I just installed Surly Truck Stop bars for a tiny bit of rise and needed new tape to install tomorrow so I can ride. I needed to add $5 to my cart to get "same day prime" shipping with the bar tape I use. I've always wondered about gel liners under my tape, but have heard mixed reviews. Just curious if any of you goons feel a noticeable difference with such a product?
I actually picked up 2 pairs to see if I can fit a bit of it under the hoods where I rest my hands/wrists, but don't think I'd be able to fit it properly. So just may use along the top bar somehow.
And I am not a fan of the 4-5 mm gravel grip, I wanted to like the wolf tooth supple so much, but it didn't feel natural
To me, I'm more old school I guess
by eta_carinae17
9 Comments
I use gel pads on all of my drop bar bikes, and on my alt bar bike.
I like it. I feel like it leads to a bit less hand fatigue for me, and I like how it makes the overall feel of the bars a bit “fatter.”
The folks I know that have tried it loved it…at first. Down the road (pun!), weather, rain, sweat, grime, and even grip torque on the bars had a tendency to cause the gel to slip around as the adhesive broke down and in many cases just get less “gel-like” and more just squishy and gooey like. The wolf tooth supple was their next try and while it worked better, it’s a bonded gel pad like tape that would delaminate and become unsightly and useless. Know you didn’t like the wolf tooth, I’m just putting that out there if you do decide to try it when these pads ultimately fail.
I use the Fizik version on my road and gravel bikes
I tried these and they were meh… It felt like holding your handlebar through a pad made of jelly. It felt like I didn’t have as much control over my bike anymore. Not much damping, either.
Ended up double-wrapping select parts of my cockpit (cheap neoprene foam bar tape underneath nice Fizik Endurance tape), that felt much better.
Have it on my gravelbike because I like it when the drops are thicker
I double wrap my bars on the drops up to the levers. I do a super tight wrap of cheap/old gelcork tape and then a regular wrap overtop. Gives them good thickness without the gooeyness of straight up gel stuff.
I use these pads on my road bike and my gravel bike and they provide a nice shape to grip on. One thing I would say is that you shouldn’t combine it with a thick grip tape because that makes the handlebars almost as thick as a tennis racket grip.
I simply use old tape. Somehow it is uncommon thing, while You can literally sculpture anything under bar tape. I started by mimicking curve that Ritchie does on Venturemax handlebars. It totally works for me.
I just cut old bar tape in small pieces and apply it not along but across the drops. You can create pretty anatomically individual forms.
I use non gel type padding from Ergon. I like it and I do not have to deal with gel all over my handle bars when the eventually burst