Review: Arundel Gecko Grip Bar Tape

(2022) Bar tape takes a beating in the summer with the sweat and extra riding miles. After much recommendation for Cutlass Velo in Baltimore, Arundel Bicycle Company’s Gecko Grip bar tape was ordered and affixed to the bike. It was a welcome change to the super grippy wraps of the past. 

Advertised as EVA foam (or scientifically referred to as closed cell ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer foam) Arundel states their bar tape is ventilated polyurethane in a laminated, layered construction. To those looking for a simple explanation, the bar wrap is a rubbery, grippy feel with a slight stretch to it. Stated to be thinner than cork but with all the benefits of the same material, Gecko Grip isn’t absorptive like its natural cousin. So how did it do in the natural world of summer bike miles?

For starters the Gecko Grip layered nicely atop the handlebars. The claims of it being thinner than cork hold true as there were no bulges beneath the shifters. The bar tops felt natural and responsive with such a thin tape. Of all the bar wraps we’ve tried recently, Arundel’s tape is certainly the thinnest. 

Arundel Gecko Grip bar tape is thin, easy to clean, and fairly grippy, especially when combined with gloves.

Over to the notion that the be EVA foam can be wiped off in seconds, and it’s a claim that can be backed up. Early in the bar wrap’s application, bike grease somehow found its way onto the white bar wrap. Remembering that Arundel stated the tape was easy to be wiped off, we saved the freak out show for after the wipe down. Happily, a simple swipe from a wet rag returned the white to its original brilliance. White wrap crisis averted.

If the bar wrap is thin and easy to clean, how did it feel in usage? Arundel’s Gecko Grip bar tape performed rather admirably. It was a bit - shall we say - drier in feel than many of the other bar tapes used. There was a sense of comfort that the tape wasn’t over-tacked for that one instance that could happen. Instead the bar tape felt geared for the other 99% of riding scenarios where just enough comfort was needed. Going from the hoods to the hooks is a feeling in upgrade as it is a reaching out of seldom-used tape. It’s got just enough grip to keep the rider connected.

On an early evening ride with darkness closing in, the tape performed admirably in one area. A freak deluge soaked rider and bike within moments. Cars were pulling over because of the rain. This was no regular precipitation. It was a month’s worth in a dozen minutes. Combined with summer riding gloves, the tape was easy to grab, leaving focus to the ponding immediately in front of the bike. The confidence to control the bike stayed strong, so the decision to continue to ride in near zero visibility and deepening water was an easy one.

Some of the areas of concern include longevity. Nearly a month into the usage (and the miles are hardly hefty) the bar tape has been worn away at the hoods. Even with glove usage the tape feels less hardy than the wraps tested. And the hands moving down the hooks feel the Arundel-stamped letters peeling away with each squeeze. Maybe this is the perfect bar tape for summer specifically.

After over a thousand miles of using Arundel Gecko Grip bar tape it’s looking close to that time to order a new wrap. But for that time the handlebars felt the most natural and the perfect tack for summer riding. Paired with gloves, this bar tape may just be the wrap many are looking for during the summer race season into the fall fondo calendar. To those who like to ride with gloves, this may be the minimalist tape needed for those summer miles.