Originally Posted by
Robert A
Guys, thanks for all our input so far. Question, what is this talk about "gel" tape?
Some handlebar tapes are backed with a rubberyish gel strip. The idea is that it acts as a damper, reducing vibrations to the rider's hands.
Here's the back side of some Bontrager Gel Cork tape, you can see the clear gel layer:
There are also gel inserts designed to go underneath bar tape, like Planet Bike Century gel pads or Bontrager Isogel.