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Brooks Leather Bar Tape (Honey) First Impressions.

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Brooks Leather Bar Tape (Honey) First Impressions.

Old 09-10-07, 08:02 AM
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Brooks Leather Bar Tape (Honey) First Impressions.

After using the Fizik Microtex Bar tape for about 4 months, and since I just gotten my new steel frame, I decided to change my bar tape befitting of a steel bike. Initially I had decided on getting another roll of celeste tape for my bars (I love the striking color), but then I changed my mind as I wanted to try another brand and colour.

So I stumbled upon some pics of the Brooks leather bar tape and I wondered how it felt like. Theres always a nostalgic air about Brooks products which fascinates me and I've always been a bit of a "retro-grouch", so I decided to give it a try.

I blew SGD $72 bucks on a box of honey bar tape, thats around USD $47. Upon holding the tape in my hands they felt rather plush to the touch, unlike synthetic bar tape which tends to stretch a bit more. I actually held it to my nose to smell the leather just for the fun of it





The tape was a bit trickier to wrap around the bars, as it had a tendency to develop wrinkles if you pulled them with too much force, and in the process of wrapping I had created some fairly small wrinkles, but they weren't serious so as to affect the overall aesthetics.









Bear in mind that this is actually the fourth time I've wrapped my bars so while I wasn't expecting a stellar job, I made sure I did a slow job so as not to mess things up.

Actually now that Im comparing the honey tape and the celeste tape I'm kind of caught in the middle. I like the striking color of the celeste but the honey tape just exudes class. Oh well, I could change tapes next time I suppose

I'll update this thread with further ride reports, so those who are looking to get the Brooks bar tape can refer to this thread for opinions. I also read that a box of Brooks bar tape actually outlasts a few boxes of normal synthetic tape. While Im a bit skeptical about the favourable reports, I chose not to read too much into them until my grubby hands have actually tested them. Stay tuned for more pics
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Old 09-10-07, 08:09 AM
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I, too, use Brooks leather. Big fan.

Not sure why you didn't use black.
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Old 09-10-07, 08:11 AM
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I'll be checking in to hear your reviews. I'm a cork tape guy -- I don't like synthetic -- so, if anyone has a comparison between cork tape and Brooks' leather, I would love to hear it. I'm especially interested in hearing if the leather gets sloppy/slick with sweat on a long ride.
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Old 09-10-07, 08:46 AM
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Originally Posted by FlashBazbo
I'll be checking in to hear your reviews. I'm a cork tape guy -- I don't like synthetic -- so, if anyone has a comparison between cork tape and Brooks' leather, I would love to hear it. I'm especially interested in hearing if the leather gets sloppy/slick with sweat on a long ride.
I will definitely test the durability of the tape in a rainy ride, I just have to wait for the rain to come
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Old 09-10-07, 08:48 AM
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Originally Posted by H1449-6
I, too, use Brooks leather. Big fan.

Not sure why you didn't use black.
i din't go for the black one because Im looking for a colour that is different from the colour of my frame. Furthermore, Im planning to add in a Brooks Swift and a Brooks saddle bag in the future.
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Old 09-10-07, 08:48 AM
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Yes, I'd like to hear your impressions as well. I'll be looking for new bar tape to go with a new honey Brooks saddle.
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Old 09-10-07, 08:55 AM
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Great thread. I'd like to hear how the leather compares to cork tape as far as comfort. I don't usually ride w/ gloves so the tape's gotta be comfy.
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Old 09-10-07, 08:57 AM
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Looks great. I'm definitely going to do the same soon. Black for me on my steel steed to match the saddle. I only wish the tape came in british racing green to match the saddle on my Merlin.

Any other leather tape users - please post your pics.
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Old 09-10-07, 09:05 AM
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I like the Brooks wrap - exudes class and distinction. I also like the elkhide wrap.

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Old 09-10-07, 09:07 AM
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I really love the sew-up leather tape that 55/Rad put on one of his bikes.
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Old 09-10-07, 09:07 AM
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Originally Posted by Bantam
I really love the sew-up leather tape that 55/Rad put on one of his bikes.
He beat me to it.
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Old 09-10-07, 09:15 AM
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Nice job and it looks excellent. I've been thinking about trying this wrap too. I really like the contrasting brown color because, for one it contrasts nicely with the frame and two, it looks like leather. I currently ride the B17 saddle and my butt is generally happy.
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Old 09-10-07, 09:17 AM
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I'm thinking antique brown leather wrap would be a great contrast to a nekked carbon frame. That's IF it works well as bar tape.
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Old 09-10-07, 09:21 AM
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Originally Posted by 55/Rad
I like the Brooks wrap - exudes class and distinction. I also like the elkhide wrap.

