Thickest bar tape
#2
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Forget about gel cushion tape it tends to only marginally softer and much pricier. For serious cushion, proceed to a dollar general store and invest in some .99cent flip flops. Cut them up lengthwise and tape them to your handlebars, and then put handlebar tape over for some serious cushion!
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Decades ago Spenco used to make and sell cushioned grips for drop handlebars (there's a set for sale on eBay as of a few seconds ago). You can use an old inner tube or pipe insulation under bar tape for cushioning. Also consider gel-padded gloves.
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Fizik makes some bar tape that is very cushy. They have a 3mm tape like this: Fizik Performance Bar:Tape - 3mm
I have this tape on a couple of my bikes and it is very comfortable.
I have this tape on a couple of my bikes and it is very comfortable.
#7
Non omnino gravis
I'm partial to the 3mm thick Fizik, the tape linked to in post #5. CF bars will also help a good amount by deadening road buzz. I don't usually wear padded gloves, but I had no choice when recovering from a broken hand-- and for those few weeks the Giro Strade Dure were excellent.
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20 years ago I shattered my left wrist in a cycling crash.
For some years afterward, it was super-sensitive to shock & vibration.
My solution was to get a pair of work gloves with gel palms, which were designed for use with industrial impact tools.
For some years afterward, it was super-sensitive to shock & vibration.
My solution was to get a pair of work gloves with gel palms, which were designed for use with industrial impact tools.
#9
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Lizard Skin DSP 3.2 is very thick and spongy. it is probably some of the thickest and most cushy tape available.
Giro Strade Dure Supergel gloves have the most cushioning I could find.
I've damage to an ulnar nerve and this combination worked very well on a gravel bike.
Zipp Service Course CX tape has also worked well on harsh gravel roads. It isn't as thick as the Lizard Skin product but it is less tacky.
-Tim-
Giro Strade Dure Supergel gloves have the most cushioning I could find.
I've damage to an ulnar nerve and this combination worked very well on a gravel bike.
Zipp Service Course CX tape has also worked well on harsh gravel roads. It isn't as thick as the Lizard Skin product but it is less tacky.
-Tim-
Last edited by TimothyH; 06-18-17 at 10:32 PM.
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You can use multiple layers of tape and/or pads to get lots of padding but it might make your handlebars feel weird. You can use old inner tubes to build up your handlebars for testing, to see what diameter you like, before deciding on a final tapping plan. But be aware the inner tube testing wrap is much harder, more solid, than most handlebar tape, so take that into account.
For me, just increasing the diameter of the bars makes it much easier on my hands.
For me, just increasing the diameter of the bars makes it much easier on my hands.
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On my Funny Bike, I added some small cell packing foam to some areas of the bars. And the upgrade was FREE based on saving and recycling packing materials.
The bars I put on it have an odd shape that have tops (corners)/drops/aero. I put the packing foam almost exclusively on the top side of the bars, leaving the underside unpadded. Thickest padding went on the tops(corners) which seem to take the greatest weight. The rest got some, but significantly less padding.
Actual tape was cheap $1 Chinese tape, which unfortunately needed spliced to 1.5 rolls per side of the bars.
Somewhere around 500 miles, and the padding is holding up fine, but my no-glue bar tape is sliding around a bit. So, when I redo the taping, I'll have to think about whether I want to add some spray glue or other fixative.
The bars I put on it have an odd shape that have tops (corners)/drops/aero. I put the packing foam almost exclusively on the top side of the bars, leaving the underside unpadded. Thickest padding went on the tops(corners) which seem to take the greatest weight. The rest got some, but significantly less padding.
Actual tape was cheap $1 Chinese tape, which unfortunately needed spliced to 1.5 rolls per side of the bars.
Somewhere around 500 miles, and the padding is holding up fine, but my no-glue bar tape is sliding around a bit. So, when I redo the taping, I'll have to think about whether I want to add some spray glue or other fixative.
