Test and technical analysis of this handlebar tape from Selle Italia’s Greentech collection. A product with an ecological, sustainable and low environmental impact soul that relies on rubber to offer a clean fit and improve comfort and performance. Ideal for racing and gravel bikes.
Handlebar tape is a component that is often overlooked and usually chosen based on color. In reality, it is a fundamental detail because it affects the control of the bike, riding safety, comfort and – all in all – overall performance.
In recent months, Selle Italia presented the Smart Tape which immediately intrigued us due to the material it is made of, the technical solutions adopted and the attention to the environment and the “green” future of the planet. These are characteristics that are appreciated at different times: the benefits of the “green” production cycle will be perceived in the future, the integrated cap and the absence of double-sided tape are solutions that are appreciated, for simplicity and cleanliness, only during taping while the rubber under your hands makes its effects felt at all times, dampening and absorbing most of the vibrations coming from the road.
Technical Analysis
The Smart Tape presents itself as a single strip of rubbery material of which one end ends in a cap of the same material which is an integral part of the strip itself.
The tape has no adhesive band and relies on the particular design of recessed circles on the internal surface, designed to create a suction cup effect on the smooth surface of the handlebars, to keep the tape firmly in place. The lack of the adhesive strip makes the tape removable and reusable several times as well as reducing taping times by 20%.
The external surface has a light grid design to increase the grip of the hands. Each strip indicates the direction of rotation and the mounting side and, with a small scissors in relief, the point to cut to obtain the strip useful for covering the gear/brake control fixing collar.
The thickness of the central part is 2.5 mm, the width is 25 mm and the length 1,800 mm. Towards the edges, in the area intended for overlapping, the thickness progressively decreases to guarantee the formation of a homogeneous layer once the work is finished.
Selle Italia’s Greentech line, to which Smart Tape belongs, represents an important step towards de-carbonisation. The Treviso company has long started a process of monitoring and studying CO2 emissions with the aim of minimizing the impact of production on the environment. In this specific case, the manufacturing process of a Smart Tape involves the emission of 0.72 kg of CO2, 24% less than a standard handlebar tape produced outside the European Union.
The Smart Tape is available in black only. On the editorial scale we detected a weight of 92 grams for the single strip, corresponding to a total weight of 184 grams. The list price is 12.90 Euros.
Our Test
In our test we wanted to verify the possible improvements that the adoption of Smart Tape brings to general performance and the driving experience.
Our test began with taping the handlebars, aided by the integrated cap and the indication of the mounting side on the tail of the tape.
The integrated cap is very practical, you slip it on and off you go, you just have to be careful to keep the Selle Italia logo horizontal while tensioning the tape during the first lap. The overlap is guided by the shape: the edges have a smaller thickness that must be overlapped to create a continuous level.
The wrapping around the collar of the gear/brake levers, with the classic “figure 8”, occurs without appreciable differences in thickness compared to traditional tape. The same goes for the internal curve of the high grip. The termination is the only point where the thickness of the Smart Tape remains visible but it is only an aesthetic feature that does not interfere with your hands when gripping the handlebars.
The lack of double-sided tape makes it even easier and cleaner to go back a few turns to perfect the taping. To obtain optimal adhesion it is necessary to always wind the tape with the same tension. The brake hoses and the mechanical gearbox sheaths must be fixed as always, with a round of insulating tape, before definitive taping.
During our test we detected a movement of the tape which left a small portion of the handlebar exposed, on the external part, due to excessive overlap on the internal part. After rewinding with the correct tension, checking that the two edges overlapped perfectly, the tape no longer moved.
The main difference between Smart Tape and a traditional gel-infused tape is the way it deforms when squeezed in your hand. The traditional tape is soft and yielding while the Smart Tape does not deform and relies on the properties of the rubbery material it is made of to dampen and absorb the stresses coming from the road.
Once in the saddle you have to go over some bumps to understand the changes for the better in the Smart Tape grip. With traditional tapes, the gel, so comfortable when you place your hands on it, creates a soft layer between the handlebars and the cyclist’s bones, even if compressed by the grip of the hands. However, the gel is too soft to absorb strong and sudden impacts on the handlebars caused by the front wheel hitting a pothole or patch. The handlebar then hits the hand causing discomfort and, in high-speed collisions, pain.
None of this happens with Smart Tape. The sensation that the Smart Tape produces is similar, if not identical, to MTB grips: secure grip, excellent reading of the road surface conditions and great steering sensitivity.
The rubbery layer filters vibrations, shocks reach the hands but, as on the MTB, they are managed by flexing the elbows, without causing pain and without altering the grip on the handlebars. The result is a clear improvement in comfort and connection with the front wheel, the sensations that pass through the grip are clearer and more precise for the benefit of greater control of the bike.
This improvement has a price but it is not the list price, however contained in 12.90 euros, the price to pay is in the increase in weight. In fact, Smart Tape weighs more than a traditional tape.
On our bike used for the test, the standard stock tape weighed 25 grams per side, to which 3 grams of the closing cap are added which leads to a total weight of 56 grams. The Smart Tape cut to size weighs 79 grams per side for a total of 158 grams. Nonetheless, the improvements in control when cornering, downhill, in driving safety on uneven surfaces and in general comfort have certainly balanced the increase in weight of the Smart Tape.
– Selle Italia website
Article and photos by Sergio Doria