[Closed] Bar tape for a gravel bike

Fabric do some nice tape. I think the stuff I’m using is called Hex.

Personal preference. I like Lizard Skins DSP as the "stickiness" means I don't always have to grip the bars tightly and that results in less hand fatigue when rougher tracks are encountered.

Any difference in thickness is going to be negligible on comfort.

Assuming the same as for cx. Look for something grippy as you are more likely to have wet or muddy hands. Simple, no perforations and a dark colour so it can be kept clean. Tough as grit can wear it down.

Lizard skins is a good shout. Their are equivalents. Arundel used to make stuff as did Supercaz. I've had good experience with the lifeline stuff off wiggle.

Definitely personal preference. I don’t like the thin sticky stuff and go totally the other way with Fizik Tempo Microtex Bondcush Soft Bar Tape. Thick, soft and squishy.

I've tried some of the Specialized Bar Phat under the tape on mine but it just gives a really large diameter bar that's no softer in practice.

I recently tried the Fizik Terra stuff (it’s gravel specific dontcha know!). It’s actually ace. Really grippy and thick. Comfortable on long rides.

I just use Alpkits own...

I'm currently using the Lifeline stuff from CRC, nicely grippy and comfy, will buy again when needed.

Any difference in thickness is going to be negligible on comfort.

Disagree, thicker is better and I've heard of folk double-wrapping (but not tried it myself).

What I have discovered is that I get sore hands on my gravel bike if I use MTB style gloves as they've no/little palm padding. I've ended up running a pair of thin gloves and then a cheap & larger fingerless pair on top.

I used to swear by Specialized Phat, now I've got some cork stuff. All I know is it's black. It's just as good. Buy a cheap one, see how you get on with it. Price range on bar tape is crazy.
Only one I'd avoid is FWE cos it has no glue on the back and slips, I'm sure there are some bar wrapping heroes who will say that's cos I wrapwrong, but I just buy a glued one and it's fine. I like gel underneath it too cos big hands.

Kinesis 4 season is the nicest I've found. Rubberised, grippy on the outside, thick and comfy with quality finishing strip in matching material. Clean as a whistle when removed.

Ha! Just looked up what I've got it's [url= https://www.velochampion.cc/collections/handlebar-tape ]Velochampion[/url] . .. was £6.99! from Sport Pursuit. Been on the bike a year and still looks new.
BBB on CRC looks similar. Check the reviews.

Got to be the Kinesis "Jo Burt" Mint Sauce stuff.

I've used some BBB tape. It's the only one I've used / fitted that I'd actively avoid. I found it was just too soft and broke up.

The lizard skins tape is great. I've currently got some SRAM cork tape on, which is really comfortable and grippy, only £10 too.

It's definitely a personal thing...

After trying lizardskins/supercaz/specialized, pretty much all of the usual ones etc I've settled on ESI - it's made from silicone rubber rather than cloth and is amazing. It's washable, reversible, doesn't need that sticky glue atrip that gets all over your bars so it's super easy to remove and redo. but most of all it's extremely comfortable and gives loads of grip.

There are a few other companies now using similar materials like wolf tooth components, but I've not tried them to compare.

I think the Zipp Service Course CX tape is probably the best I've used for off-road drop bar bikes - good thickness, a bit tacky and the knurled finish grips muddy hands reasonably well.

The Jo Burt / Kenesis stuff is what I've got on at the moment, and is comfortable too.

Just bought the other half's bike the Supacaz Super Sticky Kush Galaxy tape because the black with blue snowflakes matched her bike nicely. That's nice and tacky too, though not a lot of texture to it.

I wore out two sets of Supacaz tape in one season, so never again for me.

Lizard Skins and other silicone tapes are alright but don't last that long either, and I worry about shedding microplastics.

I've gone back to shiny Fizik stuff as it lasts forever and cleans up really nicely.

I've used Lizards Skins DSP (2.5mm), Fabric, Cinelli, Rapha, Cycology and a few others. By far the best I've found is Bontrager Gel Coke Tape. It stays where it's supposed to without needing adhesive on the inside (a pet hate of mine) stretches properly around things (unlike DSP) is incredibly comfortable (unlike Cinelli) and wears well no matter what colour. It's also only about £15.

Bontrager Gel Coke Tape

An interesting means of ingestion, but if it works that should get you up the hills faster! 😉

I find Lizard Skinz wears out pretty quickly, I've got Prime comfort stuff on mine, done around 2000k on it and its barely worn and is very comfortable, more than thick enough at 3mm.