I've always lusted after your bikes Rad Do you mind sharing where you got that badass leather wrap?
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Old 09-10-07, 09:32 AM
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He got the wrap from https://www.velo-orange.com/elsebarco.html
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Old 09-10-07, 09:56 AM
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Each strip of the Brooks bar tape is not a continuous strip, but its actually 3 strips stitched together with what looks like copper to me (like those used in telephone wires) to become 1 long strip.



The annoying thing about this is that the stitch will show up on the bars, and it detracts from the aesthetics of the tape itself, as shown in the pic above. Its hard to gauge where exactly on the bar it'll show up unless you get near to wrapping the stitch itself.

So for people who absolutely must have pitch-perfect handlebar wraps, you might want to take your time and really wrap slowly so the stitch will place itself perfectly where it cant be seen while pedalling, i.e. under the bars. I wasn't too bothered by it as this is just my commuter and not some "show bike", but preferences do differ from person to person, for example ViperZ, I once read a post of his that stated that he pay much attention to details.

So after like 3 hours of fumbling around its finally finished.

Cockpit :


Cockpit View 2


Before


After



Further observations :

My palms got a bit sweaty after I was done with the wrapping, so I grabbed the tops to get a feeling of how the tape felt like. It certainly was tackier than the Fizik Microtex tape but not to the point that it felt like I was holding on to adhesive tape.

In fact, I felt as if the tape itself was gripping my hands, as the surface of the tape wasnt as flat as the Microtex tape, but shaped like grooves which offered a much better grip. However, bear in mind that this is more for people that like to ride bare-handed. For gloved cyclists, I cant offer opinions on how the tape feels with gloves. You'll have to try it out yourself I will post after-ride reports about how the bar tape holds up to sweat, dust, rain and grime

Right guys, thats it with the Brooks bar tape. Its been a long time since I treated myself (and my bike) to something as extravagant as this, and I hope it certainly does perform up to its price tag (for a box of Brooks tape I could get 4 boxes of Fizik tape), but you will agree that leather pimps your ride up a couple of notches

Any suggestions and opinions are greatly welcomed as this is my first "review" here. I look forward to doing more of such accessory reviews soon, if my wallet allows it
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Old 09-10-07, 10:13 AM
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Great job! How's it cushion vs. cork tape?
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Old 09-10-07, 10:22 AM
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Looks awesome!
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Old 09-10-07, 10:22 AM
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i like the darker brown a lot. i bought an extra roll of honey, but i'm trying to get rid of it.
not technically a pure road bike, but...
 
Old 09-10-07, 10:35 AM
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I love my Brooks dark brown tape except for the splices.

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Old 09-10-07, 10:50 AM
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Originally Posted by jyossarian
Great job! How's it cushion vs. cork tape?
I've never used cork tape before, but compared to the Fizik Microtex tape which felt kind of mushy, the Brooks tape felt real solid, be it holding the tops or the drops. The splices on the tape helps in a better grip which may not be available on standard synthetic tape.

Gripping the Brooks bar tape is akin to gripping a well-contoured pistol grip. However I had a couple of rainy rides with the Fizik Microtex tape, and while the tape was soaked, it never felt like I was going to slip off the drops. I'll have to see how the Brooks tape will compare to the Fizik in rain. I ride bare-handed at the moment.
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Old 09-10-07, 10:55 AM
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Originally Posted by free2move

Gripping the Brooks bar tape is akin to gripping a well-contoured pistol grip.
For me, it's like gripping a tennis racket.....which I like, since I used to really be into tennis years ago..
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Old 09-10-07, 11:25 AM
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I've been meaning to leather my grips, because i have a small pile of REALLY REALLY high grade leather (like leather coat quality) that i bought for a completely unrelated project. I don't want to waste any, so does anyone have instructions on how to wrap it like 55/Rad's bikes? I think that that looks sooo classic.
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Old 09-10-07, 12:48 PM
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I think I've done a love-wee. That looks fantastic.
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Old 09-10-07, 12:58 PM
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Originally Posted by bward1028
i like the darker brown a lot. i bought an extra roll of honey, but i'm trying to get rid of it.
not technically a pure road bike, but...
That bike looks like it reeks of patchouli oil.
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