My handlebar tape has lived through a lot. My bike fell many times, either by my own doing or because of my kids. I’ve had a few crashes as well and I did have to put the bike on a rack for travel a lot. Many things have chewed on it, so it was about time…
For a long time I’ve been Fizik point-of-contact guy. I prefer their saddles for comfort and durability and shoes for style and fit. I’ve been also a long time and avid user of different models of their handlebar tape.
I’ve decided to spice it up a bit this time. My choice of color (and a wish for Santa) has been, by some heavy inspiration, a pink handlebar tape for my gravel bicycle. I’ve been hoping to get on that 80s disco vibe in combination of pink and blue. I wasn’t exactly sure if it would work with my particular kind of blue, but I’ve decided to take the risk…
Also, my old tape has been exactly that – old and worn. Battered and torn by many falls, trips and crashes but despite that, I’ve been still very satisfied with it’s quality and longevity.
It was then no brainer to go with the same brand – Fizik. Because of the color, my choice has been a bit limited and I ended up with Fizik Vento Solocush Tacky wraps.
The wrap has been surprisingly quick and painless. Despite the terrific instructions from Calvin Jones from Park Tools, I’ve been always struggling with it, but this time it was easy and relaxing. Never had issues with Fizik’s quality, even if I had to correct my mistakes several times and stretch the tape a lot. And believe me, I’m really bad in wrapping the bars, especially around the hoods.
The tape is exactly what it says on the box. It’s pink, 2,7 mm thick, tacky and cushy. The ride feels nice, just like before – I wasn’t expecting anything else, really. You be the judge if the colors play together nicely.
Unfortunately, I’ve ignored some of the reviews claiming that the bright tape gets dirty easily and it’s difficult to clean. Those reviews have been painfully true – just after a few rides it’s now clearly visible, even if I did not have any oily and muddy mechanical and I did ride them with a new set of gloves…
So, would I get Fizik’s Vento Solocush Tacky again? Yes, I would. But I guess the common consensus is, the tape should be black, because it will always get dirty and the only way to hide it is to go dark…
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