Bar Tape Recommendations?

doyler78

Getting new bars as my current ones are anatomic bars with too deep a drop and the reach to the hoods is too far so I'm replacing them with some FSA Wing Pro Compact bars (on offer @ Planet X at the min at £40 inc delivery) which are the right width for my shoulders (ie 40cm instead of my current bars which are 42cm).

Going to give it a go at setting the bars up myself. I will be replacing the bar tape and as I can get numb hands, though nowhere near as bad as I got before my bike fitting, I'm guessing I will needs some sort of padded bar tape so any recommendations as to what I should be getting.

Is there anything else I will need for the bars apart from the bar tape? I'm guessing it just electrical tape where the bar tape ends at the tops of the bars or is there some sort of special tape I should be using?

(I already have Specialized padded gloves for the bike.)

JohnnyAllez

Deda tape easy to use, quite a good cusshioning effect without being too thick, and sensible price. Specialized do ther BG bar stuff with gel pads that are taped in strategic places uder the tape for cushioning. See the Park Tools website for info on applying the tape, it`s not hard to do.

Infamous

I use Bontrager Gel Tape, costs £8, and doesn't have glue on the back (a good thing!).

use black electrical tape for finishing.

mgcycleguy

I have some specialized tape on mine, the material is like you get on squash rackets, its real comfortable, with the gel on as well...

... agree with electrical tape (though dont be boring and use black, you can get loads of different colours ... so do a bit of co-ordinating !)

airborne_warrior

Always use specialized gel phat bar tape nowadays. Lovely texture and dampens vibration.

redddraggon

Deda tape, nice and cheap, looks good, and wraps well, plenty comfortable.

doyler78

Thanks everyone. Just looking at the Spesh Phat gel tape and black only I've a white seat and white tape at present which is a nightmare to keep clean however I like it nonetheless. I have white bars coming so might get away with black tape. What you think?

Also comes in 2 sizes - 2.5mm or 4.5mm. Any recommendations - quick short shows that a lot of people seem to go for the 2.5mm as they find this plenty thick enough gel to dampen out any vibrations and help hand numbness. Any opinions?

On the glued back mentioned above my understanding is that Spesh doesn't have a glued back. Is this right? If it doesn't how do I keep it from moving or will it hold fine if it is properly wrapped round the bars.

Also thanks for the heads up on the Parks Tool website. Have a maintenance dvd which has bar fitting section. Haven't checked it out yet so hopefully it will prove useful.

Oh and this probably as silly question if I do get the Spesh Tape do I have to buy one or 2 ie one for each side of the bar or does it come long enough to do both sides :oops:

doyler78

That's now 2 each to the Spesh and Deda so will have to check that out now also.

airborne_warrior

doyler78 wrote:

Thanks everyone. Just looking at the Spesh Phat gel tape and black only I've a white seat and white tape at present which is a nightmare to keep clean however I like it nonetheless. I have white bars coming so might get away with black tape. What you think?

If it's just about aesthetics then whatever takes your fancy i suppose. It's you that has to look at and admire your colour scheme!

Also comes in 2 sizes - 2.5mm or 4.5mm. Any recommendations - quick short shows that a lot of people seem to go for the 2.5mm as they find this plenty thick enough gel to dampen out any vibrations and help hand numbness. Any opinions?

I personally go for the 4.5mm gel as i prefer fatter bars and the extra comfort it provides on multi day events.

On the glued back mentioned above my understanding is that Spesh doesn't have a glued back. Is this right? If it doesn't how do I keep it from moving or will it hold fine if it is properly wrapped round the bars.

The phat bar tape has glued backs.

Oh and this probably as silly question if I do get the Spesh Tape do I have to buy one or 2 ie one for each side of the bar or does it come long enough to do both sides :oops:

Comes in two rolls with bar plugs and obviously the gel inserts.

xtrsmith

or you can buy Cinelli Gel tape. It's better tape, easier to apply and will last longer.

xtrsmith

or you can buy Cinelli Gel tape. It's better tape, easier to apply and will last longer.

cheehee

I've got some Easton tape on my bike. It cost me £6.50 from my LBS and is so much better than the Ritchey stuff it replaced.

synchronicity

I admit I used to be a total roadie snob and only ever put cinelli bar tape on my bike.

Now I'm using some unknown cheap brand on my Pinarello, mainly to save money but also wanted an understated look without logos. Do I really want to see/feel logos on my bar tape?

It only cost me around 4 Euros, if not less and works well enough [gasp!]
All I remember was that it came in an Orange cardboard packet.

synchronicity

Oh and just a thought:

The FSA wing pro bars are measured from the centre of the drops. That means they're up to 2 cm narrower at the hoods. I know because I just bought a set.

doyler78

synchronicity wrote:

Oh and just a thought:

The FSA wing pro bars are measured from the centre of the drops. That means they're up to 2 cm narrower at the hoods. I know because I just bought a set.

Ohh damn does that mean my 40cm bars are going to be too small given my 40cm shoulder width?

synchronicity

You can expect them to measure 38cm at the hoods... sorry to be the one to point it out to ya...

Having said that, I ordered 42cm, sure enough they measure 40cm, but for some odd reason I don't find them too narrow. I can really figure that out, as other 40cm bars definitely feel wrong for me.

yogi

Another one for Deda tape. Used to use Cinelli but Deda is cheaper and I think better.

doyler78

Went for the Specialized S Works Phat Tape (not gel) as they only had 2 brands in stock and the S Works had a lovely thick spongy feel to it and the other was a bit harsher. All fitted now and the S Works tape does feel noticeably more comfortable the Scott tape that was my previous bars. Going out in an hour so we'll see how it feels and how well I've set them up (just as long as the tape doesn't unravel down the road - ohh that would be embarrassing :oops: )

Wasn't sure exactly where to angle the shift levers to. In the end I pointed them slightly out as that seemed to give me a better line on wrist to my arm (ie no bend) than in other positions. Can still tweak this if necessary so we will see.

Anyway thanks for all the advice. Just a pity in the end I didn't get to actually see any of the items recommended but hey that's LBS for you (limited choice).