Bar Tape To Match Brooks Honey Saddle? UPDATE

[deliquium]

Ideally the same colour. Doesn't have to be leather.

I've tried Brooks own leather honey tape - it's a country mile off, as well as expensive Tried some Deda brown "nastro per manubrio morbido contatto" faux leather stuff - too dark/chestnutty.

[Swallow]

You could try this, cheap and cheerful but CO5 looks like it could be a match, 'tho colours in real life often look different http://www.wiggle.co.uk/bike-ribbon-cor ... -bar-tape/

[StellaLdn.]

You probably tried eBay already. From the picture, this looks like an almost perfect colour-match:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHARGE-U-Bend ... 1c2f2c9d87

[hexhome]

I used this http://www.fizik.it/en/accessories/bart ... ape/honey/

Not an exact match but near enough and cheap (£8:00ish). I doubt that you will ever get an exact match as the saddles change colour during their lives.

[deliquium]

Thanks folks for your suggestions, will investigate.

Just want something that looks similar at both ends of the bike - being only slightly concerned about such minutiae + having a thing about honey coloured leather saddles.

Been a black Brooks B17 man all my life - until the honey Imperial at wonderful prices from Germany!

[Garnish]

I've been doing a little research on what other people have plumped for, having just received my brooks honey standard. I've just ordered the charge bar tape and waiting for it to arrive. I didn't fancy the big bucks for the brooks leather tape.

[StellaLdn.]

42 quid for handlebar tape is rather steep. I normally go for the Deda cork tape around 8 pound. But either in white or black.

[pete75]

This may be worth an enquiry as to exact colour.
http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... 7s126p2809

[deliquium]

This may be worth an enquiry as to exact colour.
http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... 7s126p2809

Yes I thought that - the photo is so poor though. I doubt they send samples.

[rualexander]

I've got the Charge leather effect tape on my Thorn Audax mk3, to match my honey Brooks B17 Narrow, its a pretty close colour match.

[CREPELLO]

I asked the same question a while back viewtopic.php?f=5&t=65210&hilit
I'm still using the M Part tape. It's durable, but slippery in conjunction with faux suede made mitts (bare hands are fine, as is wet faux suede).

The answer is to source faux leather mitts such as Chiba Sports Mitts http://www.parker-international.co.uk/2 ... Mitts.html The 'leather' sticks to the tape almost like glue - this is good! In fact, I've never experienced such a sense of stability on the bars before. If buying these gloves consider buying at least one size up from normal.

The colour of the Mpart tape isn't a perfect match for my honey brooks pro (it's quite orange), although Brooks honey do vary in colour themselves from new and with age. The problem with trying to source a match is that often the match can look worse than if you were to choose a contrasting or neutral colour.

Planet X also have a couple of good looking ranges of leather tape - at least one had a good match for honey.

[deliquium]

Many thanks everybody - lots of interesting information, resources and links.

[deliquium]

Update: Just been out and Proofided the Brooks honey leather bar tape (after it's been on for a month of little hands on use) - and it immediately matches as well as anything, the well used Brooks honey saddle

Not only that, it has taken on a whole new patina/character

[StellaLdn.]

Perfect! At least you don't have to regret spending that kind of money on that tape. And leather, I assume, had a nice feel to it.

[deliquium]

Perfect! At least you don't have to regret spending that kind of money on that tape. And leather, I assume, had a nice feel to it.

I'm chuffed. The Brooks leather tape is wrapped around Spa Cycles £5 gel bits, but it's difficult to feel any extra padding - mind you there's brake and gear cables under there on double groove 3TTT Morphe bars. Will buff up tape tomorrow and take it for a ride. I use Altura faux leather crochet backed cycling mitts, which also don't have much padding.

I'm beginning to wonder whether we need so much cushioning? I ride mainly on the hoods