Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Kinesis Anti-Slip Handlebar Tape Jo Burt Signature Series Reflective

8
£35.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Grippy, comfortable and quirky bar tape
Comfortable
Grippy wet or dry
Good amount of stretch
Reflective
Is just a bit different!
Limited colours
Quite thick with no thickness options
Weight: 
30g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

The Jo Burt Series Kinesis Anti-Slip Handlebar Tape is now available with reflective highlights, and better still it remains really comfortable, easy to fit, and grippy both in dry and wet conditions. If you're looking for something a little bit different, it's well worth a look.

2022 Kinesis Jo Burt Series Handlebar Tape - Reflective - boxed.jpg

This is very similar to the pink version we reviewed nearly two years ago, but now comes with this new option – reflective detailing on some of the text. With most of the remaining text now black or dark grey on a black background, this is definitely the more subtle option.

> Buy now: Jo Burt Series Handbar Tape from Upgrade for £35

In the box you get two generous rolls of tape, two strips of finishing tape for the ends and a pair of plastic bar plugs. I chose to fit the tape to my gravel bike (that I also commute on) as I thought it would best benefit from the shock absorbing properties.

2022 Kinesis Jo Burt series handlebar tape - reflective fitted 3

Compared to other brands, tape length is generous, making it ideal for wide bar users or those who like to really overlap each wrap. I could tape my gravel bike's 44cm drop bars almost to the stem with about 10cm of tape left over.

This has a decent amount of stretch to it which makes it as easy to wrap as can be, and if you do make a mistake it's easy to go back – the backing is grippy rather than sticky, and doesn't leave a residue. The stretch comes in particularly handy when going around the tight bend near the shifters, as it reduces the chances of wrinkling or looseness.

2022 Kinesis Jo Burt series handlebar tape - reflective fitted 2

In use

I was initially a little worried about grip as the tape has very little texture, but I needn't have been. This is a tacky affair that is impressively grippy, and only gets better when wet or your hands get sweaty.

Kinesis has also managed to make the tape very comfortable. There's a shockproof layer to protect your wrists from harsh road surfaces, and it does an excellent job of reducing buzz.

This does mean it's a little thicker than others – it's more akin to a gravel tape than pure road performance tape – and as it's only available in one thickness, it's a case of like it or lump it. Personally, I like it on my gravel/endurance bike, but appreciate thinner tape on a road race bike.

> Best bar tape 2022 – get a comfort boost and make your bike look fresh

The Jo Burt quotes are obviously a little harder to read once it's wrapped, but you still get snippets and it's sure to start a conversation. I would say the reflective accents earn more points for style than for function, but as always, every little helps. It's also unlikely you will see it reflecting yourself, unless you have a light strapped to your head, but it does look cool in night time shots!

2022 Kinesis Jo Burt series handlebar tape - reflective fitted 1

Price and verdict

This reflective version comes in at £35, so £7 more than the non-reflective pink version at £28. It's still not a horrendous price for high quality tape – others can cost considerably more, such as the Selle San Marco Presa Corsa Team Iridescent Bar Tape at £44.99 – but you can get good tape for less. Many similar tapes sit between £20 and £30, with the quite similar £29.99 PRO Gravel Comfort Tape being one example.

You can get much cheaper tape too, of course: Easton's more basic Foam Bar Tape now has an RRP of £11.99.

Would I choose the Kinesis bar tape? Absolutely, especially for a gravel or endurance road bike where comfort is a priority. It's good in all weathers, easy to wrap and personally I'm a fan of the graphics. I'm guessing you are too if you've made it this far!

Verdict

Grippy, comfortable and quirky bar tape

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Kinesis Anti-Slip Handlebar Tape Jo Burt Signature Series Reflective

Size tested: One Size

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Kinesis says: "Jo Burt is one of the Kinesis long distance riding ambassadors and has a long, long history in riding road, cx and mountain bikes, he spends the rest of his time drawing and writing about bicycles. He wrote and illustrated "Rapha Handbook 02 - Longer Rides" a treasury of insightful nuggets of wisdom for cyclists who've mastered their local loop and are looking to explore further afield. Despite his road bike leanings he's most famous in the cycling world for creating Mint Sauce, a comic strip about a mountain biking sheep that's appeared in Mountain Biking UK magazine every month for over 30 years. This combination of pictures, words and thoughts that come with riding bikes a long way, is why we asked him to design this signature tape."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Kinesis:

Polyurethane base with a velvet cover.

Backside/center adhesive strip for easy mounting.

Shockproof layer protects your wrists.

Vex Gel backing provides cushioning.

Includes logo plugs and finishing strips.

Enough tape for a full drop bar.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

Very good: I've got it filthy, gritty, done 1,000km on it and crashed it with no signs of premature wear.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10

There is lighter available, but this offers good comfort for its weight.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
9/10

Very comfortable.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

It's just a little bit different.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

A little thick on some bikes for my personal taste.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

As mentioned in the review, it's towards the premium end of the market but its performance and quality do justify the high price. There are plenty that are more expensive, but you can also find bar tape for much less.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

This is very good bar tape that's easy to install, a generous length and performs well in dry and wet conditions. It's also very comfortable and takes the buzz out of rough roads and gravel. It is thicker than some and you do pay a premium for the reflective detailing which, realistically, is mainly aesthetic.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 23  Height: 6ft  Weight: 74kg

I usually ride: Specialized venge pro 2019  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,

Jamie has been riding bikes since a tender age but really caught the bug for racing and reviewing whilst studying towards a master's in Mechanical engineering at Swansea University. Having graduated, he decided he really quite liked working with bikes and is now a full-time addition to the road.cc team. When not writing about tech news or working on the Youtube channel, you can still find him racing local crits trying to cling on to his cat 2 licence...and missing every break going...

Add new comment

8 comments

Avatar
espressodan | 1 year ago
0 likes

"anti-slip"? As opposed to all the "pro-slip" bar tape out there?

Avatar
Oldfatgit | 1 year ago
0 likes

As 'Reflective' seems to be a selling point (it is after all, in the product name) - how about a photo showing just how reflective the product actually is?
 

Avatar
dodgy | 1 year ago
0 likes

You went to all the trouble of fitting and testing, but no actual pictures of it on a pair of handlebars 🤷‍♂️

Avatar
Sredlums replied to dodgy | 1 year ago
0 likes

Exactly what I thought. Such a weird thing to do. Apparently the reviewer has actually wrapped his bars with it, then why not take some pictures!?
Or is it that it was never actually tested at all, so pictures could only be taken of the package and he still rolled up tape…?

Avatar
Jamie Williams replied to Sredlums | 1 year ago
4 likes

Apologies for that, the photo's went MIA, now added  1

Avatar
Sredlums replied to Jamie Williams | 1 year ago
0 likes

Ah, cool. Sorry for sounding harsh, I think it was because I've seen more reviews without the most obvious pictures, which always baffles me.
That said, did you actually put the tape on from the top to the drops? And if so, what's the rationale behind that? Don't the edges curl up really fast because you 'lean against them'? Seems to me that they overlap the wrong way now.

Avatar
Jamie Williams replied to Sredlums | 1 year ago
0 likes

I do indeed "reverse wrap", habit from taping aero road bars for no other reason than I think it looks better. The rest of the tech team aren't so keen on reverse wrapping though! I don't find it curls up any quicker than regularly wrapping but I do spend a lot of my time on the hoods.

Avatar
ktache replied to Sredlums | 1 year ago
0 likes

And as if by magic...

Latest Comments