The Epicurean Cyclist

I reviewed a pair of Velo-Orange leather handle bar tape back in November, back when I was in California. It is now four months later and Laura and I have ridden from Long Beach, CA to Austin, TX. We’ve endured one of the wettest winters on record, riding through rain, freezing rain, snow and hail. How did the handlebar tape fare?

After about 4 months of riding in wet, dusty and sandy conditions the tape is still going strong! It has developed a nice dark patina where I ride the most without turning into greyish zombie flesh. The tape has even endured a second wrap without any signs of letting up. I recently changed my brake levers, brake housing and shifter housing while in Austin and undid the tape and re-wrapped it afterwords. There were no signs of the tape coming apart except for some minor fraying of the backing in some areas that can be easily remedied with a pair of scissors.

While crossing the Rio Grande, we hit a week of wet drizzly weather and my handlebars were left uncovered. The tape looked like it was drying out or had some strange deposits on it from the water. When we got into San Antonio, I tracked down some proofhide and applied a few coats and after a few days the leather was supple and had its sheen again (now I’m carrying a small tin of the stuff).

Overall, I am supremely happy with this tape. The dark brown leather ages nicely, still feels good to the bare hands after months of weather and is durable and resilient. Highly recommend!