After a summer aboard my Parlee, the white bar tape is beginning to tired and ragged, with frayed sections beginning to show and the once gleaming white a now murky very much off-white.

So now, more than ever, seems a good time to strip the old tape off and wrap on some gleaming new tape. Though I won’t be riding this bike through the rain (I don’t like getting wet) I’ve opted for some more practical black tape so any dirt won’t show. Should do the job until next summer when the white bar tape can come out again for that essential PRO look.

Arundel’s Gecko bar tape has stood the test of time well, but beginning to look a little tatty now

I’m choosing Prologo’s new Doubletouch bar tape for this job, in black of course, to replace the worn tape. This Doubletouch tape is really interesting stuff. Prologo claim it’s the first double thickness tape, being thin at one end where it is wrapped around the drops for ultimate control when sprinting, with gel padding starting halfway along ready to wrap along the tops for added comfort. Sounds good.

I’m going to use Prologo’s new Touch Doubletouch tape. The box includes a generous length of tape, nifty bar plugs and spare bits of tape for behind the hoods

I’ll spare the details of how to install bar tape, for that a read of this article will endow you with all the knowledge you need for fitting bar tape perfectly. Needless to say, the Prologo tape went on like a dream, with a decent amount of stretch in it to get a nice taut fit. It was generous in its length too. The nicest aspect of this tape, and which sets it apart from other tapes, are the nifty bar plugs, which feature an Allen bolt to tighten the plugs into place.

First impressions of the tape are good. It’s much more tactile and soft to the touch than the Arundel tape, and the gel inserts on the tops give a noticeable increase in vibration damping compared to before. I usually prefer thin tape for increased feel, and the Prologo strikes a good compromise by being relatively slim on the tops, despite that gel, and properly thin on the drops. A more in-depth review will follow once some miles have been logged.

And hey presto, as good as new. That’ll do fine until next spring when some white bar tape will no doubt be put on

The supplied bar plugs feature a screw that tightens the plug into place…	…a logo-ed cover clicks into place over the top

Prologo Doubletouch tape costs £12.99 and is available from Zyro.co.uk. Available in white, blue, red, grey and black colours.

Full review soon…