PRO Sport Comfort Tape, Black

Product Information

Whether you're battling storms all year round or do your best to avoid the rain, grip is an important consideration when choosing the best bar tape for you. There's plenty of stretch too so you can get round the corners on a set of drops without a problem, and it isn't one of those tapes that feels like it might snap if you pull too hard. Once installed the silicone does a great job of keeping it in place - I never noticed any movement. If you're new to wrapping drop bars we'd suggest watching this how to wrap handlebar tape video , which gives plenty of visual help and advice. John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work. If you prioritise style over everything, then the best bar tape for you might be cotton or leather, since it offers a retro aesthetic.

It’s not madly expensive either. There are cheaper tapes, but for the performance, the high grip factor and nice cushioning, this is a very good choice.” No bar tape guide is complete without a traditional cork offering. If you’re of a certain age there’s a good chance that cork tape is all you knew for many years, after it superseded cotton and vinyl in both performance and comfort after its invention in 1983. In this instance we’ve gone for SRAM’s Supercork. Watch the gap: As you wrap, always stay alert for any gaps in the tape. Not only is this unsightly and unprofessional it could also lead to a less than secure finish.If you're old school, you can still buy Velox cloth rim tape for just two quid per side and there's still some uncushioned Benotto tape out there too. You're spoilt for choice when it comes to bar tape, but this is as nice as any I've used - comfortable, super-grippy and reusable. Lovely bar tape from Tortec. Recommended.

Finally the Kinesis bar tap also comes with adjustable plugs; the kind you’d normally expect to buy separately as an upgrade and a far cry from the basic push-in plugs you normally get with bar tape at this price point. Best handlebar tape: How to choose your bar tape It’s grippy regardless of whether you have gloves or not, or whether it’s raining or not. That embossed ENVE logo on the tape really does provide superb grip and a very secure connection between you and the bars, which gives plenty of confidence when moving around the bars descending nasty trails, even in the wet. The vibration-damping silicone strip works like a charm and helps to reduce trail buzz better than any other tape I’ve used.” Be prepared: Don't start wrapping the tape until you're properly set-up for the task ahead. You'll need some sharp scissors at hand, along with some electrical tape. The latter is to replace the finishing strips that came in the box with the tape. Discard these because they aren't very good at securing the bar tape in place.So to get it right the first time, you'll need to have a think about what you prioritise. To help you decide, here are a few common scenarios. Tester Steph writes: “Made from a synthetic and natural cork mix with 2.8mm of padding and gel on the inner side, it is very comfortable and easy on the hands. I noticed the grip immediately without gloves on, and felt that even in wet conditions it would work extremely well. I usually ride with gloves, but went without just to give it a fair chance to shine. The grip was beyond excellent, even in damper weather. The gel underlay seemed to absorb any bumps I may have felt otherwise, and if coupled with gloves your hands would barely suffer.