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| From Crankbased |
The product comes in 3 different thicknesses -- 1.8mm, 2.5mm (my choice), and 3.2mm. I prefer to wear gloves with minimal padding, and I tend to use my road bike for long journeys on the weekend. For the bar tape, I opted for the middle of the road thickness (2.5mm) that would provide some measure of comfort without being overly cushy or thick.
What makes the Lizard Skins tape different from the others is the grippy, almost sticky rubberized feel combined with a slightly cushy feel (at least for the thickness I chose).
After some googling, I found a tutorial on wrapping bars using the figure 8 method that eliminates the need for the "cheater" patch of bar tape for the brake clamp area. Here's one youtube video that shows the process. I think I followed a different video. I like this music though :-)
During the install, I was able to pull the tape taut (careful not to stretch) and ended up with the perfect length of tape to wrap using the figure 8 method.
After a few hundred miles of riding, I think I can say that I really like this tape. It seems to be holding up nice and staying in place. I really like the tactile feel of the tape. The tackiness is confidence inspiring -- providing a measure of security for those moments the bar might be bounced from your grip. The light padding soaks up road vibration. The red color is slightly too light to be a perfect match for my Cervelo, but I like the change from the black tape that was on the bike previously.
I'm giving the Lizard Skins bar tape two thumbs up.
EDIT: October, 2014
Thought I'd post a followup with a few pics after roughly 15 months of use and approximately 5,900 miles. Interesting that if I read this post from the beginning, I see that I replaced the stock Fizik tape at the same time interval (15 months).
As you can see, the top layer has worn off the "high traffic" areas of the bar. You might also note that the stock finishing tape (the little strip that terminates the tape near the stem) is still intact. I thought that this was pretty special, as I've re-wrapped the tape a few times as the tape had shifted out of place from time-to-time. I was able to remove, and re-apply the terminating strip several times and it retained it's "stickyness". I thought this was pretty impressive.
I have -- and continue to -- recommend this tape, although I must admit, I'm planning to try a different product next time around.
