled nylon expanding wedge to lock the bar end plug in place. Compatible with bars measuring from 16-21.5mm internally, a 3mm hex wrench is used to secure the plugs.
That range gives you options that include using them for a flat handlebar on a mountain bike, or a drop bar for road or gravel. The expanding nature also means you can use it to lock the tape in place if you overlap the ends of your bars, or you can cut the tape flush and the plug will still wedge in place.
Offered in eight anodized colors to match other WTC parts, a set of two plugs weighs just 17g and sells for $20.
