What do you pad your handlebars with?

[fossyant]

Cork tape - Hoy stuff is nice but my fave is Cinelli. No gel rubbish

 

[Gravity Aided]

Has anyone used the Brooks leather tape? To me, it looks great, but it's a bit expensive to buy as an experiment.

When someone throws out an old leather couch in your area, you can get a few square yards of leather that way.

 

[Gravity Aided]

When not using the chic leather method mentioned above, I use a layer of craft foam cut to size, with athletic cloth tape over it. I use shellac for any color other than black. But I almost always use black athletic tape. Goes with everything, like chartreuse.

 

[andrew_s]

2 layers of bar tape, no gloves (this stuff, usually)

 

[screenman]

Is it possible that if you need padded bars something else is wrong.

 

[cyberknight]

Spesh tape with the bar phat gel pad under.

Yup spesh phat + gels pads for me too.

 

[tyred]

I mostly use traditional cotton tape. I've never felt the need for padding and actually hate soft squidgy bar tape.

 

[Sbudge]

[QUOTE 3998382, member: 45"]Mitts with gel. Spesh gel pads under tape. Decathlon gel tape. Lovely and comfy and great for all-dayers.[/QUOTE]

Yes, gloves with gel, gel pads, gel tape but then I've a wonky arm so every little bit helps. In my experience there's a huge difference between different brands of padded gloves...probably as much about physiology differences as materials so it's important you try them on.

 

[Bodhbh]

When someone throws out an old leather couch in your area, you can get a few square yards of leather that way.

Carpet tape and roll of cheap leather stripping off eBay. When I did at least, the retro look was less classic Brooks, and more Conan the Barbarian. Still, okay for a cheap experiment and comfy enough if you like padding on the minimal side.

 

[roadrash]

If you. Want a bit. Of extra. Paddling try a length of old intertube under the bar tape

 

[lpretro1]

Has anyone used the Brooks leather tape? To me, it looks great, but it's a bit expensive to buy as an experiment.

It will suffer in wet weather...and has no padding

 

[RichardB]

It will suffer in wet weather...and has no padding

Don't mind the lack of padding, but soggy leather ... mmm, maybe not.

 

[steveindenmark]

Has anyone used the Brooks leather tape? To me, it looks great, but it's a bit expensive to buy as an experiment.

If it is genuine leather. It will take an age to dry.

 

[Smurfy]

Has anyone used the Brooks leather tape? To me, it looks great, but it's a bit expensive to buy as an experiment.

Is Spa any cheaper? If I recall correctly, Brooks got hacked off and refused to supply them with saddles when Spa launched their own saddle range. I assume Spa have now decided to stock a rival bar tape product.

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b0s126p2809

As for the original post, I use gloves, or wider tyres run at lower pressure (but not all frames will take wider tyres)

 

[RichardB]

Is Spa any cheaper? If I recall correctly, Brooks got hacked off and refused to supply them with saddles when Spa launched their own saddle range. I assume Spa have now decided to stock a rival bar tape product.

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b0s126p2809

As for the original post, I use gloves, or wider tyres run at lower pressure (but not all frames will take wider tyres)

That bar tape is certainly a lot cheaper than Brooks. I must say I quite like the idea - a bit of retro style, although not in the wet perhaps.