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Ergon Orthocell Handlebar Tape
Ergon Orthocell Handlebar Tape
86g uncut £39.99
Ergon suggests the Orthocell might be “The best bar tape in the world?” One of those claims that induces a wry smile and reminds me of the marketing of a Danish lager back in the 90s. Jest aside, don’t be fooled by the understated looks. The Orthocell, is almost an “every rider’s” tape. One just gets on with it, offering excellent grip, superb damping, low maintenance, enough length for the biggest flared drops but without bulk.
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Pros: very generous length, excellent damping without bulk, supportive, grippy, hard wearing, low maintenance.
Cons: single colour, price.
Specification
Measuring 250mm and 3mm thick, the Orthocell sits between their all road and gravel wraps. This might also explain why Ergon have marketed it at road, all road, gravel, and cyclo cross audiences.
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I’d add touring into the mix and, at 95g complete, only time triallists with bikes on the strictest calorie-controlled diets are likely to pull faces. It is, after all, lighter than Silca Nastro Piloti, which is arguably a roadie tape.
Aesthetically, Ergon Orthocell doesn’t look 3mm thick, in the way silicones can, extending its scope to traditional, thin tubed road, Audax and, indeed, touring lorries. By the same token, there’s oodles of it, so scope for gel underlays etc, if you were doing epic “to the centre of the earth” journeys on a tubby tourer. Or indeed, a drop bar mountain bike, where the beefier look is arguably most flattering.
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As the name implies, the main ingredient is an orthopaedic foam; one employed in their saddles, designed to offer uniform cushioning, while retaining, like other “memory” foams, its shape and, equally significantly, distributing pressure evenly, theoretically reducing discomfort and numbness.
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Wearing mitts, to touch the subtle herringbone pattern and satin texture for grip was strangely reminiscent of old school cotton tapes. However, unlike cottons, it doesn’t absorb rain, sweat, sleet etc.
The kit comprises of two reels, end plugs, “cheater strips” and some very stretchy silicone finishing strips with a good quality adhesive.
Test bike & contexts
Denise has very wide WTB Dirt drops and does extended miles on and off road, not just road routes to gravel lanes and bridleways. Clearances also permit 35mm spiked tyres for icy periods when I want to blast along asphalt for a few hours with less resistance than Ursula, shod with 26x2.3 Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro . I’ve run ours from October through to January. October and early November were characterised by temperatures in the high teens and generally dry conditions, presenting an ideal opportunity to assess comfort and texture with bare fingers.
Mid-November onwards, there’s been the full cauldron of heavy rain, flooding, ice, sleet and various densities of gloves, from dexterous thinner pile to lobster types when the temperatures been several below zero.
Fitting 3.5/5
The Orthocell is nice to work with and reminiscent of corks, i.e. responds best to a firm but smooth, consistent tension, overlapping to taste as you go. The backing adhesive is tacky, rather tenacious, so very tolerant of adjustments and correction as appropriate. However, keep the scissors and finishing strips handy, since in common with some others, ours tended to mischievously unravel just as you’d reached the tops. Given the length, I was able to achieve pleasing double-ups at key points and figures of eight around the brake lever hoods, relegating the cheater strips to my “could come in handy” tub. The stretchy, rubbery finishing strips are much nicer than I’ve come to expect and respond verry well to being pulled tight. Do take the time to smooth them down though, as complacency on my part saw them creep and unravel slightly. As the photo illustrates, I had ample left over - easily enough for taping a set of tri bars, or the “shelf-type” designs. Alternatively, it could make a good top-tube protector.
Grip 3.75/5
This has been consistently good, regardless of weather, temperature and for the most part, glove type. Perhaps predictably, those with extensive silicone detailing along the palms and finger have an edge when I’ve been tired and it’s been raining dogs. Particularly toward the end of a ride and tackling twisting descents, or winding singletrack. Not level pegging with some super sticky silicones, in particular the Across Silicone Wrap , or indeed, the Ciclovation Grind Touch , but certainly on par with M Part Primo and Wolf Tooth Supple Lite . I was also pleasantly surprised by how rapidly heavy rain beaded up and rolled off. Minus 2 and 3 degrees (colder thanks to wind chill) there’s been some slight frosting, especially when descending and doubtless that spiked tyres help but I’ve felt able to retain a relaxed poise, so no issues with tense, or aching hands.
