Salsa is a great priced, good quality bar tape. It lasts quite a while, stretches nicely for easy bar wrapping, and looks sharp. I like the feel on my touring bike (also used for around town) as it is really comfy with nice padding. I live in the PNW, so rain is a consideration - and it is comparable to other cork tapes when wet.
Orange really sticks out and matches the accents on my bike! Wrap is forgiving allow multiple wrap attempts to get it right. Tape is lightweight & thick cushioned which kills bumpy road chatter, no need for overwrapping bars with this tape.
When tape gets dirty a little soap & medium stiff brush has tape looking nearly new again!
Picked up the Handlebar tape for my road bike. The Orange Color is very bright and easy to spot. This has more comfort than some of the other Tapes I've used in the past. More cushion for bumpy roads. Only been using a few weeks but its holding up well during the first 100 miles.
I got the dark brown, which looks good with my forest green Surly, but there is a a problem applying it. It streches enough but the backing is not sticky enough to hold it in place. I used adhesive on both ends of it; I hope that was enough. If they fixed that, I'd give it my full recommendation, but not as it is now.
Very happy that BTD is now carrying this tape. I haven't wrapped bars in a long time, but this tape went on easily (plenty of stretch without tearing, easy to redo if you don't get it quite right). There appears to be plenty of length if you need it for wider bars (mine are 40cm and I had quite a bit left over). It looks good with the embossed logos, and is easy on the hands. I don't know yet how easy it is to clean (I have the brown, which probably doesn't show dirt as much).
I have been using gel cork bar tape for many years. It's easy to keep good tension on the tape during installation. The tape lays flat without wrinkling. The cushioning is good for vibration absorption without being overly thick.
Installing bar tape is not my forte. This tape is most likely the easiest to wrap (if you are a bar tape nerd like me). It stretches a lot, although don't test it's limits as it can tear. I had about 4 inches left over when I reached the top of my 44 bars. And I wrapped it fairly thick. I have arthritis in my right hand and gel tape helps take out the road shock. It has a great feel to it in dry or wet weather. Long lasting, but if you pull it off and on a couple of times it will crimp up like a wet noodle. Just install it and leave it be. Like I said good stuff and great price here at BDT.
I bought the dark brown, and I bought it for the looks. Looks like cork, or leather. Mates well with the color scheme of my bike. I have an old Schwann Le Tour in a dark blue. The dark brown goes great with the dark blue, and my dark brown leather saddle. This was my first time ever retaping a set of handlebars, and was happy with the results-videos on YouTube. Tape is comfortable to ride with, and is a good vibration dampner. Would recommend.
Salsa Gel Cork Handlebar tap is top quality. I am on the bars for over 5k miles a year in all types of weather. I haven't found a more durable bar tape. The black can sometime be difficult to fine but BTD always seems to have it in stock with only about a week delay.
I like the soft feel of this tape. This is the second time I have purchased it. It may be because I didn't do the wrap so well the first time, but the tape did move and the edges rounded up. I paid much closer attention to spiral direction and pitch of the spiral. Hopefully, this will help is stay in place better this time.
