- There is cheap china tape off ebay for $1 or so without any grippy backing. The quality of the tape is what you would expect for $1 tape- its dense foam and feels like it. Ive used some of this on refurbished bikes I then flip. It gets the job done, i guess.

- There is mid-cheap tape with adhesive tape backing for $6-15. The quality of the tape is better that the $1 ebay stuff, but it isnt great. And it often tears when you want to reset the tape for whatever reason(s). Ive used some of this on refurbished bikes i then flip as well as used to use it on some of my bikes. It gets the job done, i guess.

- There is quality tape with gel backing for $10-60. The quality of the tape is significantly better than the other options. The cushion has depth and is often times more supple while still being long wearing. It comes in different thicknesses too. Best of all- the gel strip grips the bar well and resetting tape is easy as it doesnt adhere to anything and wraps over and again easily without issue or mess.


Life is too short for bad tape when quality tape just isnt much more and last a long time. $15-20 tape is on all my bikes..hardly expensive. It has the thickness I like, gel strip allows for easy and fast wrapping(and re-wrapping), and it all wears well for long lasting use.