Easton Foam Bar Tape

Easton's Foam Bar Tape is simple, can be wrapped with good tension, and cleans up well. Re-wrapping isn't great as the sticky backing strip tears any tape that is underneath it. A good budget bar tape option.

• Pros: Easy to wrap; handles good wrap tension; decent bar end plugs
• Cons: Grip isn't great; not the best for re-wrapping

Easton's Foam Bar Tape joins a long list of options around this price point, all offering a comfortable amount of padding and a range of colours. Easton's version is a pretty good choice that can certainly handle plenty of tension while wrapping. It is, though, quick to tear if you try to re-wrap, and it lacks the grip of others.

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Wrapping this was super-simple, especially compared to some of the expensive tapes that I've had recently. The good amount of stretch in the tape certainly helps with this. It allows you to add cushioning in certain places, and then thin the tape out a bit around the shifters where less bulk is needed. The result is a tidy finish that is easy to achieve quickly.

The bar end plugs look basic but they work well and hold the tape in securely. There are two strips of extra tape that some use for covering the shifter clamp, but I prefer the figure of eight method, so these went unused. The finishing tape is good but a roll of electrical tape will do the job better with a few extra wraps for a secure hold.

Out on the road the tape provides good comfort with decent vibration damping. The amount of comfort that you get really depends on how tight you wrap the tape. I found that a moderate tension provided good results.

Grip with dry hands is good and I liked the feel with and without gloves. When the tape gets wet, it's not the best and I was really missing the grip of the Supacaz Super Sticky tape that this replaced.

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The wear rate seems to be very good. A month since installing the tape and there's no real sign that it has been used.

There are plenty of options down around the £10 mark. Cinelli's Cork tape (£10.99) is a classic option and one that I've used many times. I prefer the wet weather grip that it offers, but it's very similar in all other performance aspects.

All in, this is a good budget bar tape option if you're after comfort, easy wrapping and a decent life span. It looks smart, performs well and doesn't break the bank. My only gripe is the wet weather grip.

Verdict

Cheap, easy to wrap and looks good, not the best for re-wraps, though, or wet weather grip