I am looking to change out the tape on my zipp vuka clips and basebar and thought the zipp tape in black or white looked pretty sweet. I have heard a lot of good things on this forum about the fizik microtex. Anyone have a direct comparison of the two?
I’m an avid Fizik tape user. Have white on 3 bikes (rain bike, dry bike, TT bike). Lasts forever, stays white and is cleanable if needed. I unknowningly bought some of the brushed version in white. It was dirty before it left the repair stand and was gray in a week.
I just put Zipp handlebar tape on my road bike for the first time as that was all the shop had in stock in black and it is the best bar tape I’ve ever put on my bike, it’s only been about 1 month, but it still feels as it did when new.
-Brandon
Both very good, but I like the Fizik Micro since it is so easy to clean
.
which one is more aero?
The Zipp tape is nice, high quality foam tape. It feels good, but it’s nothing remarkable. It’s first quality stuff, but the same first quality stuff you can get from other folks.
Microtex is quite unique. Especially if you don’t use the gel layer underneath, which I didn’t use to. I liked the very tactile feel of just the microtex.
The best competitor to Microtex is Arundel Gecko Grip. I think those are the two best tapes on the market. Gecko Grip lasts, has very good “feel” especially without gloves, and cleans easily. It has more cushioning than microtex.
Might be a dumb question but I don’t know what would be best. What do you guys use to clean your white bar tape?
While I do not think you will find it on the shelves at your LBS (yet), I had been using Fizik on the bikes at our house but recently switched to Lizard Skins DSP Race Bar Tape. Got the white on our road and tt/tri bikes and found it to offer a very good tactile feel and also retains grippyness when wet and cleans up with soap and water (Lizard Skins does not recommend cleaners).
Agree completely about the Arudel tape. I’ve tried all makes of tapes and the Gecko is the best. Those guys only have a few products, but among them they have some of the best on the market.
Bob
What makes tape “good” or “better”? I guess I have always just gone for a decent price and what would look cool with my bike. Maybe on a road bike I would notice quality more, but on my tri bike I don’t think I would notice a difference.
Agree completely about the Arudel tape. I’ve tried all makes of tapes and the Gecko is the best. Those guys only have a few products, but among them they have some of the best on the market.
Bob
They make 13 products in total (by my last count). All of them are good. Great people too.
well, i remember leaving bar tape off my brake area completely because it would increase frontal area and then my first event with it set up like that I hop on my bike with my hands still wet from the lake and suddenly realized i should probably have tape on thar
What makes tape “good” or “better”? I guess I have always just gone for a decent price and what would look cool with my bike. Maybe on a road bike I would notice quality more, but on my tri bike I don’t think I would notice a difference.
Oh I agree completely. When I was hit by a car and destroyed a Tridetn cage I sent a funny email about the cage to them and they asked for it so they could see how it failed. When I told them “I think the car hitting me had something to do with it” they still wanted the cage.
Of their 13 products (A small number of SKU’s to be sure) I’d say the Gecko tape and Mandible cage are the best out there, period.
Bob
Oh I agree completely. When I was hit by a car and destroyed a Tridetn cage I sent a funny email about the cage to them and they asked for it so they could see how it failed. When I told them “I think the car hitting me had something to do with it” they still wanted the cage.
Of their 13 products (A small number of SKU’s to be sure) I’d say the Gecko tape and Mandible cage are the best out there, period.
Bob
I would agree, but I also think the Chrono bottle has to be on there, not only because it’s a really nice aero bottle, but because it really set the stage for companies to start making them - bontrager, specialized, etc. all followed after the Chrono.
I would agree, but the Chrono suffers from being the first to market in that the flow from the bottle isn’t as great as others. This, as the Arundel guys told me, is due to the cap design. They spec’d a different cap in 2009 but it still doesn’t solve the issue.
But, that said, yes you’re right a great bottle.
Bob
Might be a dumb question but I don’t know what would be best. What do you guys use to clean your white bar tape?
Westley’s bleach white - the same stuff in the car aisle used for cleaning old white wall tires. Works great!
Thanks appreciate the help!
Have you tried the microtex or the arundel before for comparison?
Jordan - thanks for the input. I’ll have to give both the microtex and gecko grip a try.
which one is more aero?
Zipp has to be more aero…just 'cause it is Zipp…