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review
Bar tape & grips
Fizik Microtex Dual bar tapeFizik Microtex dual tape

Fizik Microtex Dual bar tape

8
by dave atkinson
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published May 12, 2010

2
£12.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Comfy, durable and classy tape. A bit of a pain to fit, but looks great once it's on.
Weight: 
0g
Contact: 
www.fizik.com
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Fizik's Microtek Dual bar tape adds a touch of class to your cockpit with neat stitched detailing and a two-tone effect. You'll need to put some work in to fitting it but once on it's durable and comfy.

In the box you get the usual two lengths of tape, short finishing sections for behind the levers, tape and bar-end plugs. The tape is self-adhesive – though not very – and nicely padded, but one thing it isn't is flexible. You really need to be firm when you're fitting it to make sure it goes on nice and snug, beyond the point where you'd be snapping a normal tape and swearing at it. The striped design means you have to be a lot more careful to keep the wrap spacing even too, which is kind of annoying but also good practice.

Fizik microtek tape fitted

 

Anyway, once it's on it's grippy and comfortable and it looks very classy. It's pretty tough too, resisting scuffs well. It's a bit more absorbent than a standard tape in the rain but on the other hand grip isn't affected so much by its being wet. All in all it's a good product; it's not a cheap option but definitely one to look at for your good bike.

Verdict

Comfy, durable and classy tape. A bit of a pain to fit, but looks great once it's on.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Fizik Microtex Dual bar tape

Size tested: red/black

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes, after I'd fitted it

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 190cm  Weight: 96kg

I usually ride: whatever I\\\'m testing...  My best bike is: Genesis Equilibrium with Ultegra 6700

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

Microtek
Fizik
Bar tape
Dave Atkinson

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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2 comments

Avatar
TeamExtreme | 12 years ago
0 likes

Classy?! Are you kidding me?! That looks bloody awful, I wouldn't put that on my bike if Fizik paid me!

I find you can always tell how much a rider cares for their bike by looking at how well their bars are wrapped. I don't care what spec someone's bike is, or how clean they keep it (bikes are meant to be ridden, even in the dirt if necessary!) but there's no excusing floppy handlebar tape!!!

Avatar
handlebarcam | 14 years ago
0 likes

The old Blue Peter standby, double-sided sticky tape, can be useful when bar tape self-adhesive backing isn't all that adhesive. A bit on the very ends, and underneath the levers, will help. But the more you can stretch the bar tape without it snapping the better it will stand up to creep as you grip it during the first few weeks of use.

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