Comfort/Damping 3.75
3mm could be considered optimal when it comes to padding density, striking the best balance between damping and bulk. The latter is not simply an aesthetic thing, it’s a practical consideration for riders with smaller hands. For the most part, the memory foam properties work very well, providing uniform displacement and avoiding numbness. Glove choice also plays a part. I was most comfortable with middleweight gloves employing light to moderate, uniform padding. Some with ulnar defending gels could induce precisely the numbness they supposedly eliminate given three hours or so, sooner when traversing unmade and gravel roads. Others, including the lobster mitt types, could feel a little remote, but that’s a reflection of the gloves, not the bar tape.
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These points aside, I’ve been impressed by the Orthocell’s ability to mute low level intrusive vibration - over-banding, washboard tarmac - hasn’t left hands, or shoulders feeling fatigued come the close of a ride.
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This has remained so regardless of whether I’ve been running supple gravel rubber such as the 40mm Maxxis Rambler and Maxxis Ravager TR, or the much heavier and harsher, though ultra dependable wire bead 35mm Schwalbe Marathon Winter.
Again, like for like, damping doesn’t rival the Wolf Tooth Supple Bar Tape but, much as I learned to love the Wolf Tooth, the bulk won’t be to everyone’s taste and the Ergon Orthocell offers ample scope for gel underlays should you be an endurance mountain biker running drops and not wanting the additional weight and complication of a suspension stem. Nonetheless, I’ve never felt the need to take this route during our six-week, mixed surface test.
Care/Durability 3.5/5
Black is incredibly practical and hides a multitude of sins, so perfect for daily drivers, winter trainers, cyclo-cross and other machines exposed to mucky stuff. I’ve certainly not babied ours. Leaned against a wealth of surfaces, including mossy trees, rendered brickwork, rough sawn wooden fences, there’s been no trace of chalky, or mossy calling cards, or obvious signs of wear.
Time will tell as to how well the backing adhesive weathers, but to date, it’s been tolerant of being re-wound, say if replacing a cable (assuming you didn’t do so when replacing tape as part of a seasonal strip ’n’ service). The lack of delicate coatings mean that cleaning is simply a matter of bike wash, medium stiff brush and moderate pressure.
Value 3.25/5
A penny shy of £40 is definitely at the higher end of the spectrum, but by no means outlandish. Enve Handlebar Tape is 250cm long, 3mm thick and available in three colours and slightly cheaper at £35. Cannondale Hextak Silicone Bar Tape is available in a choice of black, or white, measures a respectable 200cm and is slightly thinner at 2.7mm thick. Cannondale say it weighs 165g - a good bit weightier than the Ergon and a little dearer at £44.95.
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Staying with 3mm rivals, there’s Fizik's Terra Microtex Bondcush Tacky Tape, which is a little cheaper (£34.99). It’s aimed at cyclo-cross audiences and is available in a choice of six colours. It’s best thought of as a sandwich, employing a tacky outer layer, a polymer foam mid and a gel type backing. Theoretically this combines excellent damping and easy rewinding. However, we’ve not tested any, so cannot comment as to its real-world prowess.
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The Acros Silicone Wrap Handlebar Tape remains a firm favourite of mine. It’s almost twice the weight (163g uncut) and in the lighter colours, the embossed pattern will attract grime. That said, it can be popped in the washing machine at 30 degrees.
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The natural silicone does away with the need for backing adhesives, while affording excellent control and damping. Its Mellow stablemate is a little cheaper and also follows the Ergon Orthocell’s functional black narrative. Its generous at 215cm and 3mm thick but reckoned to weight 56g uncut, which may appeal to time triallists and others looking to save a few grams without sacrificing performance.
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Lizard Skins DSP Ultra Bar Tape is £47.99-£54.98, available in 1.9, 2.7 and 3.5mm densities and no less than 12 colours. The legendary, dare we say, rubbery PU coating is particularly effective in wet weather but does require more care when washing and cleaning-think soft wet cloths, not brushes.
Summary
Contact points are very personal and can be very divisive. The “best” saddle, bars, pedals and bar tape are simplest described as those which best suit your needs, riding style and ergonomics. The Ergon Orthocell is a very competent and moreover rugged all-rounder that crosses genres seamlessly. It will offer excellent control and damping but without being unduly bulky, so will deliver on a skinny tyred road bike just as well as a gravel build.
Verdict 3.5/5 Decent all-rounder bar tape for road, touring and dirt duties, albeit pricier than some.
Michael Stenning
PUBLISHED JANUARY 2026
