Looking to change my bar tape on my road bike. Haven’t done it before and wondering whether the different tape options are much of a muchness, or whether I should be looking for a particular type. What’s recommended for what situation?

Also, going to be applying it myself for the first time. Any top tips or weblinks to show me how to do it?

Specialized S Cork.

Parks tools has a decent tutorial.

but lots of options – key is neatness and getting the wrap the right way do your hand naturally are trying to tighten it rather than loosen it.

noticed on contadors vuelta – he had a double wrap for comfort. I put gel inserts under my tape.

I like Fizik Microtex – although I’m still looking for a tape that’s a perfect match to Brooks Honey Brown (disregarding the actual Brooks tape obviously!)

My tip for putting the tape on for the first time would be to carefully take note when you take your old tape off (take pics on your phone if required) then just replicate that. I would re-wrap the old tape a couple of times until you get the hang of it.

As above, Park Tools webby. Plenty of videos on Youtube too.

My shortlist was the Fizik Microtex or Lizard Skins DSP. Chose the Fizik in the end, since it’s pretty cheap in comparison, in case it all went wonky, or snapped.

Bottom to the top, inside of the bars to outside (so clockwise on the RHS, anticlockwise on the LHS). Use electrical tape when you finish and trim to get a nice straight edge,. you will probably have to unwind the top of the bar once to get a good finish, don’t overlap too much or you will run out of tape.

Tape is much of a muchness really, probably not worth paying more than £15 per set. Specialized is good,as mentioned. Avoid white.

Tips are to put it on a radiator to make it more supple before applying, and pull it pretty tight otherwise it unravells itself

I really rate the Cinelli bar tape, avoid the jelly stuff though, its a bit weird (comfy though). Take your time, it’s an easy enough job, but it takes a few goes to get it right. If the tape comes with a sticky back to it then it’s more important to get it right first time, so it might be worth practising with the old tape a couple of times first. The hardest part to get right is around the brake hoods. A couple of different ways to do it, so have a read of the park tools blog and go from there. Good luck!

I’d never done it before last week when i had to build up and prep a new lapierre road bike for a customer, with pristine white bar tape….Gawd!…with my filthy mechanics fingers?, so on went the latex gloves.

1st attempt i wound it on to tight around the brake hoods and it snapped – Doh!, 2nd attempt i wound it round the bendy bar bit too many times and ran out of tape to cover the top of the bars – Doh!, 3rd time i nailed it!, i was well chuffed as i managed to get both sides looking pretty much equal and with the correct wrap. One bit of advice i’d give is to buy some cheapy stuff to start with as you will need to practice before moving onto the expensive tape, and give the bar a wipe down with degreaser/isopropyl alcohol beforehand so the tape sticks sufficiently…and don’t use white tape……stupid idea for bar tape as it’ll look crap after one ride.

Fizik microtex is marvellous. It’s thin with little padding, which is the way I like it 🙂 For road & cx.

It cleans up incredibly well, grips very well in the wet, and is very strong stuff so I’d be amazed if you break it whilst installing.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXL7FY0N0ks[/video]

If you get gel pads, fix them in place with a couple of twirls of electrical tape before you start with the bar tape itself.

Fizik Microtex here too.

fizik vid is good as it shows good method round hoods so you hands (in use gripping the bars) are always tightening the tape on the drops and when on the tops.

Liking the Cinelli Cork, a bit more cush than the Fizik. Fitted it for the first time, much easier than I thought and more or less right first time, perhaps not as neat as a pro job but functionally all good. I used the Park Tools vid to help me.

Lizard Skins DSP.

Really comfy and grippy as **** even when wet.

Not the cheapest though, certainly the best………………………….imho of course 😳