Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Vel Snake Tape

7
£15.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Comfortable bar tape for those who don't like a lot of bulk, but can be a little slippy when wet/sweaty without gloves on
Weight: 
68g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

Vel's Snake handlebar tape is a decent performer for not a lot of money. It's easy to fit and even with minimal padding it offers plenty of comfort, although it could do with being a bit more grippy against sweaty hands.

  • Pro: Enough stretch for easy fitment, soft to the touch
  • Cons: Slippery when wet

Unless it's cold I rarely wear gloves or mitts on the bike, so I like a good bar tape. I want comfort but for that to come more from the material used than the padding; I'm not a big fan of a bulky handlebar.

> Find your nearest dealer here

The Snake is a good compromise in that respect with its rubber type texture deforming enough for a soft feeling without being very thick. It has a much nicer feel to it than something like the similarly priced Pro Microfibre tape or a traditional cork offering.

The material, which Vel describes as a Dura polymer, has a nice stretchiness to aid fitting. To get around the tight bends of the handlebar and around the brake/gear shifter unit you need a little bit of give to get a nice tight wrap without it snapping. You don't get any creases in the tape at the bend either.

Grip levels are fine in the dry, but in the recent hot weather I did have a few slippages from sweaty palms if I hit a rough section of road. Even though the Snake has a pattern to it, it is still basically a smooth, firm finish and I've had the same grip issues with other other similar tapes.

Wearing gloves sorted this out and in the rain too, so if you're a mitts wearer it's not really an issue, although I'd still say the tape could do with a little bit more tackiness, like the Supacaz Kush tape that I have fitted to my bikes, though admittedly the Kush is over double the price.

The Vel uses a sticky double sided tape to hold it in place and it works well enough. It stuck to the back of the bar tape when I was removing the backing, and you can unwrap the Snake from the handlebar a few times while you are fitting it if the spacing doesn't go quite right. It's too early to say if it'll leave the sticky tape behind if you were to remove it after a few months' use.

> Step by step: How to fit handlebar tape

I prefer a tape that doesn't use any adhesive on the back as you can fettle it, plus if you have to change a cable the tape won't need replacing.

The Snake is available in black, blue, yellow, red, white and grey, with each priced at £15.99, which I'd say is pretty competitive. Fizik's Performance bar tape is a good quality offering that I've used on various test bikes over the years and costs £16.99, plus there's the Pro Microfibre I talked about earlier, now £19.99.

Verdict

Comfortable bar tape for those who don't like a lot of bulk, but can be a little slippy when wet/sweaty without gloves on

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Vel Snake Tape

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for

The Vel Snake is designed for drop handlebars and is comfortable enough to be used for both on and off-road riding.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Vel:

Dura polymer tape provides superior grip and comfort in all conditions

Neutralises vibration

Adhesive backing for a reliable non-slip fit

Includes finishing strips and VEL end plugs

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

A minimalist bar tape that still offers plenty of comfort.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Easy to fit.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

I'd like a tackier surface.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

A decent compromise of comfort and padding makes for an enjoyable ride, plus the Snake is easy to fit, all at a fair price.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 39  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

Latest Comments