Replaced 3 year old factory installed bar tape with this Lizard Skins based on reviews here and other sites. So far the cushion is good, not bulky. The tacky feel is enough to have a good positive grip. Installation was straight forward. Very satisfied with this purchase.
I attempt to get a full season (7,200 mi.) out of my bar tape . It goes on well and feels great,looks good but wears easily.I have two wear holes from my gloves in the six months of use including much down time due to ice and snow this past winter here in NY.
I've mostly heard good things about the Lizards but was hesitant to fork out the dough. I wanted to bling out my white Trek Cronus Pro w a white tape so I splurged on the white 2.5's, I'm glad I did. It has a great tactile feel and is non-slip finish. The supple material soaks up vibration beautifully so I didn't even have to use gel padding under it. Did I say it feels good in your hands? It feels like no other tape in the most positive way. Kinda feels like Gummy Bears but more light and lively! Sure the white shows more dirt but rubbing alcohol cleans it up nice. On the plus side, it definitely gave my bike the pop I was looking for. I can't attest to the longevity since I've only put on about 400 miles.
Yeah these are pricy so I wouldn't put them on a commuter or a grocery bike but if you want to splurge on your carbon steed go for it, glad I did.
I replaced my old lizard skins tape with a new roll after converting my bike to 11 speed. Have not riden very much due to weather, but so far the tape has been fine. The last lizard skin tape was improvement over other's I have tried. It did show some ware after a while, but comfortable to grip even on long rides. Does not lose it's fit on the bars like some tapes. However when wrapping it I did not use extra stretch like one video suggested.
As a bit of a bar tape nerd I have to say that Lizard Skins 2.5 bar tape is some of the nicest I've used when it comes to installation. I LOVE how long each roll is and you'll never end up short, even with wide bars. It also just goes on super smooth and can be re-wraped if needed without any issues. The hand feel on this tape is great and the color options are excellent. I don't have enough time on it to rate the value beyond Good Deal at this point but if it holds up well I'd change my value rating to 5 stars.
I've used the 2.5 and the 3.2, both seem to wear rapidly at the bend of the bar near the hoods where it sees more use. You aren't supposed to stretch the tape, but it's difficult not to stretch it a little to get it to conform to the bar and not slip. I re-wrapped the last tape job in a way that was enough to hide the worn areas underneath the bar in order to double the mileage. The third time around I've gone back to the 2.5 which is a little less bulky but still cushioned enough. The tactile pattern and consistency is grippy and doesn't seem slick when wet. I haven't tried cleaning it because I use black. LS's has been my favorite handlebar tape, having tried Specialized, Cinelli cork and gel cork, and Bontrager, which are also all very good. Even though it is expensive and wears faster than I'd like I'd probably stick with them again. I can get a full season to season and a half out of a wrap.
The surface of this tape is tacky, different from most cork tapes. Two long gravel rides on this tape and I wish I'd bought this a long time ago. The grippy surface seems to take less hand effort to hold the bars on washboard and rough sections.
