Fitting the new SRAM Red 2012 to the trusty Test Rig involved one of our favorite little jobs on a bike: wrapping the Easton EA70 bars in some fresh tape.
They are normally encased in comfortable PRO tape, which provides good shock absorption and excellent grip. However, a change was required, and the ‘controversially’ white wrap has been removed. The dispatch fairies at Velobrands had fortunately thrown a couple of different bar tape options into a delivery of test kit to RCUK Towers, so we set to work.
The Rouleur wrap is cork base with a gel padding. Priced at a penny under £12, it claims to offer excellent all weather grip and no colour fade. Out of the box, it feels pretty thick and in that regard similar to the PRO tape, but with small flakes of cork within the self adhesive strip. In spite of the current red striped Vredestein tyres that are on the Test Rig, or maybe because of the tyres, we popped the neatly rolled replacements back into their box to use on the forthcoming winter build.
Instead we used the Grip Wrap. Slightly more expensive at £14.99, Grip Wrap has a textured surface that should increase grip in the current rainy season, and the no doubt inclement future weather. Again, the tape is self adhesive and gel padded, feeling thick out of the box and even when stretched sufficiently tight over the bars retained a good degree of squishiness under hand.
The tape was certainly strong, and wrapped well, gripping pretty tightly to itself as we spiralled it up the handlebar. We finished the wrap with a three winds of green electrical tape, for which you will have to forgive us, but some may consider fetching.
So far the tape is holding up well, offering great grip in some torrential rain, and over one of the usual 80 mile test routes, we remained free of hand fatigue or numbness.
With or without gloves the tape performed well. The soft grip bobbles comfortable in the palm when wet or dry. The textured black tape matched the hoods of the SRAM Red levers rather well. All in all and excellent finishing touch to the Test Rig.
