Silca launches comfort-focused bar tape without the bulk

Silca is best known for making high-quality and very expensive pumps, tools and accessories but it has now branched out into offering bar tape. Its Nastro Fiore and Nastro Piloti tapes utilise running shoe technology to offer more cushioning with less bulk than other tapes.

Nastro Fiore is 2.5mm thick tape which is claimed to offer the same cushioning comfort as 3.2mm tape, and Nastro Piloti is 1.85mm thick and equivalent to 2.5mm tape. Nastro, in case you’re wondering, is Italian for tape.

Silca says it looked to the latest research in running shoes and F1 tyres to develop its own three-layer laminate which offers increased levels of cushioning and comfort from a thinner tape, which sounds perfect if like me you prefer a thinner grip for extra feel and control, or you just have small hands.

The result of the new materials, borrowed from advancements by running shoe companies, leads to a bar tape that is 10-15% softer than most foam bar tapes whilst also offering 10-15% higher rebound rates. What that means is more comfort as vibrations aren’t being transmitted to your body.

The thicker Nastro Fiore tape uses a new three-layer laminate comprised of materials dubbed, SILCAthane, a thermoplastic polyurethane outer, and SILCAlon, which is the foam cushioning, and finally a  3M Visco-elastic adhesive.

“The tape improves on existing materials, offering a softer, more comfortable feel, higher grip in wet and dry, better vibration isolation, and 3-5x the durability,” explains the company.

To improve the ease of wrapping tape around the handlebar hoods, Silca has developed an adhesive-backed “butterfly” to better cover the back of the lever clamp area without adding bulk. Each tape kit comes with expanding aluminium/composite bar end plugs.

The thinner Nastro Piloti tape lets you tune the grip level depending on the direction of the wrap.

Nastro Fiore costs $44 and comes in Black w/white floral pattern, Black w/neon yellow floral pattern, White w/black floral pattern colours. Nastro Piloti costs $40 and comes in Black, white, red.

As spring is here it’s a good time of year to freshen your bike with some new bar tape, so we’ve got a roll of this new tape winging its way to us soon to review.

More at https://silca.cc/