Bar tape

I like black bar tape.

alienator said:

I like black bar tape.

Depends on the bike. Black looks good on my black and white Raleigh, but white looks better on the purple and yellow Centurian. Blue was chosen for the blue Lotus. Black and white together was chosen for my mostly white Univega, but that was a pain in the backside to wrap. My baby, the old Super Course had black vinyl tape, but now it has NOS Raleigh tape with the logo imprinted on it. Oh, and they all are cork tapes.

kdelong said:

Depends on the bike. Black looks good on my black and white Raleigh, but white looks better on the purple and yellow Centurian. Blue was chosen for the blue Lotus. Black and white together was chosen for my mostly white Univega, but that was a pain in the backside to wrap. My baby Super Course has white tape also. Oh, and they all are cork tapes.

Well since my taste in bikes is black or nude Ti, there can be only black tape.

It's also important to remember what Confucius said:
I like my coffee like I like my women......................with big [censored].

alienator said:

Well since my taste in bikes is black or nude Ti, there can be only black tape.

It's also important to remember what Confucius said:
I like my coffee like I like my women......................with big [censored].

So you like bikes with big [censored]? Or bar tape with big [censored]? Or what?

Dietmar said:

So you like bikes with big [censored]? Or bar tape with big [censored]? Or what?

Exactly.

I was wanting to know the brand. Is it easy to wrap, how durable, how soft etc...

Fizik makes really nice tape. It's got a nice hand, wraps well/easily, and is very durable. There's always Cinelli tape, but you have to be a bit more careful wrapping cork. Cork is also a bit shorter lived than the Fizik stuff. Deda makes a tape that is really soft, kind of spongyish, actually. I've found, though, that it has to be wrapped quasi carefully to prevent tearing. Both Specialized and Bontrager make nice durable tapes that wrap easily.

i like the cork style tapes, the cinelli doesn't work well for me it tends to start unraveling rather quickly, the bontranger has worked well so far.

Cinelli gets my vote. There is a wide range of colors and backings from which to choose, is durable and easy to apply. Cinelli Bicycles USA
😉

[FONT=Impact]Anyone know where i can get really bright green bar tape? Green doesnt seem to be a popular colour and the only ones i ve found were like a dark ugly marshy green... plz and thank u![/FONT]

alienator said:

It's also important to remember what Confucius said:
I like my coffee like I like my women......................with big [censored].

He he...I like coffee strong, white or black, and sweet! Big [censored] are a handicap in later years.

My tape is spongy polymer and has a black-white zebra pattern. The spongy gives a fatter and more comfortable grip for me. The pattern is entirely non-functional and goes well with the green/white alligator pattern on the frame.

Based on many years of riding dating back to when plain cotton tape was the only choice, I like Cinelli cork-impregnated tape best. Whatever the material is that the cork bits are embedded in, I just find that it has a special feel that no other tape matches, not even other "cork" tapes.

That being said, nobody carries it locally, and I often end up living with Profile or other copies. If you end up with Cinelli, you do have to be a little more careful when pulling it tight around the brake levers, because it tends to tear more easily. I also pull the adhesive strip off of it, if it comes off easily. Not needed, and it leaves a mess on the bars later on when you take the tape off.

I've tried Fizik recently, but it seems too thin to me after using Cinelli. It does have a nice feel to it, though.

One type of tape I thoroughly dislike are the rubbery-feeling "gel" tapes. Not only do I not like how they feel, but I find it's always nearly impossible to get the bar plugs to stay put.

But it really doesn't matter that much if you use cycling gloves, which I think is a good thing to have when you ride a lot on a road bike - just like cycling shorts are.

Three interesting tapes are:

• Arundel's Gecko Tape
• Lizard Skin's DSP tape
• Selle San Marco's Lorica tape

They've all received plenty of positive reviews. The Arundel and Lizard Skin tapes are noted for their grippiness and durability. The SSM Lorica tape is durable too, but its most interesting characteristic is the faux leather material it's made from. Most cycling shoes (Sidi, for example) use Lorica in the uppers. It gives the feel of leather without the need for treatment or worries about wet weather. It also doesn't dry out and shrink like leather can. Like leather, though, it's more challenging to wrap.

I've got a handlebar change coming up, and I'm torn between those three tapes in terms of what I'll use.

Guys, thanks for the replies and your insight into the different bar tapes out there.

I like black bar tape also. you?

what about lizard skin bar tape?