KranX Stretta Eco EVA Handlebar Tape

While the price of the KranX Stretta Eco EVA Handlebar Tape might appeal, it comes up short in other ways – literally and figuratively. It's quite grippy and easy to wrap, but there isn't enough of it to cover as much of my handlebar as I'd like, and it's quite thin compared with other foam tapes I've used.

Check out our guide to the best bar tapes for more options.

As with the other tapes from Kranx I've used, the wrapping experience is pleasant, with no unnecessary stress involved when trying to tape around the hoods and drops. The tape stretches nicely without making you think it'll break if you pull just a little too hard.

But during wrapping I encountered my first disappointment: it's quite a short roll of tape. Even being careful with my wrapping, making sure I didn't have loads of overlap, it still came up surprisingly short on my 40cm bar, finishing a chunk earlier than I would choose (the photos show the tape on my brother's race bike with its super-narrow bar that measures 33cm across the top).

This meant that when riding with my hands on the tops, the tape ended halfway across my palm rather than providing full coverage under my hand, as I prefer. This is a shame, as with the other tapes from Kranx I've tried I could wrap the bar up to where I was comfortable.

The tape is pleasantly grippy, and I haven't encountered any issues with my hands slipping when doing any sprints, riding in the wet, or in the cold with gloves on. This is reassuring compared with other cheap tapes that can become treacherous in the wet, or with sweaty hands.

It's also been great at staying in place and not spinning at all. I've had plenty of tapes start to unwind themselves when I've been sprinting, and the Stretta Eco EVA has been excellent for staying put. It hasn't needed to be rewrapped or tweaked in any way since I put it on.

As with the length, though, I've been left wanting a bit more when it comes to comfort. It's thinner than other foam tapes I've used, which you can feel under the hand. Generally, I like to be able to feel the bar through the tape, but here it's almost too much – to the point where I've been left wishing for thicker and more comfortable tape, after some longer rides or when I've felt slightly beaten up by the notorious British roads.

Kranx only offers this tape in black, so if you enjoy customising your bikes with a flash of colour on the bars you'll be disappointed. But black tape is almost always the way to go for a classy look, and it is less than a tenner.

The problems I faced with this tape aren't problems I had when reviewing the Kranx Stretta Eco-Grip bar tape, and so I'd struggle to find a reason to choose this over the Eco-Grip. The only thing it wins on is price, and even then it's only £3 less.

If the length of tape doesn't matter to you, and you're bothered about price right down to the last few quid, this will do the job, but otherwise I can't recommend it over the Stretta Eco-Grip at £12.99, or there's the Easton Foam bar tape that Liam tested in 2019, for £13.99.

Verdict

Super cheap tape, but not overly comfortable