Back in the days they were made of leather, later on it was fabric and now they’re mostly made of plastic. They should be ultra-sensitive, long lasting and of good quality – and of course they should help you have a good time! If you think we’re talking about condoms you’re getting this all wrong! Of course we’re talking about bar tapes! We had a look around and picked a selection of the smoothest bar tapes you can find on the market.
The smoothest bartapes
ACROS SILICONE WRAP
The ACROS SILICONE WRAP is the first tape in our test which comes in the shape of an un-cushioned silicon tape. Thanks to its pleasant pattern it doesn’t feel uncomfortable or sticky and offers a comfortable grip even when riding without gloves. Describing it as versatile would be an understatement: the ACROS SILICONE WRAP comes in 7 colour-variations which make it suitable for pretty much every bike.
Website: info.acros.de/
Price: € 34,90
Colour: Pink
Weight with bar plugs: 164 g
Bontrager Velvetack Reflective Handlebar Tape
Granted: The Bontrager Velvetack Handlebar Tape is a little understated. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing — at second glance it actually looks pretty cool! With its sticky surface the tape offers an astonishing amount of grip and the light cushioning offers lots of comfort. The perforated surface makes it easy to grip even in wet conditions and at night you’ll even get a little surprise: a reflective 3M Scotchlite material emerges through the individual holes. Clever solution!
Website: bontrager.com
Price: € 39,99
Colour: Reflective
Weight with bar plugs: 94 g
Brooks Leather Bar Tape
As soon as you open the box you’ll realise why the Brooks Leather Bar Tape is this popular: this tape doesn’t smell of plastic – the box releases a pleasant natural leather fragrance! Once you’re holding it you’ll notice how pleasant the tape feels in your hands. It’s soft and has small holes. It doesn’t feel sticky but it’s not slippery either. The only drawback is the minimal cushioning — you won’t be too chuffed to hit the Roubaix cobbles with a thin un-cushioned tape. Apart from this the Brooks Leather Bar Tape is superb — we strongly recommend it if you’re after good quality and a classic look.
Website: www.brooksengland.com
Price: 59,00 €
Colour: Black
Weight with bar plugs: 172 g
Fabric Alm Tape
When you see the price of the Fabric Alm Tape you’ll get tachycardia: at € 89 it’s the most expensive bar tape in our test. But what distinguishes it from cheaper leather bar tapes? When you unpack the Fabric Alm tape you’ll feel a bit like when you buy a new car or leather shoes. The rough and heavy leather smells very posh and feels incredibly smooth to the touch. However the tape is very thin and hardly cushioned, it’s not perforated and offers way less grip in wet conditions. This makes it technically inferior to all other models – but if you are looking for a leather tape for your classic Sunday racer this is the right choice.
Website: fabric.cc
Price: € 89,00
Colour: Black
Weight with bar plugs: 172 g
Fi’zi:k Superlight Classic
Light, uncushioned and Celeste: no, it’s not a Bianchi Specialissima but the Fi’zi:k Superlight Classic bar tape! Its purpose is clear: If you’re looking for a light handlebar tape for your racing machine you’ve found what you’re after. Fi’zi:k’s bar tape convinced us with a great price/performance ratio, a pleasant leather-like structure and great grip. And on top of that it’s not too sticky even in wet conditions. That’s why the Fi’zi:k deserves our “buying-tip” for race-bikes — after all it’s available in many colours!
Website: fizik.com
Price: € 17,90
Colour: Celeste Bianchi
Weight with bar plugs: 87 g
Lizard Skins DSP 3.2 mm Bar Tape
Ultra-chunky! That’s probably the best way to describe the Lizard Skins DSP 3.2 mm Bar Tape. First off you might want to get used to the punchy colour — or just swap it with one of the other eleven options — and the stickiness which is a matter of preference. And yet there is one thing we can’t deny: this bar tape is literally begging for cobbles, gravel and English roads! The thick foam padding offers great damping properties and lets you enjoy long days in the saddle completely relaxed – our tip for the rough stuff!
Website: lizardskins.com
Price: € 27,90
Colour: Yamasaki Camo
Weight with bar plugs: 78 g
Prologo Onetouch 2
If you’re keen on pinstripe-patterns you’ll love the Prologo Onetouch 2. It’s half black and half white: once wrapped around the bars it looks simply unique. It’s extremely chunky and well cushioned and feels very comfortable on long rides. The ribbed structure of the silicone takes some getting used to and not everyone will like it straight away. The only drawback: the white part of the bar tape feels a bit like cardboard and doesn’t offer lots of grip — leaving the black part to compensate for it.
Website: prologotouch.com
Price: € 31,00
Colour: Black/White
Weight with bar plugs: 79 g
Ritchey WCS Race Bar Tape
Loud, eye-catching and beautifully thin: Ritchey’s WCS Race bar tape is a classic. With its perforated structure the WCS Race hardly sticks to your hands and still offers a decent amount of grip – in order to save weight the engineers at Ritchey renounced the foam padding which would make the tape a lot more comfortable. Instead the tape feels quite hard. On the other hand it can be wound very thinly and is ideal for sprinting!
Website: ritcheylogic.com
Price: 22,90 €
Colour: Neon Yellow
Weight with bar plugs: 80 g
Supacaz Sticky Kush
The Supacaz Sticky Kush is the tecky one in the test field: with its classy structure the ultra-sticky bar tape is very soft, thinly cushioned and probably your best choice if you’re looking for an all-round bar tape. The Supacaz is relatively light and offers good grip in every situation. The box includes a pair of metal bar plugs with the Supacaz logo which round off the package nicely. We struggled to find a better all-rounder and neither could Peter Sagan. Even the triple World Champion relies on a Supacaz Sticky Kush tape!
Website: supacaz.com
Price: 33,99 €
Colour: Black
Weight with bar plugs: 102 g
Before we end this test we have to admit one thing: the choice of bar tape is just as personal as the choice of condoms. Some are highly technical, others very natural and some are just versatile – and it’s crazy how many options there are out there. One day with a bit of luck you will find your very own bar tape options. Just like we did in this test!
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