Bar tape advice please...

[midliferider]

I have a B Twin triban 3 road bike. I intend to replace its shifters with Shimano Claris. I will need new bar tapes. I read that bar tapes does make a difference in longer rides. But mine is just a B Twin, maximum I will do a day is 50 miles but I do take it on tours in Europe. What bar tapes would you recommend?
More importantly those bar tapes that you can buy from e bay for less than £2, shipped from China, are any good?
Halfords and other retailers has Deda tapes for about £7.
Is it any better than those £2 tapes?
Thanking you in advance.

 

[MichaelW2]

Cinelli cork tape is good. Non slip, padded, durable.

 

[JPBoothy]

I also tend to use the Cinelli, or Deda, and have never paid more than £10, as a good pair of gloves/mitts will make more of a difference. I added some Cinelli Gel pads under my last tape as they were only £3 and you can position them where you like. A pair of locking end caps are a good investment too.

I appreciate that the overall price is now creeping up but at least you can re-use the pads + end-caps!

Good luck cutting those angled ends though

 

[confusedcyclist]

Wiggle's lifeline pro (gel padded) is cheap as chips and dead comfortable on my tourer. Seems like hardwearing material too.

I have paid 3 times the price on lizard skinz DSP tape which is a nice luxury, but not worth 3 times more the price of the basic stuff. To justify paying that price I have to keep it on til it's peeled and torn, I have no qualms about replacing the cheaper stuff when it starts looking tatty.

 

[Foghat]

Cinelli cork tape is good. Non slip, padded, durable.

Plenty long enough too, unlike some, and can be removed and re-applied.

Also fully endorse the Cinelli gel pads mentioned by JPBoothy......although removing those for re-use will demolish their adhesive qualities and necessitate use of glue or double-sided adhesive tape. I really like these pads on the drops for descending, especially on Britain's appallingly rough and uneven roads.

 

[JPBoothy]

Plenty long enough too, unlike some, and can be removed and re-applied.

Also fully endorse the Cinelli gel pads mentioned by JPBoothy......although removing those for re-use will demolish their adhesive qualities and necessitate use of glue or double-sided adhesive tape. I really like these pads on the drops for descending, especially on Britain's appallingly rough and uneven roads.

I wasn't thinking of removing the gel pads to re-use them, I meant that you could just replace the tape over the top of them

 

[iateyoubutler]

I can`t recommend a particular tape as such, but if you want a bit more comfort then just cut a piece of the old tape if you still have it (or from the new if it`s long enough), about 5 or 6 inches length and then stick it longways along the bars where your hands would sit, and then cover that as normal with your new tape. I`ve done that with all of mine and works a treat. Free extra padding and makes the bars look/feel more substantial

 

[midliferider]

Thank you all for your replies. I will now look at what I can get under £10

 

[mrandmrspoves]

The cheap and cheerful less than £2 "cork" tape from China as sold on eBay is actually very good. Nice and thick but not too thick. It stretches well to conform to the handlebars and each roll is a generous length. You also usually get bar end bungs free.
I no longer need bar tape as I ride a recumbent but I keep a few rolls in and have re-taped a number of bikes for friends and they have all been pleased by the appearance, comfort and robustness of the cheapo tape.

 

[midliferider]

Thanks.

 

[sgl5gjr]

Like Tyres and other parts..... Bar Tape is a personal preference... I only keep Black/White/Red in stock but order in to customer requests............ as for brands...yer pays yer money and all that.... Currently in stock is BBB cork type.... best tape I have found when wrapping has beem Prologo Double Touch (which is kind of like the BBB one I keep......... I fitted some Cinelli this week for a customer... who was replacing RSP tape... there is no right or wrong...