Brooks Leather handlebar tape

Brooks' leather bar tape has appeal beyond retro builds and classic bikes, thanks to its longevity and good looks, but it's not the comfiest bar tape around, or the cheapest.

At £40 (a bit less if you shop around), you expect some quality tape and that's what you get, crafted from leather and perforated with an adhesive tape backing. There's also some nice cloth strips to replace the more usual insulating tape and some cork bar-end plugs too.

It's not the most flexible tape so it's a bit of a pain to fit but once it's there it stays put and looks lovely, acquiring that nice leathery patina over time. It does absorb a lot of water when wet, but it doesn't affect the level of grip, which is okay but not up to modern synthetic levels. Nor is the comfort level; it's quite a hard tape and if you like a lot of cushioning it's not the one for you.

The most appealing aspect of the tape is its longevity. I've had this tape on three bikes, over the course of six months now - not something you can do with most synthetic tapes which would rip. It's as good as new; better than new, in fact, because it looks nicer now than it did straight out of the box. Keep it on one steed and it should last for ever, basically. If you want reliability and a classic look, and you're prepared to spend the cash, it's an obvious choice - I really like it. Gilles Berthoud and Cinelli both make leather tape too, but you'll be paying even more for those, especially the (admittedly very classy) Cinelli Imperial which is much thicker and which has comfort very much to the fore. But if you just want good bar tape then synthetic alternatives are cheaper and comfier.

Verdict

High quality bar tape that looks good and lasts for ever, but not the comfiest