Fabric Hex Handlebar Tape

You can't beat a top quality bar tape to finish off a bike build and the new Hex tape from component and accessories company Fabric certainly provides that. It looks good and feels good too.

The popularity of these rubber style bar tapes has been increasing rapidly over the last few years mostly because they offer a longer lifespan and better grip than cork or foam alternatives. A lot of them are reusable, including the Fabric Hex tape, which is handy if you've got to do a cable change or something before the tape has worn out.

The Hex, as Fabric describes it, is 'constructed from a rubberised foam with a layer of silicone gel for shock absorption.'

This means that you get a tape that is very grippy in both the wet and dry by being ever so slightly tacky. It's also ideal for riders like me who don't wear gloves – tan lines innit.

The silicone gel provides a very effective cushion against the vibrations and bumps that travel up from the road, without being overly thick or needing the likes of extra gel pads to be stuck beneath.

Fitting is easy as each roll has plenty of material on it; easily enough to cover the widest of road bars while still providing a decent overlap.

The natural stretch in the tape means you can really follow the contours of the handlebars and shifter bodies without any unsightly bumps or creases. Because there's no adhesive on the back you can keep undoing it and re-wrapping until you're happy.

In the pack you get two rolls of tape, two strips of finishing tape and a couple of expandable bar plugs that tighten with a 3mm Allen key. I'm a fan of these as once in they stay secure, plus you don't have to be quite so specific about how much tape overlap you've left.

You can get bar tape for a few quid from various outlets so what would make you spend twenty pounds on the Fabric Hex? Well you've got the reasons I mentioned above plus the fact the Fabric is as good as my favourite tape, Supacaz Super Sticky Kush stuff and that can cost at least another £15 or so.

The only thing I'm not a fan of with the Fabric tape, and I'm being super anal about this here, is the fact that the tape is only coloured on the top so when you're looking at the bike from the side you can see little strips of white on each wrap.

As far as durability goes you can't knock the Fabric tape, and another big plus is the fact that it is easily cleanable. Oily marks from messing around with an unshipped chain just washed straight off when I got home.

Overall the Hex tape is grippy, comfortable, good looking and rather good value for money.

Verdict

Easy to fit bar tape with excellent comfort and grip