12 August 2010

Quickie

Okay, so remember that Lizard Skins tape I installed on the Salsa? Yeah? Well, it sucks a mile of ditch water.
The package touts it as having 'superior grip', even when wet. That's a fallacy of the highest order. It's as slick as seal shit on an ice flow. Now granted, I don't wear gloves when the temps are above 50 degrees or so, unless I'm in the woods or racing, but that shouldn't matter. With my usual Deda tape, there's no fear associated with holding onto the handlebars. This morning, once I'd worked up even the smallest bit of moisture on my hands, the Lizard Skins tape became glacial. Holding onto the tops of the bars was an exercise in grip strength.
My right palm is actually bruised from my effort!
It may be perfectly fine with gloves, or in a situation that dictates no sweating will occur, but in 90 degree heat, with bare hands, look elsewhere. Oh, it's $30+ dollars too, which also makes the seat of my pants hurt a bit.

It's getting pulled off and replaced with something cheaper, and better. I'll hang onto it and try it again when the weather cools down, but for now, I just cannot recommend it.

Oh, and the video from this morning's jaunt looked like an epileptic with Tourette's shot it. Gotta sure up the mount a bit to stop the shaking...

2 comments:

Unknown said...

With bare hands in the wet, the Lizard Skin tape is terrible. With leather gloves in the wet, it's like Duct Tape. I've raced in a torrential downpour in Athens & Lexington, NC with this tape + gloves and never had a problem with feel.

I hope that helps.

-B

MM said...

Oh, I'm sure it's fine, but my inner Belgian prevents me from wearing gloves above 55 degrees. I may try it again this winter, but for now, it's rolled up and living comfortably in my toolbox.