Description
Ergon BT Allroad Bar Tape – Reduces Hand Discomfort and Damps Vibration
Allroad riders want more. Their ideal handlebar tape should reduce discomfort on various road surfaces, feel good to the touch, provide secure grip, and deliver total direct control. The Ergon BT Allroad bar tape, with its 2.5mm thickness and medium-coarse counter-angled surface texture, offers the ideal all-in-one solution. Pressure on the hands is reduced, vibration and shock are damped, and riding pleasure and performance are greatly improved.
Engineered for Mixed-Surface Riding
The BT Allroad is specifically designed for the unique demands of allroad, gravel, and cyclocross riding. These disciplines require bar tape that performs across varied terrain – smooth tarmac, rough gravel roads, rutted dirt tracks, and everything between. The 2.5mm thickness specification represents careful optimisation for these applications.
Thinner tape (2mm) provides excellent direct bar feel on smooth roads but lacks cushioning for rougher surfaces. Thicker tape (3-3.5mm) offers superior vibration damping but can feel bulky and compromise precise control. The 2.5mm specification delivers the sweet spot – meaningful vibration absorption for rough surfaces whilst maintaining the direct bar feel road cyclists value.
This balanced approach benefits riders who venture off-road but still spend significant time on tarmac. You get increased vibration damping, extra grip, and noticeable comfort without sacrificing the connection and control essential for precise bike handling.
Three-Layer Construction
The BT Allroad uses precisely developed three-layer construction. Each layer serves specific functions, working together to create optimal performance characteristics.
Anti-Slip Comfort Top
The outer surface features water-repellent, anti-slip material with medium-coarse counter-angled texture. This top layer provides secure grip in all conditions – dry, wet, muddy, or dusty. The water-repellent treatment prevents the tape from becoming slick when wet, maintaining consistent grip through rain, stream crossings, or perspiration.
The anti-slip characteristics work through mechanical texture interaction rather than relying solely on material friction. This approach maintains grip even when contaminants (mud, dust, water) coat the surface – crucial for gravel and cyclocross riding where clean bars are temporary conditions.
The surface is engineered for lasting durability. The texture won’t wear smooth quickly, and the material resists degradation from UV exposure, weather, and regular handling. This longevity ensures consistent performance through seasons of riding.
AirCell Foam Core
The middle layer uses lightweight AirCell foam – a specialised material providing superior vibration damping whilst maintaining minimal weight. AirCell technology incorporates microscopic air cells throughout the foam structure, creating effective vibration absorption without requiring excessive material thickness or density.
The foam’s cellular structure compresses under impact then rebounds, continuously damping the high-frequency vibrations generated by rough surfaces. This damping reduces hand and arm fatigue during long rides on varied terrain where cumulative vibration creates significant discomfort.
The lightweight characteristic is crucial. Some bar tapes achieve cushioning through heavy, dense padding that adds noticeable handlebar weight. AirCell foam provides vibration damping without weight penalty, maintaining the balanced bike feel performance-oriented riders demand.
Adhesive Backing
The inner layer features adhesive backing ensuring secure tape installation without slippage. The adhesive bonds reliably to handlebar surfaces whilst allowing repositioning during installation if necessary. Once properly installed, the tape remains securely positioned through aggressive riding, impacts, and varied weather conditions.
Integrated Wrapping Position Marks
A clever feature distinguishes the BT Allroad from basic bar tape: incorporated wrapping position marks integrated into the surface pattern. These marks guide wrap overlap, allowing customised installation to personal preferences.
Want thinner tape feel with less cushioning? Reduce overlap between wraps using the position marks as guides. Prefer thicker cushioning? Increase overlap for additional layers and padding. The marks enable precise, consistent wrapping without guesswork.
This adjustability means the same tape accommodates different rider preferences and applications. Use less overlap for racing or smooth roads where direct feel matters. Use more overlap for rough gravel or bikepacking where maximum cushioning improves comfort.
The position marks also ensure consistent, professional-looking installation. Even wraps without gaps or bunching become easier to achieve when you have visual guides showing optimal overlap.
Dual-Directional Surface Pattern
The counter-angled surface texture is directional – wrapping direction determines performance characteristics. This dual-directional design allows further customisation to individual preferences.
Wrap one direction for maximum grip. The texture angles engage with your palm and fingers more aggressively, providing enhanced purchase particularly valuable for technical riding, climbing, or aggressive cornering where maintaining bar control is crucial.
Wrap the opposite direction for enhanced freedom of movement. The texture angles allow smoother hand repositioning whilst maintaining adequate grip. This configuration benefits riders who frequently change hand positions or prefer easier sliding adjustments along the bars.
The ability to choose grip characteristics through wrapping direction adds another layer of customisation. Combined with adjustable overlap via position marks, the BT Allroad adapts to varied preferences rather than forcing one-size-fits-all performance.
Medium-Coarse Texture Balance
The surface texture specification is medium-coarse – carefully balanced between aggressive and smooth. This calibration provides several benefits.
The texture is coarse enough to provide reliable grip through gloves (gravel and cyclocross riders often wear full-finger gloves) whilst remaining comfortable for bare-handed riding. It delivers secure purchase without feeling abrasive or creating pressure points during extended contact.
The medium specification also balances grip with hand repositioning ease. Extremely coarse textures can resist smooth position changes, creating friction that fatigues hands during long rides with frequent adjustments. The medium-coarse BT Allroad allows quick, smooth repositioning whilst maintaining secure grip when hands are stationary.
Counter-Angled Design Significance
The counter-angled pattern means the texture ridges run diagonally across the tape surface rather than parallel or perpendicular to wrapping direction. This angling creates directional grip characteristics whilst preventing the continuous parallel grooves that can create pressure lines on hands.
The counter-angle also improves water channelling. Rather than creating channels that trap moisture, the angled pattern disperses water across the surface, maintaining consistent grip in wet conditions.
Reduces Hand Discomfort and Nerve Irritation
A low, stretched riding position with highly angled saddle creates relatively hard contact points with localised pressure on sensitive nerves in the hand and wrist. This positioning, common in gravel and road riding, often leads to pain and numbness.
The BT Allroad’s variable thickness and special material structure with AirCell foam damps vibrations and effectively distributes pressure across the hands. Rather than concentrating pressure on small contact areas (particularly the ulnar and median nerve pathways), the cushioning spreads load more evenly.
This pressure distribution reduces nerve compression that causes the numbness, tingling, and pain many riders experience during long rides. By protecting sensitive nerve pathways whilst maintaining adequate support, the tape enables comfortable riding for extended durations.
Absorbs Vibrations – Ideal for Long Distances
Road cyclists who venture off-road benefit from the BT Allroad’s increased vibration damping. The 2.5mm thickness absorbs trail buzz effectively whilst maintaining the direct bar feel road riders value. The extra comfort is clearly noticeable, yet control remains precise.
Increased comfort translates to reduced hand fatigue, particularly on longer rides where cumulative vibration creates significant discomfort. This handlebar tape simply feels good, increases riding fun, and improves performance. When hands aren’t fatigued from fighting vibration and maintaining grip, you ride faster, longer, and with more enjoyment.
2300mm Length
The 2300mm tape length provides adequate coverage for standard drop bars with appropriate overlap. This length accommodates most handlebar widths whilst allowing sufficient wrap density for comfort and durability.
140g Weight
At 140g total (both rolls plus accessories), the BT Allroad represents reasonable weight for cushioned bar tape. The AirCell foam construction keeps weight minimal whilst providing meaningful vibration damping. This mass is competitive with performance bar tapes whilst offering superior comfort characteristics.
