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Handlebar tape

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aggs:
Handlebar tape.

Any reccommendations for long distance comfortable tape for dropped bars?

Danneaux:
Hi Graham!

A good question, and one I hope to answer for myself. Cork tape just isn't cutting it for me, and my hands are sore. It's not bad for fast road-riding, but mountainous, rough single-track is beating up my hands something terrible.

In the past, I've had really good luck by first installing a quality, dense closed-cell padding like Grab-On and then compression-wrapping it to half-thickness using a nice, padded vinyl-skinned tape. Unfortunately, such nice tape seems rarely available; cork has taken over the market.

An alternative I have been considering is one of a variety of gel under-tape pads, but from "used" ones I've seen when friends retaped, the gel pads seem to have squashed out flat where the pressure is greatest.

Frankly, I don't look forward to the task of upgrading my handlebar coverings, what with cable housings for the bar-end shifters, the brake levers, and the interrupter levers. Still, it has to be done at some point. When it does, I may well go back to the compression-wrapped Grab-Ons. They might work well again even if all I can find to use as an over-wrap is something "corkish".

Does anyone know if a product called "Gatorskin" 'bar tape is still available? I used some by that name years ago, and it lasted a very long time indeed (decades).

Best,

Dan.

jags:
 i tried a lot of those gel packs find them to be pretty useless ;D
 i have a good gel bartape and on top of that i use the fizik bartape easly the best  tape i've found in years  tough as old boots.

il padrone:
Maybe try some lovely leather bar-tape, perhaps over foam or gel ?? Brooks is delectable but expensive. There are other brands that are cheaper, most notably Velo-Orange.

Danneaux:

--- Quote ---Maybe try some lovely leather bar-tape, perhaps over foam or gel ??
--- End quote ---
Agreed; for sheer beauty, it is almost impossible to beat a nice set of leather covers, whether it be tape or stitched sleeves.

Only thing that worries me here in Rainy Oregon™ (a bit like Rainy Ireland™ from what understand) is how well the leather would hold up if continuously wet. I once toured Washington State's very wet San Juan Islands with a fellow who had wrapped his 'bars with leather tape. I don't recall the brand, but the dye came off on his hands, and by tour's end, there was green mold in the little perforations and between the wrapped edges. He said it got slimy-slick to the touch when it was sodden.

Again, I don't know the brand (and this was back in 1980), so it may have been an isolated case of the "dinnit workwells".

I still think it's pretty (and in black...getting tempted, Pete...).

Best,

Dan.

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