Originally Posted by genejockey

I sometimes wonder if a lot of the perceived need for more padding, thicker tape, etc. could be avoided by better bike fitting. I use the 2.5 mm tape you see in the pic I posted on most of my bikes, with no padding underneath. I don't get numbness or pain even after hours of riding, and I have issues with carpal tunnel syndrome from decades of working in the lab. I set up my saddle position so I'm able to lift my hands off the bars without falling forward, which keeps weight off my hands. I wonder whether everyone who double-wraps their bars, or puts foam or gel padding under the tape might benefit from adjusting saddle and bar position a bit? For example, I bought a new bike in 2020 and the first ride, my hands kept going numb. The bar was an inch higher than all my other bikes. When I lowered the bar to the same height as the others, the numbness went away.

NOTE! I can only speak from my own experience. Not accusing anyone of poor bike set up!