jeneralist 

I used Fizik Microtek tape on the butterfly bars I put on my Trek 620. The tape looks pretty nice, but after a longish ride today I realized that I missed the padding that I have on my other bike. My commuter bike has foam grips rather than handlebar tape.

Does anyone know of really long (31cm) foam grips?

Or can you recommend a padded bar tape?

Thanks!

mdilthey

Your hand has two muscular spots at the base of your palm, with a ridge n between. Foam padding will initially feel more comfortable than tape and gloves, but if you use foam padding, it redistributes pressure to the ridge between the muscles, causing hand pain over the long-term and potentially causing carpal tunnel.

It's safer and probably more effective to use not-so-padded tape and gloves with gel pads on those muscles, rather than swath your hands in foam.

Same concept in seats!

jeneralist 

...and I've been putting my hand on the bars so that the bar goes right under that ridge. My arms and shoulders like that position; my hands, not so much.

fietsbob

I have 2 layers of gel/cork-foam tape on mine..
ups the diameter for more surface under my hand.

Most of the long sleeves I've seen,
like Pyramid (most common),
are too soft..

wahoonc

I use regular cloth tape and cycling gloves, been doing it for over 35 years. If you are putting that much pressure on your hands you may need an adjustment, FWIW I set most of my bikes up a bit more upright than is considered normal.

Aaron

jputnam

I like the larger grip diameter of mountain bike grips, but don't particularly want padding. I slit a length of heavy-walled garden hose and put that over the bars before taping them. With a single layer of tape over the hose, the diameter is the same as a mountain bike grip, but I can make it as long and curved as necessary. You can see it larger at https://www.flickr.com/photos/jputnam/7370808234

Recycle

Here is a setup with unpadded rubber handgrips and Bontrager cork tape.

bktourer1

Under my bars I have long gel pads I found on the Nashbar site. They have adhesive strips, but I left them on and scotch taped in place so when I change the tape, I can salvage the pads

jeneralist 

Sneaky answer! I like!

Jonathandavid

This kind of stuff is common on butterfly-type handlebars:

https://www.componentforce.co.uk/cate...3/foam-sleeves

I don't put credence in horror stories of carpal tunnel syndrome caused by using such material, because so many people use it for touring. For example, my wife used short foam grips on a three-month tour and had no trouble. Butterfly handlebars are usually sold with foam on complete bikes in my country.

cyccommute 

Grabon grips

fietsbob

Found Grab on grips shred as the sun dries them and your hands do the rest,
so they get thinner and thinner .
I wrapped Cotton bar tape over them, and they last for decades.

just the 4 Pieces are more like pushing together twin beds as compared with a Queen sized,
because of the way they are rounded end finished for packaging ..

If you can get long single pieces , great..

LesterOfPuppets

I'm not a fan of foam either. Suelo Tubo grips would be my choice for trekking bar use.

cyccommute 

Old non-Grabon grips, yes. But the Grabon brand doesn't. I have Grabon mountain bike grips on all of my mountain bikes for many, many years. No cracks or dying out. I've even taken them off and put them on many times without any problems.

azesty

I have two layers of cheap foam wraps covered with Brooks leather wrap.

z

djyak

I use the mountain bike type grips near the front where my breaks and shiftes are, then gel bar tape on the rest. No problems, and so glad I switched to the trekking/butterfly bar. Very comfortable.

sonatageek

I have a set of rubber grips and then bar wrap on mine. It is time to re-wrap, and I plan to keep the rubber grips and do a double layer of wrap (one package on each side) this time around.

bradtx

jeneralist, Sampson gel tape, while too soft for me maybe good for you. I had Grap On bar wrap on an old Raleigh that lasted quite awhile, but hard to clean.

Brad

fietsbob

I kept the old padded tape, and added the new over it.

Rob_E

I used that as well, along with some foam tape that added a little more cushion.

My current bars are Albatross bars, and I put some Ergon grips at the end and slid a pair of short, rubber grips up to the bend. The rest of the bar is naked.

I really prefer grips to tape. The only problem I have is that you can't run cables under your grips, which can interfere with some set ups, particularly any bar-end brakes or shifters.

Freewheeler

I use this & have no problems- https://www.bikesomewhere.com/BBB-Mul...ps-BHG-27.html

Fit it on the bar with hairspray, helps you slide it on then won't move at all when it drys.

BadKarma62

I did something similar to this. I used some pipe insulation from a local Home Despot or Lowest, bound that on with black electrical tape, then over that with padded tape. Also added some after market MTB grips.



Works for me.

jputnam

When I cover my bars with a slit length of rubber hose before taping, I slit the hose just wide enough to leave room for the cable, so I get the grip diameter of grips, with the cable even more concealed than with standard bar tape.