Getting A Grip

Most cyclists will know there are three points of contact a cyclist has with his/her standard bicycle. For those non-cyclists who might be reading (welcome) these are the: pedals, saddle and handlebars.

Three points of contact

Cyclists who cover lots of miles, be they primarily commuters, tourers, roadies or mountain bikers, will no doubt know the importance of getting these points of contact right. You need the correct settings so you are comfortable and efficient on the bike. This really goes without saying but it still surprises me the number of adults I see cycling with knees up around their chins because the saddle is too low or who are struggling to hold the bars comfortably - they being possibly set too low/high or too near/far. 

Some of these distances are dictated by size of bike frame. The wrong size frame is the wrong size frame and no amount of adjusting the seat post, saddle position or altering the number of bar risers is going to change that. However, not all is hunky dory when the distances are correct. How your body parts connect and interact with these points of contacts also comes into play.

Pedals can come in a bewildering array of configurations for the uninitiated. Flat, wide, studded, clipless (actually with clips, several different mechanisms and for either road or MTB). Likewise saddles can be a real pain in the bum to get right and stimulate reams of opposing opinion on various cycle forums. Still despite the wide choice, I would venture most regular cyclists will be aware of the different types of pedals and saddles and can choose accordingly. Bars on the other hand (or  preferably both hands) are a different matter altogether IMO. 

Most cycles come with the corresponding type of bar for the style of bike; drop bars for roadies, flattish bars for MTBs, swept back bars for cruisers. They also may have grips, bar tape or a combination of both. However, within each type of bike category there is still choice which can be made on: width, angle of rise, degree of curve etc. Bar ends can also be added ranging from 2-3 cm jobs to curving ends that would not look out of place on an antelope.

I thought I had chosen pretty well for my touring bike - a Santos Travelmaster. I went for Butterfly Bars (AKA touring bars) which are quite popular on the continent but rarely seen in the UK. I paired these with some Ergon Grips and have been more than happy with my choice until this week. You see I had a fall from my bike recently, damaging the bar tape and so needing to re-tape it. Not an urgent job but it has been a bike maintenance week this week so I got on with it.

When I first got the bike the bars had a slide-on foam tube which looked OK but was too compressible and quite easily prone to damage IMO so I changed this for some bar tape after a few months. This was far more durable but didn't really change the comfort levels which were quite satisfactory anyway. When I came to re-tape though I thought I would try out "double bar tape" as I'd heard it was useful for distance cyclists. What a revelation!

Butterfly Bars + Ergon Grips. Original bar sponge in place

I removed the existing bar tape and then reapplied it over the most used parts of the bar only, securing it with electrical tape. It didn't look nice but this was just the underlay. I then applied some Easton Cork Bar Tape (black) over the first layer.

The increased diameter makes it more far easier and more comfortable to grip the bars firmly and there is none of the spongy feeling associated with the original wide sponge tubing. I wish I'd done it two years ago. I would heartily recommend doubling your tape layer if you are having any comfort problems with the bar and maybe even trying this if you don't have any problems. For me, it is a dream upgrade for just a few pounds.

With double bar tape