Bar Tape

The only part of the bike you hold onto for the whole ride, and the cheapest thing you can change that you notice every single time. Worn tape is also the quickest way to make a good bike look tired.

Thickness is the main choice. Thin tape around 2mm gives the most direct feel of the bars and suits smaller hands. Thicker tape at 3mm and up takes the buzz out of a rough road and is worth having if your hands go numb on longer rides. Gel inserts under the tape do a similar job if you would rather keep a thinner wrap.

Grip in the wet matters more here than almost anywhere else on the bike. Tacky synthetic tapes hold well with or without gloves, cork is traditional and comfortable but wears faster, and silicone sits somewhere between the two.

Tape is a consumable. It gets dirty, it goes hard, and it tears at the hoods first. Replacing it is a twenty minute job and it transforms how a bike feels to pick up, which is why it is worth doing more often than most people do.

We will fit it while you wait. If you are having cables or bars changed anyway, it costs nothing extra to do at the same time.

Gloves Pedals Bike Care All Components

New bikes, demo days, and the odd good deal