Silca Nastro Fiore Bar Tape

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?

Silca says: "NASTRO FIORE is a 2.5mm thick tape that provides cushioning and comfort equivalent to 3.2mm tapes of existing technologies. FIORE has a moderate texture, high tackiness, and printed silicone graphics which adds comfort and grip in both wet and dusty conditions.

"Inspired by advancements in running shoe foam and F1 tires as well as our own research into rolling efficiency, impedance and damping, we realized that new materials technology could allow for a significant improvement in bar tape. Using a laminate of SILCAthane, SILCAlon and 3M Visco-elastic adhesive instead of a single foam extrusion, the tape can be optimized across a range of desired features. The resulting tape has a softer, more comfortable feel, higher wet and dry grip, better vibration isolation, and 3-5x the durability of existing tape materials. Since the actual wrap of the tape can be as important as the tape itself, we've also developed a full adhesive backed 'butterfly' to better cover the back of the lever clamp area without adding bulk, a high grip finishing tape and expanding aluminum/composite end plugs to ensure every detail is perfect.Who's it for?

"NASTRO FIORE is for the detail oriented cyclist looking for additional comfort without the additional bulk commonly associated with thick bar tapes. Fiore also adds a subtle color pop through contrasting high grip silicone printing, as well as the Butterfly clamp wrap for perfect bar taping every time."

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

From Silca:

SPECIFICATIONS:

Ultra Performance 2.5mm thick Tri-Laminate design delivers equivalent cushioning to 3.2mm tapes

Debossed FIORE pattern plus embossed FIORE silicone printing for improved grip and cushioning

Aluminum expanding bar-end plug

PU finishing tape

Butterfly shaped brake clamp cover

There's no doubt that this is good quality kit, but the very sticky feel, lack of stretch and the thickness combine to make it hard to wrap. Once on, it stood up to some rough handling both during fitting and riding! The bar end plugs are excellent, as is the finishing tape for the other end which is probably the first time I've found one worth using.

It's a comfortable tape with high levels of grip – people who move their hands around a lot may even find this a bit much.

As bar tapes go, the Silca Fiore should last well, given the quality of the materials and the tough finish. It also cleans up well.

This suited me very well, though my hands don't seem to object to anything much.

Ouch, price-wise. Though it does do a great job once wrapped.

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

As Silca claims, it's a good comfortable bar wrap that's not overly bulky. It stayed in place well and gave a confident grip. All this depends on you being able to fit it well in the first place.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Good quality, secure grip and durable.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Fitting, fitting and fitting. And the price.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Supacaz's Super Sticky Kush tape retails at a little less, but is available readily online at a discount. It's a remarkably similar product in a wider range of finishes.

Use this box to explain your overall score

In use, I found it both comfortable and grippy, if a little squeaky. Getting it onto the bike is another matter. Ask a shop mechanic to do it. But don't ask me. Once on it should stay looking good, but marks are knocked off for the high price and difficulty of fitting.