Joystick Analog Bar Tape

Joystick's new Analog bar tape is a cinch to fit and comfortable to use, with loads of grip in both wet and dry. In fact it's pretty darn good – as long as you're happy to pay top money for tape.

• Pros: Tacky feel for plenty of grip, minimal padding but still comfortable
• Cons: Up there at the top end of price point

Unless it's to keep my hands warm in the winter, I very rarely wear mitts or gloves preferring to do away with another layer between one of my contact points and the bike. Don't even get me started on tan lines either!

For this reason I need a comfortable bar tape but it has to be quite thin; I'm not a massive fan of a lot of bulk from squidgy foam or the like.

This Analog stuff hits the nail on the head with its 2.8mm thickness and firm but slightly compressive material. It's very similar to the likes of the Supacaz Kush bar tape, which just happens to be one of my favourites.

The Analog is pretty soft to the touch and thanks to its compound it has a very slight tackiness to it, which is great for grip in the rain or when you have sweaty palms. The 'tread' helps a little here too.

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In the pack you get two rolls, both of which are just over a metre long so you don't have to be too careful with your wrapping on larger diameter or wider handlebars.

It's really easy to wrap as it's quite pliable and you can really stretch it around the tight bends of the shifter and bar without the need for the little piece of tape that most suppliers include for this job. Joystick doesn't provide any by the way, but if that's the way you wrap your bars then there is plenty of spare on each roll to snip a bit off the ends.

The tape sticks well to the handlebar and it can easily be undone and refitted without damage, something you want from a tape of this price.

To finish things off neatly you get bar end plugs with a hex bolt fitted to adjust the tension and clamp the bar tape inside the bar. It always gives a much nicer finish in my opinion than the push fit options.

So... let's talk money.

You can pick bar tape for a matter of a few quid and some of it is very good. If you spend a lot of hours on the bike then it's worth investing a little more, even if it's not just for comfort's sake but wear and tear. A tape like the Analog will stay looking fresher for a lot longer, too – and it comes in various colours.

At £31 it's about one of the most expensive bar tapes out there, up with the aforementioned Supacaz which you can pick up for around £30 on the internet. Lizard Skins DSP tape is another of my favourites and one that I'll happily drop around £30 on.

The Joystick Analog tape is easily as good a performer as both of these, and for those of you who are happy to pay for it then it is a good investment.

Verdict

Priced at the high end of the market but justified by its performance