I’d like to try to wrap my bars with grip tape instead of cork bar tape. What kinds of grip tape have you tried and where do you buy it?
I have looked at skateboarding deck material but it seems too rough. Has anyone tried this option?
Geoff
If you like the idea of skateboard deck material… I found this stuff that is basically a softer roof shingle material with adhesive backing @ W-Mart. I guess it is intended for stair step treads on concrete stairs. It is easily cut-able and malleable and not too aggressive at all.
I hate cumbersome bar tape and on my HED blackdogs it is hard to wrap anything and have it be even and smooth. I am very happy with finding this stuff. Will try and post pics at some point.
Liazardskins race is the bomb for grip tape (but expensive)
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tennis racket tape? hockey stick tape? lacrosse stick tape? Should be cheap and easily available.
Not the best color stuff, but works very well and its cheap too.
http://www.uniquesports.us/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=USP&Product_Code=STG&Category_Code=OVRG
Like rroof said, Lizardskins is the best. I just wrapped my Zipp Vuka with it. It is really thin. I like my tape a bit thicker, so, I used fizik gel pads under the Lizardskins.
Tree Fort has a pretty good deal.
http://www.treefortbikes.com/product/333222352378/176/Lizard-Skins-DSP-Bar-Tape.html
Don’t like the overly cushy feel of the regular bar tape either. Have been thinking of trying something different. Thanks!
Folks - maybe it’s just because you’re not Canadian, but - look up hockey tape (the stuff they use to wrap hocket sticks with.) Kind of grippy, a bit rough, and dirt cheap. It’s designed to let you handle a wooden stick while wearing thick leather gloves, so it has some abrasiveness to it, but it’s still thin and a bit stretchy.
A roll would cover a lifetimes supply of aero bars for you and most of your teammates… and it’s probably $5.
Don’t like the overly cushy feel of the regular bar tape either. Have been thinking of trying something different. Thanks!
If you like “flat,” then this is your stuff. Ultra-thin and nice and “tacky.” Perfect if you want no “cush.”
Like I said above, I put fizik gel pads under mine and the end result was that is was just as thick as “normal” bar tape. W/O the gel pads, it would have been very, very thin.
Will give it a shot. Thanks!
Don’t make this too complicated.
If you’re too young to remember, there’s a retro solution - cotton handlebar tape. After all, that’s what it’s designed for.
I know Velox still makes it:
http://www.velox.fr/fr/index.php?art=6&th=22
I’ve found it at the LBS.