# Lizard skins bar tape? Reports...



## kdtx (Apr 15, 2009)

Anyone out there try Lizards Skins bar tape? I have a new build and trying to decide on tape. It is made of polymer and looks to be pretty tacky and/or comfortable. 

Please report....

Thanks!


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## stickboy71 (Jul 13, 2005)

It feels good and tacky when dry, but we have had a couple customers complain that it is slick when wet. I've never ridden it so can't say how slick.


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## kermit (Dec 7, 2004)

I've had it on my bike for a couple months now and I love it. I don't often wear gloves cuz I sometimes do that tri thing and the tape stays grippy, like a tennis racquet. The red I got matches the red on my roubaix perfectly and it hasn't faded with numerous rides on the roof to Georgia. I am really happy with it!


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## kdtx (Apr 15, 2009)

stickboy71 said:


> we have had a couple customers complain that it is slick when wet.


That's funny because it contradicts their marketing. 

I think I'll take the plunge on the stuff and see.


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## stickboy71 (Jul 13, 2005)

kdtx said:


> That's funny because it contradicts their marketing.


Yeah, their reps weren't too interested in any feedback we had to offer about it.


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## mtbbmet (Apr 2, 2005)

I posted this a few months back, and also wrote a review on it.

This season I have been trying a new product at the shop. We brought in some/a pile of Lizard Skin DSP bar tape. I figured that if we are gonna push $45can bar tape we should know if it's any good or not. So I have about three months on it now and thus I am able to give an informed opinion. 
This stuff comes in a ton of colors, but I went white cause that just the way I roll. The tape went on very well and you are able to wrap it pretty tight without fear of ripping it. So no issues there. The finishing wrap they include is a bit ghetto, and alot wide, so I just used white electrical tape. The one positive thing I will say is that this tape is super comfy, ultra plush, and stupid grippy. Some people hate all those things in a bar tape, but I like them. This was on my cross/rain bike so those are things I wanted.Now for the negative. 
If you are a weight wennie, avoid at all costs. This stuff is a good 20g heavier than standard cork ribbon. When you pay $100 more on a bar to shave an extra 20g, you don't want to spend another $20 adding it back on in bar tape. 
Clean up is junk. Impossible to keep clean. The tape is textured, which means that dirt grinds it's way into little grooves and holes that you can not possibly rub out. Not an issue if you buy black, or dark tape. But a major problem if you want white, pink, green, or yellow. Cork and Microtex easily win out in this department. 
Longevity is nil. This is the first bar tape that I have worn through, ever. In high use areas, like where the hoods meet the tape, the tape has worn away almost completely. There is another guy on the team using it, and he has wear in the exact same spot.


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## Dinosaur (Jan 29, 2004)

*That says it all for me..*

"Longevity is nil. This is the first bar tape that I have worn through, ever. In high use areas, like where the hoods meet the tape, the tape has worn away almost completely. There is another guy on the team using it, and he has wear in the exact same spot."[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the info. That longevity issue is a big one for me. I was thinking about trying the stuff. Not now. I still like Fizik. I've run the stuff through the washing machine and have swapped it back and forth between two bikes. The Fizik white stays clean.


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## MarvinK (Feb 12, 2002)

I haven't worn mine out yet--and it cleans up really well with citrus cleaner (even the white tape on my cross bike). I've been a long-time Fizik fan, but ever since trying the Lizard Skins I've been migrating to that. I prefer thinner tape on my road racer--so I bought the (lighter and thinner) Race version for that bike. In any case, my favorite tape... followed by the non-soft touch Fizik tape. Mine stays grippy when wet--but I ride without gloves a lot. Maybe certain types of gloves slide around on it?

The finishing tape is really lame.. even on the new Race tape. I use electrical tape.

Here's what mine looked like mid-way through a muddy CX season:


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## sinatee (Sep 21, 2012)

Based on the above I'd buy Lizard. Thanks everyone.


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## heybrady (Jul 3, 2011)

I put it on mid-summer and love it. Very grippy when dry and wet (rode 40+ miles in the rain without issue), and much more cushioning than cork. I would not hesitate to put it on again. BTW it is about $25 at Amazon.

Cant comment on cleanup since I have black tape.


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## champamoore (Jul 30, 2012)

I just put DSP on my ride about two weeks ago, coming from gel cork tape. I find the grip and the cushion factor both to be a bit over-the-top. 

I'm thinking of trying the race version for better road feel next time around, as it looks to have much less surface area to multiply the grippy-ness, and a bit less of the unnecessary cushion.


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## moose82 (Jun 4, 2012)

I'm currently running it and am not a huge fan. When it wears out I'll go back to regular cork tape. It's too cushioned for my taste. No real issues with it, it's just not my preference.


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## sinatee (Sep 21, 2012)

anyone have thoughts on DSP 2.5mm vs 3.2mm thickness?


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## champamoore (Jul 30, 2012)

My strong opinion is to try 1.7 first. ;]


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## Blackbeerthepirate (Apr 26, 2011)

I put the 2.5 on a bike a couple of weeks ago. Pink, unbelievably pink. She's really happy with it. Very cushy. Takes a lot of the vibration away and you can wrap it pretty tight.

I think I'll stick with Microtex.


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## fedrusion (Jul 26, 2010)

put some 2.5 on a couple weeks ago, pretty happy with it so far, I switched to non padded gloves this year and the cushioning is about perfect with this tape which I couldn't get before with padded gloves. Haven't ridden in the rain with it yet so I cant say how slippery it may or may not get, although I think that may have more to do with the gloves than with the tape as I thought my cork tape got pretty slippy with my current glove combo. Durability is yet to be seen, the guys at the shop seem to like it and claim it wears well, I hope so for the added cost over my old tape.


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## dougclaysmith (Oct 17, 2009)

Funny you ask, I just put it on. I rode without gloves today. It can get slick when the sweat starts. Other than that, looks good.


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## horvatht (Feb 27, 2012)

Tried it but it got dirty quick. Replaced it it with fizik tape. This tape stays cleaner. 

By the way the color is white


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## FTR (Sep 20, 2006)

Have used it but went back to Fizik.
I found that it stretched and loosened over only a short period.
This led to it "unravelling" from the bars.
I have wrapped my own bars always and never had this issue with any other tape I have used.


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## FindTheRiver (May 26, 2012)

I've got the 2.5 on my bike right now. I've had it for a few months. The cushioning is excellent, and the thickness is good for my gigantic hands, though I do have the Fizik gel pads underneath it also. It cleans up pretty easily (I use white), but there's something about the feel that's kinda bugging me. It's like a plastic-y thing that I'm not accustomed to (I don't wear gloves usually). Just my personal preference.


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## RRRoubaix (Aug 27, 2008)

So the takeaway from this revived thread is;
Slippery for some, sticky for others.
Cleans up easy for some, not so much for others.
And lots of people don't wear gloves.
Alrighty then...


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## Tschai (Jun 19, 2003)

RRRoubaix said:


> So the takeaway from this revived thread is;
> Slippery for some, sticky for others.
> Cleans up easy for some, not so much for others.
> And lots of people don't wear gloves.
> Alrighty then...


Yes, such an incredible waste of bandwidth. 

In any case, I have the 2.5 (white) on my bike right now. It is a bit expensive, but I will never use another tape again. The stuff is just the best bar tape I have ever used. I love the way it feels and looks. I love the damn stuff.


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