Cannondale KnurlTack Bar Tape

Cannondale's KnurlTack Bar Tape gives plenty of grip whatever the weather and stays looking like new for a long time. The adhesive isn't that sticky, though, which means the tape has to be pulled really tight for it to remain in situ. Whether it's the best bar tape for you will depend on your needs, but it's certainly pleasant to use thanks to its 3mm thickness, which gives cushioning without being over the top and muting feedback from the bike. And because of its slightly tacky nature, even bare hands can grip well in the wet and dry.

Fitting is simple enough as it has a decent amount of stretch, so you can make it conform to tight bends and when wrapping it around the brake levers.

At a metre in length for each roll there is also plenty to go around. You won't find yourself trying to stretch it out to reach the central section even on the widest of road bars.

It's handy that it is long, though, as the back of the tape isn't that sticky, so you will need to wrap it tightly with a fair amount of overlap from start to finish, otherwise it can easily slip while you are riding, causing gaps.

I didn't allow for this on my first pass, so when trying to rectify it and adding more overlap after a couple of weeks of riding, the tape ended up too short. Hence why in the photos you can see that it is fitted to my daughter's Islabike. That is one advantage – the tape is reusable.

Being fitted to a nine-year-old's bike means it has seen plenty of abuse, like when the bike gets crashed (lightly, so far) or gets dumped on the handlebar as her attention span diminshes and she runs off to play with whatever else shiny has caught her eye.

The KnurlTack tape has stood up to its countless interactions with the ground admirably, with no signs of scuffs or wear.

So, to recap – concentrate on your fitting, getting plenty of overlap, and you won't be disappointed.

Comfort-wise, it's great, with an impressive amount of grip, though I'm not sure it's worth £25.

Prime's Comfort bar tape was highly rated by Liam in his review, and as I use the gravel version on my gravel bike, I second his findings. It's the same thickness as the KnurlTack and offers great grip levels, plus it doesn't move once fitted. It costs £19.99.

Saying that, though, most bar tapes aren't exactly what I'd call value for money these days with many costing north of 30 quid.

Ergon's Road bar tape is £29.99, and while Suvi in her review found it comfortable, grippy and durable, it is thinner than the Cannondale at 2mm. There is no stretch to the Ergon either, so it's harder to fit.

Conclusion

Overall, if you get the fit right then there is little to fault the KnurlTack tape as I was impressed with the comfort on offer and the grip. There are cheaper options out there that do a great job, though.

Verdict

Get the fitting right and you are in for a comfortable ride with plenty of grip