Bar tape recommendations?

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XiShT

Guest
Hi all,

Looking for new bar tape for 42mm handlebars - the existing Giant ones are getting a little tattered. Was wondering if anyone could recommend a reasonably cheap bar tape? There are so many to choose from it's getting a bit out of hand. Have been looking at things like the Deda Elementi whichi go for about 5 quid, was wondering if there's any point in buying anything more expensive if the bike is just going to be used for commuting and the one ride on the weekend?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/..._dc|pcrid|161850070953|pkw||pmt||prd|485903UK (The Deda bar tape I was looking at).

Thanks!
 

rualexander

Legendary Member
Best bar tape I've used is good old fashioned cloth tape, all the others either fall apart or the colour peels off within a year, the cloth stuff fades a bit but otherwise stays the same for years, pad it out with an old inner tube if necessary.
2 rolls required for a full handlebar taping.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/BTVXTRES/velox-tressostar-cloth-bar-tape

http://hubjub.co.uk/newbaums-cotton-bar-tape-123-p.asp
 

smutchin

Cat 6 Racer
Location
The Red Enclave
was wondering if there's any point in buying anything more expensive if the bike is just going to be used for commuting and the one ride on the weekend?

Probably not.

For me, how much you spend on bar tape depends on two factors:
1. How much of a poser you are.
2. How far you'll be riding on the bike.

I'm not a poser - I always go for plain black tape - but I do a lot of long rides so comfort is an important consideration. I have Lizard Skins DSP 3.2 on the audax bike. It's not cheap.

On the fixie, I have Wiggle Lifeline Performance tape, which costs about a fiver and is perfectly adequate. I wouldn't want to do a long ride on it but it's fine for riding to the pub and back.

That Deda stuff looks fine - apart from the colour.
 
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OP
OP
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XiShT

Guest
That splash tape is nasty stuff indeed!
Have placed an order for the Deda ones - I usually ride with gloves/mitts, and on the hoods so my thinking is that I'll have minimal contact with the tape anyway (unless of course I decide to go on a super long ride, which seems unlikely at the moment).
Thanks!
 

freiston

Veteran
Location
Coventry
I recently used some Cannondale Synapse tape - thick and a little bit compressible but very good (a grippy but not adhesive backing and a bit of stretch make it very easy to do a reasonable job applying it too). After a change of handlebars, I used some Evans Cork Gel tape - not as much stretch/compressibility and an adhesive strip - I preferred the Synapse - especially as where the Evans tape covers the cabling (I have bar-end shifters with cable routed all the way to the tops), you can 'feel' the glued strip pressing and releasing from the bar if you grip the bar firmly in the right (wrong?) place. Apart from that, I like the Evans tape too.
 
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