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Radial Cycles Radial gel bar tape - black
Radial Cycles' Grippy bar tape gives you pretty much everything you might expect from a £20 bar tape for a tenner. It's great.
The tape itself is polyurethane, with a diamond-textured finish that gives excellent levels of grip in the wet and the dry. It's pretty stretchy, which makes it easy to apply, and the edges are tapered to give a smooth finish. Running along the back of the tape there's a generous gel strip, which also acts as the adhesive to keep the tape in place.
Once the tape is on it stays firmly put and the level of cushioning you get is excellent. I swapped some standard Deda cork tape out for the Radial tape and the difference is immediately noticeable. It's much plusher and grippier too. A 185cm roll was just enough for my 44cm wide bars; I was close wrapping around the shoulder to give a bit of extra comfort when you're on the hoods so if you were more sparing there you'd have plenty for even wider. You'll need to cut off a bit to cover the shifter band as the tape doesn't come with a strip for that. It does come with finishing tape to seal the wrap, but it's not as effective as normal insulating tape.
Overall, it's excellent. Standard cork tape will cost you eight quid and this stuff is miles better for hardly any more. It's as good as many tapes that cost twice as much. Providing you don't want a snazzy colour (black, white and grey are your options) it's definitely one to recommend.
Verdict
Great bar tape that's easy to fit, comfortable and cheap
road.cc test report
Make and model: Radial Cycles Grippy bar tape
Size tested: Black/white , length 185cm, width 3cm
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Our Grippy bar tape is adapted to endure whatever the elements can throw at it. It has a PU base making it as water resistant as possible, combined with an all over textured surface ensuring a great grip even in wet conditions. This tape is perfect for every sort of cycling, from a summer spin through to those deep winter training slogs.
Benefiting from an additional layer of shock absorbing gel which helps reduce impacts and vibrations, this handlebar tape is perfect for when the road gets rough. The gel acts as an adhesive backing and the tape has tapered edges to ensure a flush, professional finish. Available in black, grey or white to suit your bike's style.
Supplied with 2 bar ends and 2 strips of finishing tape
Features:
Features: Gel
Suitable for: All weathers
Length: 185cm
Width: 3cm
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Extremely well.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Easy to fit, really comfortable, grippy, cheap.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.
Would you consider buying the product? Yes.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.
About the tester
Age: 42 Height: 189cm Weight: 91kg
I usually ride: whatever I'm testing... My best bike is: Kinesis Tripster ATR
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track
Dave is a founding father of road.cc and responsible for kicking the server when it breaks. In a previous life he was a graphic designer but he's also a three-time Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling world champion, and remains unbeaten through the bog. Dave rides all sorts of bikes but tends to prefer metal ones. He's getting old is why.
9 comments
Is it washable, in that it comes up clean? ie White cork is a waste of money but white fizik actually lasts and stays white.
Right, I'm holding you to this review as I've just ordered some. It will, in all likelihood, be better than the bog standard Decathlon tape on my current bike!
Delivery seems to be a fiver which makse it rather less good value.
Just bought some and delivery was free.
Did you spend more than 25 quid ?
No just the £10 bar tape
Oh, it says on the website delivery is a fiver for everything under 25 quid.
Tremendous tape. I bought 2 sets. I have lizard skins on one of my bikes, and I think this stuff more than measures up, grip is the same, comfort is better. 2 sets for less money than a single set of lizard skins. And its 3.5mm thick too
This looks very much like the Zipp Service Course CX which is good tape. Be even better if I didn't keep having accidents and ripping it to shreds.