Cinelli Stripe Cork

Price Paid:  $4.00 at it's a secret

Favorite Ride:
Rouge Roubaix

Bike Setup:
You could put cork tape under Benotto, if you want some padding.

Summary:
Benotto Handlebar Tape is the best. The manufacturer seems to have discontinued operations. Someone should find out how to make this product, so we can get more of it.

Strengths:
The most professional look and feel. Durable. Clean. The way handlebar tape is supposed to be.

Weaknesses:
Don't stretch it too far, when wrapping bars.

Similar Products Used:
Cork tape. Cork handlebar tape is very cheesy. It will fray and break in time. A big mess. It gets very dirty, unless you use black. Black tape is boring and uncool.

Bike Setup:
steel is real, baby.

Summary:
Cinelli cork is the stuff. It's been on my bike for 10 years with occasional substitutions. I think there's nothing better than cork, although I haven't tried the synthetic stuff the other reviewer talked about. It's shock absorbing, and since I don't ride with gloves that's a great thing. I tried Sampson foamy tape, liked the feel, but cork lasts three times as long. The OTF stuff wasn't squishy enough for me although I liked the feel. I can't believe I ever put benotto tape on my bars, and that cheap plastic stuff that new bikes come with is unusable. So I ride cork.

Installation is a pain. You have to stretch it to get rid of the ridges and make it stay in one place, but if you stretch it too much it breaks. If it breaks, you gotta buy new tape or put some electrical tape over the... no, you just buy another 12$ set of tape.

I've had no problems in the rain. Not sure what that guy is talking about. Cork, BTW, doesn't absorb water.....

The stripes are cool.

Strengths:
Cork has the best grip

Weaknesses:
Installation is a pain

Similar Products Used:
OTF, Sampson, etc.