I checked out the new 2020 Madone last week and was duly impressed with the bike, but when I grabbed the bars I was blown away by the downright sexy feel of the tape. I hunted some down and went for my first ride last night and I can't get over how nice it is. I'm extremely cheap and a serious bargain hunter so dropping the full retail $29.99 plus tax at my LBS for something I usually pay a few bucks for was not an easy decision. Hell, you can get Chinese carbon handlebars for less than that if you're willing to wait a few months! But I pulled the trigger after getting a second look and feel at the shop and I am so glad I did.
First off, it just looks amazing. My bike has a few subtle red accents so I went with the red underlayer. Installation was pretty straightforward but I ended up using all the tape so they're not overly generous in the length department (hey, what do you want for $30?). I don't have the fork clearance to run 28s and have been doing the old innertube trick and decided to keep it after doing a half on/half off test. That might be overkill for some, but I like that extra bit of comfort and luxuriousness.
Many roads in my neighborhood have truck damage, and there's a section on a steep descent near my home that really drives me crazy. This tape allowed me to take the descent faster and did a fantastic job of absorbing the vibration. This tape is definitely going to make me go faster and further, no doubt about it. I know this reads like a paid promo but it isn't, I just had to get the word out, this stuff is amazing.
