Supacaz Bar Tape Review

I got some Supacaz bar tape on the recommendation of a local bike shop. The first time I didn't bother to look at the price, because pretty much all bar tape is like $15-25 right? Wrong. This stuff is like $40. So I've got some high expectations for how it'll perform.

I got the blue kush stuff. It's good. A little softer than Lizard Skins, a bit easier to work with. Nice and comfortable. Not worth $40. Not more comfortable than Lizard Skins, as they make a thicker tape that makes the tape comfier overall. It's a pass, but in the "don't buy this" sense, not the "replace it immediately" sense. At $30 it'd be competing with Lizard Skins, but at $40 it's just.. kinda stupid. Oh well.

I was blinging out my commuter bike, because why not? I had some oil slick bolts I wanted to use, and when I was thinking about bar tape, the LBS suggested Supacaz Bling Tape in oil slick, along with an oil slick top bolt. Cool.


I had them install it, and, well, it's $45, so it's even more expensive. $45 bar tape better be absolutely amazing.

It's not. It looks cool, for sure, but it feels like garbage. Like trash bags, or condoms, or some similar material. It's not particularly thick, or soft, so it's just awful. The feel is 100% "replace immediately" bad. I've basically never had an experience so bad with this tape - between it and the Woodchipper handlebars, I really disliked the feel of riding the bike. I tossed the tape in the trash after maybe 100 miles.

It now has blessed Salsa Cowchipper bars and Salsa gel cork tape, which feels immensely better, so I actually enjoy the bike now.

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