nightfly

What type of bar tape do you like for riding without gloves? Wore through my last batch that was generic.

GMJ

Fizik Microtex Superlight (the faux-suede one)

Soo__Fuego

So far I have only used two brands. LizardSkin and Deda, I like the Dida a lot.

nightfly

Went ahead and got some of the Lizard Skin 2.5mm tape and installed.

Feels a bit thinner than the stock fake cork stuff that came on my bike (Felt) but might be a good thing. Nice feeling tape and seemed like the texture will be good now that it's hot and humid here in NY. Actually for my road bike so we'll see on a long ride this weekend.

Funny when you try and find info on the web, all the tape reviews are from roadies who are most concerned with how their white tape stays clean or doesn't.

iTripped

I have been a fan of cloth tape, like what you can get from Newbaum's, although this is one area where I haven't felt the need to be that brand specific. With padded tape I found I tended to grip the bars tighter and this would tire my hands on longer rides. With unpadded cloth tape I find that I hold the bars with a lighter touch which turns out to be more comfortable in the long run.

JeremyLC

I like Newbaum's tape a lot, but unless you shellac it, it just doesn't hold up. The untreated cotton tape feels soft enough, and doesn't make the bars too fat and squishy. The shellaced tape, on the other hand, may as well be sandpaper. The tape will survive the nuclear holocaust, but without gloves your hands may not survive the tape. :-/

One4Five145

I second the Fizik Microtex

iTripped

Interesting. My tape is holding up quite well (installed a year ago, used all year, no shellac) but then it isn't specifically Newbaum's. It's whatever generic version was at my LBS, so I wonder if there is a difference in how it wears between brands.

bmontgomery87

My deda elementi tape didn't hold up well at all.

hairnet

Soma Thick&Zesty. About cloth tape, I like it a lot when wrapped over some foam tape bit it is murderous on its own.

Jaytron

Lizardskins

Angelis

Fyxation cloth tape. It's slightly thicker than Newbaums or Tressostar, and it feels great.

rubic

Lizardskins 3.5 are cushy and have a nice grip when wet without gloves.

8bits

Lizardskin is the most comfortable tape I've ever used, BUT, they tend to remove all the subtle shape of the handlebar, my beautiful Nitto RB010 looked like crap wrapped on it, on the road handlebar it worked out great.

seau grateau

Regular ol' cheap cork suits me just fine.

nightfly

Lizard Skins seems like an expensive fail for me. Gets slick with sweat and not as much cushion as regular cork so I grip harder. Probably switching back to standard cork or similar. Thought I'd like the new material and a bit less bulk but not the case.

LesterOfPuppets

That used to be my go-to but the cheapest around here these days has shot up to 8 bux and there's a place in town with Deda for $10.19 so I just get that nowadays. I go with their carbon texture plastic tapes, though, since I tried it and liked it. I dunno why I ever hated plastic tapes in the past, sure a little slicker when wet but not kill yourself slick.

konman795

I'm also a fan of the Fizik microtex! I had the SRAM corky stuff but didn't like it too much. Too squishy for me.

mixedfix

I've had multiple people recommend hockey tape to me recently as I am looking to replace the cheap (but not too bulky) black tape I got at the local bike co-op. It works fine; it's just coming off. Has anyone ever gone that route or something similar?

When I bought my bike it had untaped track bars on it. Besides being uncomfortable, I also got made fun of a lot. Now I have sensible, taped, narrow road bars which fit my riding style and needs.

GhostSS

I DON'T recommend Arundel Gecko tape even though I've been using it for about a year. It claims to be thinner and lays down flatter, but it's actually quite thick and kinks up bad because of the way the tape is made (too thick in the center). It's comfortable enough but the adhesive backing is cheaply attached and seems like an imitation of better tapes. I only use it because my LBS is always out of stock of the Fizik microtex...

rms13

I don't like bulky,cushy tape. My favorite that I have tried is Fizik microtex. Went with Zipp Service Course on new build to match my Zipp bars. A little cushier than I like but I've gotten used to it and like it. I like Deda for the price. But next time I rewrap it will be Fizik

jhess74

+1, that's what I usually go with - the planet bike stuff works fine and is cheap enough.

but not THAT cheap... wow. around here "cheap" bar tape is anything under $20, and the planet bike tape typically costs $14-$17.

LesterOfPuppets

Dang, looks like the cheap stuff has shot up to 9 bucks, unless you like red for $8

Universal Cycles -- Bike Ribbon Cork Bar Tape

stryper

I've tried probably 10 different tapes. Various corks, some pvc, lizardskins, cloth. I didn't find the lizardskins all that comfortable, but I may have gotten the 1.8, I can't remember. Cheap cork seems to last over a year and feels nice enough to me. The pvc holds up real well to the test of time but can be a bit slick when wet. Cloth requires gloves imo.

Probably my favorite cheap stuff: https://stores.ebay.com/FUBAR-BICYCLE...sub=3527235018

Cyril 

Brooks Leather bar tape.
expensive? yes
comfy? most definately
durable? 2 years and counting...