New Handlebar Tape

DeEmBe
DeEmBe Posts: 31
edited October 2013 in Road buying advice
Hi All,

I am looking at changing the bar tape on my bike after 12 months or so of use and wondered if anyone could recommend something decent. Not overly into fancy designs or colour schemes, it's all about comfort and grip for me.

Any suggestions on what product might be suitable within a budget of £20.00 ish?

Thanks in advance.

Comments

  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    A bit over your budget, but if you want comfort and grip have a look at Lizard Skins DSP tape. Not saying you should buy from Wiggle btw ..

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lizard-skins/
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    Fizik Microtech for me. Loads of colours and gloss options as well as normal too for that extra S&M look :-)

    9467364072_9834a5d600_z_d.jpg
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • DeEmBe
    DeEmBe Posts: 31
    Thanks for the recommendations, I don't think I can stretch to the Lizardskins (but will shop around just in case there is a bargain to be had), but the Fizik tape looks very good and gets decent reviews everywhere, not sure about the S&M look though! :)
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    I do use the Fizik tape as well, it's just the Lizard Skins is better tape, but hey, it's up to you ....
  • e999sam
    e999sam Posts: 426
    I had some Lizard Skin where the outer coating started to seperate from the base after a couple of rides. I emailed the manufacturer some pictures and they said it was because I had stretched the tape during application. They sent me a link to Youtube for a video on how to apply, and they sent me some new tape free of charge.
  • jordan_217
    jordan_217 Posts: 2,580
    giant man wrote:
    A bit over your budget, but if you want comfort and grip have a look at Lizard Skins DSP tape. Not saying you should buy from Wiggle btw ..

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lizard-skins/

    This stuff is ace but quite expensive. Take a look at Arundel Gecko which appears to be the same stuff to me. It's great and good value IME:

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/arundel-gecko-grip-bar-tape/

    Again, not saying you should buy from Wiggle, and Merlins have it cheaper :)
    “Training is like fighting with a gorilla. You don’t stop when you’re tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired.”
  • majormantra
    majormantra Posts: 2,094
    Lizard Skins white turns yellowish over time, just FYI. My impression has also been that it's not very durable. Fine if your tape costs £6 but at £30 odd a roll not ideal.

    Microtex is good. Deda Mistral is quite similar and a bit cheaper, although it's another tape with very little stretch so can be a little awkward to wrap.

    If you like a corky soft tape then Bontrager is quite good. For best value Deda's basic stuff is fine but not as squishy.

    I used to obsess over things like bar tape but I've come to the conclusion it's not that important. It's also cheap enough (compared to chains, cassettes, rims etc.) that replacing it fairly often isn't a major expense.
  • junglist_matty
    junglist_matty Posts: 1,731
    I use this tape...

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/deda-traforato- ... -bar-tape/

    Cheap & comfy, what more do you need!?

    Or the same tape without the holes:

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/deda-bar-tape/
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    MajorMantra wrote:
    Lizard Skins white turns yellowish over time...Microtex is good.

    ....and comes in yellow from the off :D
    8391776145_2d573be0a3_z_d.jpg
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • jordan_217
    jordan_217 Posts: 2,580
    smidsy wrote:
    MajorMantra wrote:
    Lizard Skins white turns yellowish over time...Microtex is good.

    ....and comes in yellow from the off :D
    8391776145_2d573be0a3_z_d.jpg


    As ridden by...

    RastamouseTVtitle.jpg

    :D
    “Training is like fighting with a gorilla. You don’t stop when you’re tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired.”
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    Too much time there Jordan...far too mich time :-)
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • jordan_217
    jordan_217 Posts: 2,580
    smidsy wrote:
    Too much time there Jordan...far too mich time :-)

    I know. It was either that or continue browsing Wiggle and spending money :wink:
    “Training is like fighting with a gorilla. You don’t stop when you’re tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired.”
  • DeEmBe
    DeEmBe Posts: 31
    Thanks for all the replies folks, it seems I still have a bit of thinking to do, but for now I like the Fizik (great reviews) and am quite interested in the Gecko tape too (the yellow Lizardskins looks fantastic by the way, just out of my budget though).

    Cheers.
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    No thats yellow Fizik Microtex - everyones a winner!
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • DeEmBe
    DeEmBe Posts: 31
    smidsy wrote:
    No thats yellow Fizik Microtex - everyones a winner!

    Decision made :D Happy days indeed!
  • racingcondor
    racingcondor Posts: 1,434
    I'm experimenting with LizardSkins at the moment and while it's REALLY comfy I have found that after a year it's worn and stretched so needs replacing.

    Before that I used Fizik in soft touch black. For some reason feels better than the glossy Fizik tapes and like the rest of the Microtex range lasts forever and is really easy to wrap.
  • andy46
    andy46 Posts: 1,666
    I've just fitted Lizard Skins about a month ago and I'm really impressed with it so far. I did go for white though so I'm hoping it doesn't change colour soon. :roll:
    2019 Ribble CGR SL

    2015 Specialized Roubaix Sport sl4

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  • on-yer-bike
    on-yer-bike Posts: 2,974
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  • mfin
    mfin Posts: 6,729
    Personally I don't like the plastic feel of a lot of bar tapes, and if the bike is what some people call a 'summer bike' I've settled on Specialized S-Works Roubaix, which sort of has a towelling type feel to it reminiscent of some tennis racket handle grips. It is dead comfy, not overly padded, when you take it off it comes off the bar with no residue very easily and yet it is perfectly sticky enough to get it on there perfectly.

    It does water-log a little more in heavy rain than a shiny plastic tape, but never suffers loss of grip, and the white stuff even cleans up like new with the Pledge and Microfibre towel trick. (I like the way visually it doesn't say 'look at me, look at me' which I don't like about a lot of bar tapes, it goes unnoticed really and of course isn't shiny)
  • Sprool
    Sprool Posts: 1,022
    Sram supercork for me, for the last 3 re-wraps. Comfy, not expensive, enough padding, nice and grippy, easy to apply.
    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/sram ... tAodTmwA-Q

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