Review on 🏻 Fizik Tempo Microtex Classic with Bondcush for Enhanced Comfort and Performance by Paul Dye

I bought this yellow strap hoping it would be more comfortable than my cheap cork strap and not tear easily. It easily meets both criteria. The tape itself has a thin layer of foam on the bottom that has an adhesive (non-tacky) strip down the middle to hold the bar in place while wrapping. That means you just wind the tape tight enough that it doesn't move, and you can unwind and rewind if you miss a spot. The ribbon has a line sewn down the middle, which helps a lot to wrap it evenly. I probably wrapped mine too tightly, but I'm not worried about the faucet breaking when packing like I do with a cork. The tape is strong (though not that thin), not soft or gel-like. For me that's an advantage - on the other bike I have "gel" cork strap, it's much softer but not more comfortable for me. The longest ride I've taken with this band is 105 miles, about 5 hours, and I wasn't uncomfortable in my arms. I usually wear gloves and the tape holds up well in light rain and slightly sweaty gloves. Haven't used this in pouring rain or without gloves and very sweaty hands so can't comment on grip with very wet hands. The strap is very high quality, almost like leather. It is very attractive and I chose a lighter color (yellow) as I was hoping it would be washable. I put about 800 miles on the tape - long enough for it to darken with use. Using a rag with dish soap I was able to lighten it back up and wash off the grease that got on the drips. This is quite difficult with cork/foam tape. The pattern differs slightly from the thin Fizik band commonly used with Fizik gel inserts, and the material feels more like faux leather than the microfiber when touched by the thinner Fizik band. I really, really like this tape and I think it's probably cheaper than most tapes in the long run due to the durability.