Upgrading your bike’s handlebar tape is a simple yet effective way to enhance comfort and control. After extensive testing of various handlebar tapes, alongside components like handlebars, suspension stems, and carbon forks, it’s clear that bar tape plays a crucial role in your riding experience. This guide dives into the best options, focusing on comfort and feel, to help you choose the perfect tape for your bike handlebars.
While initial attempts to measure handlebar tape vibration dampening with equipment proved inconclusive, subjective experience remains the most reliable indicator of comfort. This review focuses on real-world feel and comfort, rather than lab numbers, to give you practical advice on selecting the right Tape For Bike Handlebars.
The Foundation of Comfort: Gel Pads
Fizik Gel Pads for Handlebars
Before exploring different tapes, it’s essential to highlight the impact of gel pads. My benchmark bike, the Jamis Renegade Exploit, came equipped with Fizik Superlight Microsoft Touch bar tape, which initially impressed me with its comfort. However, the secret to this comfort was the hidden gel pads underneath.
Upon replacing the original tape and omitting the gel pads, a significant decrease in comfort was immediately noticeable. This experience underscored a critical lesson: gel pads are fundamental to handlebar comfort. No matter how thick or advanced the tape, nothing replicates the vibration-absorbing qualities of gel pads.
Consider starting with gel pads like Fizik Gel Handlebar Pads or Bike Ribbon Gel Pads to lay a solid foundation for comfort before even considering different types of tape for bike handlebars.
Premium Comfort: Supacaz Super Sticky Kush
The Supacaz Super Sticky Kush is often touted as one of the most comfortable tapes available. Its 2.5mm thickness and foam layer are designed to maximize vibration absorption. While undeniably comfortable in terms of dampening vibrations, the “super sticky” outer layer is a matter of personal preference.
For some, the extreme grip is a major advantage, providing excellent control even without gloves, in wet conditions, or with sweaty hands. However, for others, including myself, the tackiness feels excessive and attracts dirt.
Wrapping the Supacaz tape requires care due to its stiffness and limited stretch. The edges may also lack the cleanest finish, which is a minor drawback considering its premium price point of around US $45.
Despite these minor points, the Supacaz Super Sticky Kush, especially when paired with gel pads, delivers exceptional comfort and vibration reduction, making it a strong contender for those prioritizing pure cushioning in their tape for bike handlebars.
The Revelation: Cinelli Gel Cork Tape
Comfortable Cinelli Gel Cork Bar Tape on Handlebars
The Cinelli Gel Cork tape proved to be a standout performer. At 3mm thick and incorporating Vibra Absorb foam, it rivals the Supacaz in comfort but with a more refined feel. The wrapping process is significantly easier, resulting in cleaner edges. The outer layer provides ample grip without being overly sticky.
Further advantages include excellent tear resistance, allowing for multiple re-wraps, and its affordability at around US $18. The Cinelli Gel Cork tape offers a superb balance of comfort, usability, and value, making it an exceptional choice for tape for bike handlebars.
High-End Feel: Lizard Skins DSP 3.2
The Lizard Skins DSP 3.2 sits at the higher end of the price spectrum, around US $45, but justifies its cost with a luxurious look and feel. The surface texture is exceptionally pleasant to the touch, maintaining its tactile quality in various conditions.
Less sticky than the Supacaz, the Lizard Skins DSP 3.2 offers a clean aesthetic and is remarkably easy to keep clean, even in lighter colors. The 3.2mm thickness provides excellent comfort, though it feels slightly less plush than the Supacaz or Cinelli options. The thicker 4.6mm version might bridge this minor gap for ultimate cushioning.
Wrapping is straightforward, although not quite as effortless as the Cinelli tape, and it can be re-wrapped if needed. While a premium product, the Lizard Skins DSP 3.2 might appeal to those who prioritize a combination of high performance and a refined feel in their tape for bike handlebars.
Balanced Performance: Specialized S-Wrap Roubaix
Comfortable Specialized S-Wrap Roubaix Bar Tape on Bicycle Handlebars
Currently used on my benchmark bike, the Specialized S-Wrap Roubaix provides a fantastic balance of comfort and practicality. Priced around US $25, it’s easy to wrap and offers a pleasant suede-like finish that provides good grip, particularly without gloves. While wet grip isn’t quite as strong as some competitors, it resists dirt and stays clean longer than stickier tapes.
Comfort is excellent, thanks to the vibration-absorbing EVA foam, placing it on par with the Lizard Skins 3.2mm and close to the Cinelli Gel Cork in terms of vibration dampening. The S-Wrap shares many similarities with the Cinelli Gel Cork tape in grip, wrapping ease, and overall comfort, with a slightly more appealing tactile sensation. The Specialized S-Wrap Roubaix is a strong all-around performer in the realm of tape for bike handlebars.
Unique and Thin: Coefficient Wave Bar Tape
The Coefficient tape stands out due to its extra length, designed for accommodating wider handlebars like the Coefficient Wave handlebar, and its notably thinner profile compared to other tapes in this test.
Despite its thinness, which inherently offers less cushioning than thicker tapes, the extra length allows for significant overlap during wrapping. This technique effectively creates a double layer in certain areas, improving comfort, though it still doesn’t quite match the plushness of thicker tapes.
However, the Wave bar tape excels in ease of wrapping and tear resistance. The feel is also exceptional – grippy yet soft, making it a joy to hold. Combined with its reasonable price, the Coefficient Wave bar tape is a unique option, particularly if you prefer a thinner, more tactile feel in your tape for bike handlebars.
Choosing the Most Comfortable Tape for Bike Handlebars
For overall comfort, performance, and value, the Cinelli Gel Cork tape emerges as the top recommendation. It delivers excellent vibration dampening, a pleasant feel, ample grip, and is easy to install, all at an affordable price. It proves that top-tier comfort doesn’t always require the highest price tag when it comes to tape for bike handlebars.
If enhanced grip and a more refined aesthetic are priorities, and budget is less of a concern, the Lizard Skins DSP tape is an excellent alternative. It offers a premium feel, easy cleaning, and a stylish look.
Ultimately, the best tape for bike handlebars depends on individual preferences and priorities. Consider factors like desired level of cushioning, grip preference, ease of installation, and budget to make the optimal choice for your riding needs.
