i rode bare metal back when i was a wild teenager with no inclination to keep replacing the sticky tape that wore off and got messy after a month or so. did they even have cork tape in the 70s? not at my lbs. anyway, i got tired of absorbing so much aluminum through my hands, so it's cork for me. to this day, when i see bare metal bars, it just reminds me of my lazy, stoner past. not going back there, thanks (and if you think it looks cool, that's okay - really, it's just my hangup).