bbsupersport

Thanks for all the suggestions and tips so far. It's great to hear other's experiences!

Germany_chris

If you want some cushion you could wrap half an innertube under your bar tape

'02 nrs

Italian made perforated for comfort.found a new type on Amazon & giving it a tryout-VERY reflective material;


https://www.amazon.com/BTP-Handlebar...0383406&sr=8-4

bbsupersport

I just talked to my LBS and they have Bontrager Perf Line Bar Tape in stock.
Has anyone used this tape, and if so, what is your opinion of it?
Thanks.

Ogsarg

Man, it's just bar tape. The only experience that matters is yours. Pick one and give it a go.

bbsupersport

I'm located in Canada. That tape on Amazon.ca is selling for $114.44 CDN. Yikes!!!

tyrion

Overpriced, IMO.

bbsupersport

I get your point. However, having no previous experience, I figured this was a good place to ask what other, more experienced riders, liked and didn't like. Which might minimize the chance of throwing away $100 or so.

aplcr0331

Yep, grab a couple different kinds. If this is your first time wrapping it's good to have a spare or two. I have a dedicated frame on my trainer that stays there all year round. I change out the tape on it as practice for the outside bike. Once you do it a few times, you'll get the hang of it. Like gripping a skateboard in my experience.

Don't tell the old farts on here but I also reverse wrap my tape that way I don't have to worry about having a gnarl of ugly black electrical tape on the tops. Been doing it that way for years now and never had any problems. Back in the olden days they didn't have the nice stretchy strong tape that we have now so all the grandpas flap their gums about it coming unraveled if you do it this way. It's one of those cycling urban legend things that gets passed around all the time. Mostly people who say it happens have never actually tried it...they just repeat the same lie they've heard since they were drilling holes in their SunRace cranks for "lightness". Or if they did experience the issue, it was because they suck at wrapping bar tape and don't know how to do it correctly.

Go forth, spend a few bucks and get to wrapping.

Sy Reene

I just may try reverse wrapping the next time I need to. This looks as good as any instructional video, and have to say, it does look pretty clean.

mstateglfr 

If you are really concerned with comfort, buy 3mm thick or thicker tape. Bar tape is quite simple- thicker tape has more cushion than thinner tape.
Ritchey Pave 3.0
Cannondale Synapse 3.0
Soma Thick and Zesty 2.5
Wolftooth Supple 5.0
Fizik Tempo 3.0
Bontrager Double Gel 3.0

These are some options. If you are paying over $30 for bar tape, you need to step back and look at why to make sure its a good decision. You can get long lasting and comfortable feeling tape for relatively cheap prices.

Also, get some gel inserts to place on the bars under the tape if you want more cushion. It bulks the bars up too.

sincos

$100 is like 6 pairs of rolls for me, but I like garden variety Cinelli cork. Most of my cushioning is in the tires. Too much in the bars feels spongy.

Grandpas would actually be singing the merits of Tresso and shellac. That ain't ever coming unraveled.

Gundo

I have that on my Domane. It was showing some wear after 2500 miles so I replaced it. Comfortable and looks good.

Bigbus

I've never done bar tape before either, MTB's never really needed it. So this might be a dumb question, but how long a roll does it take to do a complete drop bar?

shopco43

I wasn't going to add my two cents because really, who cares. But you might want to try "Domain Extra Long". I got my first roll through Walmart (online), then started ordering it directly from DomainCycling.com. It is reasonably inexpensive at $25, but if you are inexperienced that extra length is great. I also recommend getting some type of cushioned stuff that goes under the tape, that way you can change tape without worrying about it.

richardalan1975

I have considered this, thanks for sharing.

2WheelsNYC

I've used some Easton Pinline Logo Bar Tape. No texture to it, just a foam feel to it but comfortable. It's cheap but light colored tape show dirt much more easily. It's lasted about 15k miles, so not bad at all.

cxwrench

You've had the same tape for 15,000 miles?!? That's gross. Change that **** and make sure your bars aren't corroding. It probably also smells like a goat. If you ride regularly I'd change it every 3-6 months at most. It's $20.00 and you can learn how to do it yourself by watching a couple YT videos.

2WheelsNYC

I'd upload a pic when I'm allowed but I am changing it because the hoods need replacing too. It's only been on for a year and half. I wear gloves too, so that's helped with the longevity I guess.

Danhedonia

If you want to protect your self from road vibration, I highly recommend Fizik's gel inserts. They're considerably better than other brands in shape, gel density, tackiness and size.

I don't think tape brand matters as much as just deciding what type of tape you prefer. I buy lots of $15-18 rolls of various materials on Amazon, only one was unsatisfactory and all of the others were good to excellent. I'm assuming you wear gloves.

Look at the Fizik gel inserts. Game changers.

rosefarts

Bar tape is basically just foam.

Yes there is some subtlety in the different options but honestly, it's all pretty much the same.

Sure, if you use old school fabric tape and shellac it, it's not going to be soft. If you $3 rolls off eBay, it's going to pack down and roll at the edges pretty quickly.

Decent quality tape, in the $16 to $50 range comes down to what you want your bike to look like. It all feels the same, but what do you want it to scream at you and others?

For big hands, consider using two rolls per side.

For small hands, avoid the extra thick tapes.

No matter how hard any of us try, bikes are dirty, and eventually, so are your hands. Choose your colors wisely.

genejockey 

Weird. I find 2mm Fizik Tempo Classic tape to be plenty comfy and I also wear gloves with zero padding, and because I'm a big guy I pump my tires up to at least 85 for the 28s and 90 for the 25s, and I don't have problems. I guess I'm just an insensitive b******..

genejockey 

One thing to be aware of, which I learned from my brother the Industrial Engineer who specialized in Ergonomics and Human Factors - padding things too much can lead you to grip more tightly than you would with lighter padding, which can actually exacerbate the problem.

Not saying anyone's doing that, but it's something to be aware of. I personally have not found any gel-padded gloves which don't make my fingers go numb or my palms hurt, which is why I wear unpadded gloves.

But it's very much an individual thing! Like saddles, or shoes.

bugello

I really like the brand Lizzard skin

ofajen

I have used several of the less costly foam tapes: SRAM, MSW, Salsa and Cinelli. Overall I prefer using Cinelli and that’s what I’m running now.

I use touring bars with grips and need about half a roll per side to tape the bar forward of the grips to the center.

Cinelli seems to be a bit thicker and seems just right for me, but watch out for overlap and the strong adhesive: put the adhesive on the bar, not the tape. Salsa tape handles well and is easy to rewrap but Cinelli feels better on my bars.

Otto