High grip bar tape: Cannondale Synapse?

Cotterend
Cotterend Posts: 73
edited March 2018 in Road general
Last week I hired a 2017 Cannondale Synapse while on holiday in Gran Canaria. Rather to my dismay, it felt more comfortable than my 2006 Giant Defy Composite. In the end, I identified that the Cannondale was a little shorter, and happily found I could shift my saddle forward on its rails, which helped (I suspect that a recent back injury has shortened my riding position).

But beyond this, a very simple thing: the bar tape on the Cannondale was very easy to grip, whereas I'm always sliding forward into the brake hoods on mine. The Cannondale tape was covered with little discs protruding from the otherwise smooth surface and was excellent. I've searched for Cannondale Synapse bar tape and only come up with a suede-effect tape.

Does anyone know what the tape I liked might have been? The raised circles are not too close together, they were perhaps 0.75mm in diameter at 2mm centres.

Louise

Comments

  • dstev55
    dstev55 Posts: 742
    Not sure exactly which one you are describing but Lizard Skins DSP bar tape is superb. It's soft, tacky and just feels classy to hand.
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,985
    I'm a BIG fan of supacaz tape, not cheap, but high quality, and very grippy.
    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
    Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
    Scott CR1 SL 12
    Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
    Scott Foil 18
  • figbat
    figbat Posts: 680
    Not what you describe, but just yesterday I received some fi’zi:k performance bar tape which is 3mm and described as having a “tacky touch”. I haven’t fitted it yet but it definitely has a noticeably non-slip feel. This is to replace some tape on my Synapse that makes PTFE tape feel thick and grippy.
    Cube Reaction GTC Pro 29 for the lumpy stuff
    Cannondale Synapse alloy with 'guards for the winter roads
    Fuji Altamira 2.7 for the summer roads
    Trek 830 Mountain Track frame turned into a gravel bike - for anywhere & everywhere
  • mercia_man
    mercia_man Posts: 1,431
    http://road.cc/content/review/137334-to ... lebar-tape

    I can recommend this Tortec Super Comfort tape. Highly grippy and only £11.99 at the moment from Hargroves Cycles. Glowing review from road.cc comparing it to Lizard Skins and Supercaz.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I wonder if it's the position more than the tape. Do you have a photo of the Giant ?
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    Why not call the shop and ask?
  • simon_masterson
    simon_masterson Posts: 2,740
    figbat wrote:
    Not what you describe, but just yesterday I received some fi’zi:k performance bar tape which is 3mm and described as having a “tacky touch”. I haven’t fitted it yet but it definitely has a noticeably non-slip feel. This is to replace some tape on my Synapse that makes PTFE tape feel thick and grippy.

    I like this stuff too but the price annoys me. My favourite tape option for tri bars is Profile Design aero bar wrap, which is crazy grippy but very thin.
    Retro(ish) TT 2017-
    Fixed TT 2015-2016
  • Cotterend
    Cotterend Posts: 73
    cougie wrote:
    I wonder if it's the position more than the tape. Do you have a photo of the Giant ?

    I think position has a lot to do with it, and suspect the back injury has changed my geometry. I'm constantly fighting the grip on the bars to avoid sliding into the hoods. That could be because the hoods are too far forward for my comfort rather than that the tape is too slippy.

    What photo of the Giant would help?

    Bit reluctant to solve this problem by buying a Synapse!!!
  • Cotterend
    Cotterend Posts: 73
    Thanks, guys , for the recommendations. Can I ask, of the 'tacky' tapes, does the tackiness last or does it wear away as the tapes get dirty and sweated over? The tapes I've always used, first off the shelf of the right colour, feel tacky going on but soon lose the grip. That's why I was impressed by the raised surface tape instead.
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    My Cannondale Slate came with bar tape that sounds similar to what you're describing. It has a Fabric saddle, and I'm wondering if the tape is fabric too. Could it be one of these?

    https://fabric.cc/products/tape/
  • ayjaycee
    ayjaycee Posts: 1,277
    I also like the OEM bar tape on my Synapse but I've got to say that when I do eventually come to replace it, I'l be going for Lizard Skins DSP as somebody mentioned above.
    Cannondale Synapse Carbon Ultegra
    Kinesis Racelight 4S
    Specialized Allez Elite (Frame/Forks for sale)
    Specialized Crosstrail Comp Disk (For sale)
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Mercia Man wrote:
    http://road.cc/content/review/137334-tortec-super-comfort-handlebar-tape

    I can recommend this Tortec Super Comfort tape. Highly grippy and only £11.99 at the moment from Hargroves Cycles. Glowing review from road.cc comparing it to Lizard Skins and Supercaz.

    Bugger! They only have it in Kermit green now :(
  • Cotterend
    Cotterend Posts: 73
    Graeme_S wrote:
    My Cannondale Slate came with bar tape that sounds similar to what you're describing. It has a Fabric saddle, and I'm wondering if the tape is fabric too. Could it be one of these?

    https://fabric.cc/products/tape/

    By Jove, I think you've got i!!!

    Ordering now :)
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    Glad to be of help. I had thought the tape was particularly comfortable and nice :)
  • svetty
    svetty Posts: 1,904
    figbat wrote:
    Not what you describe, but just yesterday I received some fi’zi:k performance bar tape which is 3mm and described as having a “tacky touch”. I haven’t fitted it yet but it definitely has a noticeably non-slip feel. This is to replace some tape on my Synapse that makes PTFE tape feel thick and grippy.

    I found that the fizik tape was lovely to hold but impossible to keep clean. If it's black it should be fine but the white just ends up grey in a very short time. I reverted to Lizard Skins
    FFS! Harden up and grow a pair :D
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,985
    Cotterend wrote:
    Graeme_S wrote:
    My Cannondale Slate came with bar tape that sounds similar to what you're describing. It has a Fabric saddle, and I'm wondering if the tape is fabric too. Could it be one of these?

    https://fabric.cc/products/tape/

    By Jove, I think you've got i!!!

    Ordering now :)

    You deffo should have ordered a Synapse to acquire the tape ;-)
    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
    Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
    Scott CR1 SL 12
    Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
    Scott Foil 18
  • mercia_man
    mercia_man Posts: 1,431
    keef66 wrote:
    Mercia Man wrote:
    http://road.cc/content/review/137334-tortec-super-comfort-handlebar-tape

    I can recommend this Tortec Super Comfort tape. Highly grippy and only £11.99 at the moment from Hargroves Cycles. Glowing review from road.cc comparing it to Lizard Skins and Supercaz.

    Bugger! They only have it in Kermit green now :(

    Think I got mine (black) from Tredz at £17.99 freepost. Definitely worth the money if you want something very grippy and comfortable.
  • Cotterend
    Cotterend Posts: 73
    Daniel B wrote:
    Cotterend wrote:
    Graeme_S wrote:
    My Cannondale Slate came with bar tape that sounds similar to what you're describing. It has a Fabric saddle, and I'm wondering if the tape is fabric too. Could it be one of these?

    https://fabric.cc/products/tape/

    By Jove, I think you've got i!!!

    Ordering now :)

    You deffo should have ordered a Synapse to acquire the tape ;-)

    I would have done, but the new Synapse doesn't have that tape! I don't know, what can you rely on these days?

Categories