Selle SMP Bar Tape Grip for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

Strong, soft with just the right amount of tackiness and absorption. Feels great to the touch. Not slippery or sticky. Looks premium too.

I agree with the other reviewer, sticky backing came off when I tried to peel the protective paper. I have been installing bar tape for over 30 years and have never had one rip while installing, until this tape. Left side ripped as I was working the flats between the lever and the stem. Would not recommend and would not buy again.

I feel that bar tape is relatively straight forward, and I do think this tape would have been nice if it had functioned correctly. However, when I tried to install it the adhesive peeled off with it's backing, something that happens sometimes after it's installed. The fact that it came off before usually means it was old. In the end, I returned it.

I'm a 62 year old recreational cyclist, and I've done all of my own bicycle assembly and maintenance for the last 42 years. I generally do rides of 80-100 miles during the summer. For years I've been using older style handlebar tape like Bike Ribbon "Pro" tape, which is fairly stretchy but only provides a moderate amount of padding. My purchase of the Selle SMP Grip tape is my first use of a modern tape. I've been using the Selle SMP Glider seat since 2007, so I expect high quality from SMP products. The SMP Grip tape did not disappoint; it is a very nice product. I think that the SMP tape is similar to the Lizard Skin and Supacaz tapes. Like those other tapes, the SMP tape is a 2-layer product, and is not very stretchy. Based on Competitive Cyclist reviews on those other tapes, during installation I avoided stretching the SMP tape to prevent tearing the outside layer and thus degrading the tape's service life. So, for the longer parts of the wrap, I had to fold the excess tape flat so that it would lie smooth and then be easily covered by the next turn of the wrap. I can still see some hints (dimples / shadows) of those creases in a few locations along the bars. Nonetheless, the appearance of the installed tape is attractive. I've ridden a couple of 50 mile rides on the SMP tape. Overall, the tape is quite comfortable and grippy. It's a distinct improvement over my older tape. The stamped pattern in the SMP tape is evocative of car tire tread and provides a good grip. The SMP logos are small and discreet. I was able to wrap my 42 cm c-c long reach handlebars well enough. For long reach bars of 44 cm c-c or wider, some additional tape length might help, but for standard reach bars up to 44 cm c-c the tape length is adequate. I would buy the SMP tape again. The SMP performance (comfort and grip) is quite good, and is a distinct improvement over the Bike Ribbon tape I've been using.