Cinelli GEL Cork Ribbon

Price Paid:  $20.00 at Nashbar (internet)

Favorite Ride:
Hotter n Hell 100

Bike Setup:
Trek 5200c carbon, 63 cm, 180 mm Dura Ace double crank, Specialized seat, Dura Ace pedals, custom stem raised 1 cm

Summary:
Just bought a box of Cinelli gel/cork tape to replace the stock Bontrager tape on my Trek 5200 carbon. Works well to absorb railroad track vibration, larger diameter works well w/ my monster sized hands, grip well. Put 145 mile on this this weekend, seem to be better than the stock Bontrager.

Strengths:
Comfy, absorb vibration well. Large dia compared to stock tape.

Weaknesses:
Nothing yet.

Similar Products Used:
Bontrager stock tape

Price Paid:  $19.00 at JENSON USA

Favorite Ride:
Baseline Dr, Claremont, CA

Bike Setup:
2006 Lemond Tourmalet, 44cm bars.

Summary:
I found this tape easy to install for a first timer (after rewrapping 3-4 times due to rookie status). I was worried about it tearing, but after repeated stretching it went on tight with no tearing. Very comfortable and grippy on bumpy rides. Haven't tried it in wet conditions.

Strengths:
Strength, elasticity, comfort. Longevity yet to be tested.

Weaknesses:
Pricey, but so far worth it.

Similar Products Used:
Bontrager cork.

Price Paid:  $17.00 at Freewheel

Favorite Ride:
Anything with hills and beautiful trees

Bike Setup:
Klein Q-Pro V, 25mm Gatorskins.

Summary:
Installed a set of these to replace the stock Bontrager tape (not sure what variety) that came on my Klein Q-Pro.

That bike has a pretty rigid fork. Switching to this tape moved the ride from "bonejarring" to "not too bad, at all".

Strengths:
Smooths out a ride very nicely

Weaknesses:
None yet!

Similar Products Used:
Various cork and other tapes.

Price Paid:  $18.00

Favorite Ride:
any

Bike Setup:
DeRosa Nuovo Classico all Campy.

Summary:
I would never buy this again. I've had it on my bike for about a month, and it's already tearing & frayed. It's comfortable, but that's about the only positive thing I can say about it. Aside from comfort, this is the worst tape I've ever used.

Strengths:
Comfort.

Weaknesses:
Wears too quickly, (tears & frays), about medium difficulty to wrap.

Similar Products Used:
Sampson Fat Wrap (still my fave), too many others to list.

Price Paid:  $17.00 at local bike shop

Favorite Ride:
Hunterdon County, NJ

Bike Setup:
1999 Litespeed Classic, LOOK fork, Cinelli bar & stem, Turbo Matic saddle, Dura Ace 9 speed group, hand built tubulars

Summary:
I always hated the original Cinelli cork tape, because it would tear if you stretched it too much when wrapping the bars, and also because the adhesive backing made it impossible to rewrap if you didn't do it perfectly the first time. This product is an improvement on both counts. You can stretch it very tightly to adjust the thickness and amount of cushioning you want, and there's no adhesive backing. It looks and feels very nice. I used Profile tape for several years before trying this. I think the Profile product is a little more durable and abrasion-resistant than this tape, and costs less to buy. However, the Cinelli gel is a little more cushioning and is a bit more grippy. On the whole, a good product, and a hundred times better than the original CInelli cork tape

Strengths:
Easy to wrap
Perfect thickness and cushioning

Weaknesses:
Abrasion resistance could be better

Similar Products Used:
Profile Design bar wrap, Cinelli cork