I find the Lizard Skins DSP to be very comfortable, but it does wear out quickly. It's replacement time again so I'll try something else.

Love silicone bar tape, with Widget my favo brand as they have great colours (orange on the Orro). Good grip, nice insulation from buzz and you can take it off and re-apply it if it moves a bit after some death-grip-gravel-gnarr action.

I think the Zipp Service Course CX tape is probably the best I’ve used for off-road drop bar bikes – good thickness, a bit tacky and the knurled finish grips muddy hands reasonably well.

Came here to recommend same, although I use it on top of some basic Boardman stuff for double taped goodness.

That said... I've had to rewrap a couple of times to effectively end the double tape diameter an inch or so short, my thumb doesn't like wrapping around that extra girth (that's what she said etc. etc.) . Puts me off just applying a single layer of extra fat tape as you wouldn't be able to tailor thickness.

Same effect on the MTB, tried some Wolf Paw fat paw grips, is actually fatiguing on long rough descents as it feels harder for hand to grip.

Fabrix Hex is what came on my bike, and no complaints so far though I've not tried anything else. I prefer mine to be on the thinner side ride than the full squishy stuff as I find it easier to hang to over time.

I like the Pro Gravel tape. I've got cinelli camo on atm which I also like. it's a basic foamy style tape. Zipp Service Course is really nice too.

By far the worst I've tried is Lizard Skins DSP. Slippery when wet. Wears out very quickly. Doesn't wrap nicely at all.

I like the specalized bar phat stuff and the lizard skins.

I find the bar phat tape absorbs loads of buzz from tarmac and fine gravel.

Bump.

I'm dealing with some tendonitis in forearms which I think is largely due to death gripping bars too much on fast gravel!

Am going to try and learn to relax my grip but Scotroutes comment caught my eye, I like the idea of a grippier tape meaning I don't need to grip so hard.

I see equally solid recommendations for the Fizik Cush stuff (I forget which exact one) or the Enve stuff. Both apparently very tacky, re-useable etc. Has anyone used the Enve stuff?

I’m dealing with some tendonitis in forearms which I think is largely due to death gripping bars too much on fast gravel!

Am going to try and learn to relax my grip

I didn't have tendonitis, but I've found double-wrapping my road bike bars has enabled me to have a more relaxed grip and obviously adds comfort as well.

I do like thick MTB grips as well, for similar reasons.

I have some of these drop grips from redshift, combined with their tape, which I really like.

https://redshiftsports.com/products/cruise-control-drop-bar-grips

Used to have the lizard skin tape, but this is betterer.

I didn’t have tendonitis, but I’ve found double-wrapping my road bike bars has enabled me to have a more relaxed grip and obviously adds comfort as well.

Hmm.... I was beginning to get the feeling that double wrapped bars were part of the problem as I was trying to wrap my hand around a larger diameter of grip! Will need to experiment and unwrap one layer of tape first...

My Gravel bike needs new tape again, and I keep putting cheap cork on it and it isn't the best at damping vibration and inevitably gets damaged in a tumble. So I'm interested in a thicker Silicone tape like DSP, but it's pretty pricey (by my standards) I did notice Wiggle/CRC are doing some cheaper thicker (3.0 and 3.5mm) 'Comfort' and 'Gravel' labelled silicone tapes under their Prime brand that I might try.

@ jimdubleyou how effective are those Redshift grip jobbies?
Again they look too pricey to me, but they also look like something I could model a version of and and print for myself in PLA just to try. I take it he main goal is to spread weight across more of your palm in those key hand positions, but just how soft is the rubber they're made from?

Hmm…. I was beginning to get the feeling that double wrapped bars were part of the problem as I was trying to wrap my hand around a larger diameter of grip!

Haha, well ignore me then.

Is there a chance you're feeling tense / nervous about crashing and gripping too tight? I used to do that when riding a CX bike with canti brakes off-road. Mainly because it was a ****ing deathtrap.

Watching with interest.

I tried the fattest Lizard skins and read since that the reason it wore out so ridiculously quickly is because maybe I wrapped it too tightly. I cant be doing with that so in the market for something rubbery or corky and thick and no fuss and lasts a good while.

Cheap stretchy stuff, in the first instance, to practise your bar wrapping technique. The Lifeline stuff is fine. You can replace it down the road when you've figured out your own preferences.