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For years I've had this combination:
Bar Gel (I use the Fizik ones like these) + Thick Tape (see below) + Pearl Izumi Elite Gel Vent (with Gel padding).
Amongst the 5-6 bar tapes I've used over the past few years, I like Lizard Skins 3.2 but for me, they lasted <6 months. I'm now using Zipp Course tape that costs only 1/3rd of Lizard Skins, it's holding up well (still looks like new) for almost 3 months now, and I like it more with every ride!
Bar Gel (I use the Fizik ones like these) + Thick Tape (see below) + Pearl Izumi Elite Gel Vent (with Gel padding).
Amongst the 5-6 bar tapes I've used over the past few years, I like Lizard Skins 3.2 but for me, they lasted <6 months. I'm now using Zipp Course tape that costs only 1/3rd of Lizard Skins, it's holding up well (still looks like new) for almost 3 months now, and I like it more with every ride!
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^+1
fi’zi:k gel pads under your preferred tape
fi’zi:k gel pads under your preferred tape
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Fat Wrap is thickest bar tape at 4.5mm
Hi y'all,
Since you're looking for thick bar tape definitely check out Fat Wrap by Tasis Bikes. It's the thickest tape on the market at 4.5mm. It's the best you'll get. Since I made this product I'll also let you plug that it's durable and designed for long haul touring.
Enjoy
Since you're looking for thick bar tape definitely check out Fat Wrap by Tasis Bikes. It's the thickest tape on the market at 4.5mm. It's the best you'll get. Since I made this product I'll also let you plug that it's durable and designed for long haul touring.
Enjoy
#16
Senior Member
Fizik makes some bar tape that is very cushy. They have a 3mm tape like this: Fizik Performance Bar:Tape - 3mm
I have this tape on a couple of my bikes and it is very comfortable.
I have this tape on a couple of my bikes and it is very comfortable.
#17
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Ditto, inner tubes, if you prefer minimal padding but good vibration resistance. Wrap your preferred cosmetic bar tape over the inner tubes.
I used thick padding (cut from an old BMX bike) for a month back around July while I was getting accustomed to a new-to-me older road bike. After a month I'd regained enough strength and flexibility that I didn't need heavy padding. But road vibration was still annoying my arthritis -- wrists, thumb joints, elbows -- with just thin bar tape.
I cut an inner tube into strips and wrapped it just like bar tape. Rode it that way for awhile to be sure it worked. Perfect, even without gloves. Can't beat the price either.
I used thick padding (cut from an old BMX bike) for a month back around July while I was getting accustomed to a new-to-me older road bike. After a month I'd regained enough strength and flexibility that I didn't need heavy padding. But road vibration was still annoying my arthritis -- wrists, thumb joints, elbows -- with just thin bar tape.
I cut an inner tube into strips and wrapped it just like bar tape. Rode it that way for awhile to be sure it worked. Perfect, even without gloves. Can't beat the price either.
#18
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I’m a Lizardskins DSP 3.2 fan since ‘13 to the extent I run it on three bikes and have a hard time even trying other tapes (but I do have a bin of cast off tapes in the garage to attest to the effort!). I highly recommend it; texture, thickness, and padding density are all excellent in my experience. Durability is generally very good, though I do change my white Lizardskins tape annually, and I did get color wear-through after two seasons on re-wrapped dark blue. Grey has been perfect.
#19
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I also use the Fizik 3mm "tacky" tape. I tried the Lizardskins DSP 3.2, but it fell apart on me in less than a season. The Fizik has held up and even survived a bar swap and re-wrap.
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Last edited by cydewaze; 11-19-17 at 07:30 AM.
#20
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I use the Planet Bike "Century Gel Pads" under some generic EVA foam tape, only $13 for the set:
https://www.planetbike.com/store/pro...-gel-pads.html
https://www.planetbike.com/store/pro...-gel-pads.html