Forte Grip-Tec 2 Handlebar Tape (Black)

Honestly, I had fairly low expectations for a $20 roll of tape that, first, wasn't cork; second, was not overly cushioned; third, actually maintained its grippiness for the long haul, much less when wet and dirty.

Compared to so much other product designed for road/gravel this was cheeeeeap!

Well, 8 months in and 800 miles of urban assault & gravel later I still love this stuff as much as the day I wrapped it on. It hasn't seemed to wear down much, still has spring when you press down on it, and hasn't moved around a bit.

It is a bit tricky to tuck into the bar ends and plug, like all the rubberized tape I've wrapped, so I just used some primo-looking, anodized Pro bar ends that swadge into the bar.

I wrapped the bars a few days ago, and have ridden with this new tape for about 70 miles. It feels great, but the two rolls of tape should have been about 2 inches longer. I prefer having the wrapping overlap to be slightly tighter and this was not possible due to the inadequate length of the rolls.

I'd probably give it 5 stars once in use for awhile, but I just installed it yesterday. First impressions are that it's a great product, at any price, and an even better value. Solid quality and enough thickness for Gravel or Road applications where some extra "give" is desired.

My DIY install went pretty well. I've put on bar tape maybe 6 times before, and this one went on pretty well. It has stayed in place through about 1000 miles.

It looks good. What more could you ask from black textured bar tape.

Ordering another one for another bike.