Nothing classes your bike up quite like leather. I have a leather Brooks and sewed some leather toe straps to my water bottle cages. It was only a matter of time, I suppose, that I complete the leather trifecta by getting some leather handlebar tape.
Velo-Orange sent me some leather bar tape to try out. Now, I am not new to using leather handlebar tape. I had a foray with leather tape two years ago with some Brooks honey tape. You can read about it here. The results weren’t so pleasing.
With that in mind, I was excited to try out the VO tape. For the last two years, I’ve been a cotton tape and shellac kind of guy. Relatively inexpensive. Rugged good looks. However, I really would have prefered leather if it didn’t turn into rotting zombie flesh.
I’ve had the VO tape on my bike for about a week and have gone on a few medium length rides with it and am extremely pleased with it. It applies easily and has an adhesive backing on it. It comes with two chrome plastic bar ends (didn’t use them).
I have to say, after two years of swearing off leather tape, I really miss it. The feel of the tape is soft and supple with the slightest bit of cushion – somewhere between cotton tape and cork tape. While not quite as vibration dampening as a thick roll of cork tape, it was noticeably more pleasant than plain cotton/shellac tape. The surface isn’t abrasive and it’s a joy to ride without gloves. It adds one of those nice nuances that makes riding a bicycle blissful.
I’m using the “brown” tape which is a good match to the dark brown Brooks saddles. While out of the bag they aren’t a perfect color match, I have found that with some riding, the tape develops a darker deeper patina that matches the saddle.
Perhaps the most noticeable advantage of the VO tape compared to the Brooks honey I tried a few years ago, is that so far it hasn’t disintegrated into rotting zombie flesh. Whatever dyes or treatment that the leather has seems to be holding up a lot better. Granted, I’ve only had the tape for a short time but the way it’s patina is developing is very promising.
If you’re considering leather handlebar tape and are torn between the Brooks tape and the VO tape, I’d highly recommend the VO tape. It looks just as classy as the Brooks tape, it feels great and it wears in a lot better than the Brooks.
Highly Recommend.
