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SEVEN DAY CYCLIST
CYCLING, BUT NOT USUALLY RACING
LATEST UPDATE NOVEMBER 14th 2025
HOW DO WE REACH THE OVERALL RATINGS FOR PRODUCTS WE REVIEW?
Wolf Tooth Supple Bar Tape
187g £45 Long Term (8 month) Test
The Wolf Tooth Supple Bar Tape is a top-quality silicone wrap big enough for the widest drops and with decent overlap. Designed specifically for gravel, trails and “the most unforgiving terrain” 600 miles down the line, I’m inclined to say Wolf Tooth have aced the brief. It’s rugged, easy to wrap, correct, offers phenomenal grip and damping. Subjectively, I’m struggling to find fault. However, this comfort means thicker density, resulting in a slightly chunkier look and a little more weight than some gram counting road riders will be comfortable with, but horses for courses springs to mind.
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Pros: Superb grip and shock absorbency, durable, ample coverage for big wide drops, easy to fit and remove, good quality finishing kit, choice of several colours.
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Cons: Price, might be a bit too bulky for riders with smaller hands.
Specification
On paper at least, at 152cm long its relatively short by contemporary, gravel biased standards, but it’s also 40mm wide and 5mm thick, so shouldn’t pose any issues with big, swoopy drops-I've certainly had no issues in this respect. As I said in my opening paragraph, the supple Bar Tape is 100% silicone and uses the same compound employed in their Fat Paw Grips. There’s a choice of brown, orange, blue, red, and orange should our arguably, ultra practical black not excite. Being natural silicone, there’s no call for backing tapes, it’ll cling to the bars, so easily removed and refitted, say for cable, or even bar swaps.
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Finishing kit is similarly solid. The composite end plugs are the tap-in type, which might lack the outright convenience of expander wedge types, especially if you’re needed to replace a cable or similar mid tour. However, they’re a very secure, reliable fit. Finishing strips are also natural silicone, can be re-used and similarly secure, which was a surprise, -I’ve yet to reach for the electrical tape.
Test bikes/contexts
Denise, my gravel bike was the obvious choice, according to Wolf Tooth’s blurb and I was also interested to see how it compared with the very likeable, not to mention, wallet-friendly T-One Mr Fantastic T-ONE MR FANTASTIC HANDLEBAR TAPE | cycling-not-racing (which has served us well for several months). Admittedly, direct comparison is a little unfair, since the former is 3mm thick, but you get the idea.
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Denise features a suspension post but rigid cockpit and forks, so while 40mm tyres offer a decent level of compliance and comfort, I was curious as to whether the Supple Bar Tape would offer further refinement, or feel bulky, especially wearing mid-winter gloves-I've tested ours during a stormy, changeable November and December, so bare handed has been a non-starter, but I’ve gone the very thin full finger, middleweight and full “winter duvet” routes.
Fitting 3.5/5
As I suggested in my opening paragraph, the Supple Bar Tape is surprisingly compliant. Mid fit, I was struck by a weather-related power outage and surprised by how easy it was to achieve favourable effect and consistent overlap, even in the dark. Inspecting my work with the Ravemen LR100 to hand, I only needed to unwind and correct slightly- a little more tension needed around the curved section and figure-of-eight loop around the brake lever clamps.
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As with silicones per se, a medium firm pressure is all that’s needed, cork type taught, and you’ll risk unsightly tan lines. I took a slightly firmer hand to the silicone finishing strips, initially wondering if they might stretch and allow the wrap to loosen. No issues on either front.
Soma Condor Handlebars dressed, I had this much leftover (per roll), enough to make a chainstay/similar protector, scotching any notions of the Supple Bar Tape being wanting on flared gravel or mtb drops.
Grip 4.5/5
Positively leach like, with minimal effort, regardless of palm type. Obviously, designs with extensive silicone detailing on the palms and fingers are the best marriage but no issues with traditional leather, or indeed faux suedes. Again, the soggier things became, the grippier the tape’s texture-perfect for screaming along sweeping descents, or more technical sections of singletrack at the close of a long ride, when I was mentally and physically flagging. Kamikaze rats, field mice and wild rabbits also got in on the act, but the tape’s tenure meant I could keep a relaxed hold and still weave around them and of course, the odd hole, or two.
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Need to pull over to a safe, discrete spot to placate a bursting bladder? it’s a real tree (or fence) hugger. No heart in mouth moments-although I’d still go the parking brake route on a heavily laden tourer, or trailer tug. A zip tie around the brake lever is my preferred option-light, cheap and reusable. Same stories on dry outings, even when temperatures have been hovering around zero.
Damping 4.5/5
The Acros Silicone Bar Tape and T-One Mr Fantastic offer excellent defence against invasive vibration- pock marked junctions, rumble strips, disused airfields, railway crossings and of course unmade farm tracks and trails. However, like for like, the Supple Bar Tape is a discernible notch higher than either. Now, at 5mm thick, it might be, er too substantial for riders with smaller hands.
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For context, mine aren’t like dinner plates, though I am blessed with long, willowy digits. I initially noticed a slightly muted connection with the bars, but this evaporated over the course of our first outing, and it's no worse than a traditional road tape paired with a gel underlay. As the miles racked up, I’ve just appreciated the insulation. In milder weather, this allowed me to wear thinner gloves and enjoy nimbler digits without any trade off. Full disclosure, general riding aside, I’ve typically ridden for 3.5 hours without a break and pulled 6 hour night outings to rule out any psychosomatic new-kit bias.
Durability/Care 4.25/5
Several thousand mixed terrain miles rides and two bar swaps hence, it's holding out as I’d expect a tape brewed for gravel should. It's shrugged at the usual everyday carelessness and a tumble on sheet ice that claimed the brake lever and my bib tights, the Supple Bar tape came away unscathed.
Chalky type residue from brickwork Mossy, muddy and other organic stuff does collect. However, these have shifted with a little dash of bike wash, gentle agitation from a medium soft brush and tepid water rinses. In common with other pure silicones, it can also be machine washed at 30 degrees, which is welcome, especially if you’ve gone for a lighter colour, or as part of a seasonal strip and ground up overhaul. Eight months on, there’s some very minor deterioration at the tops but easily protected and hidden, by the 3m electrical tape anchoring them to the tops.
Value 3.25/5
As we’re always saying, value is nuanced. The Wolf Tooth Supple Bar Tape is particularly good value when quality and performance are factored into the mix, although especially when set against a traditional, mid-point handlebar tape and shock absorbing gel/foam underlay. The most obvious direct comparator is the Acros Silicone Wrap Handlebar Tape and I’m still very endeared to it. However, while it's a tenner cheaper than the Wolf Tooth, its “only” 3mm thick and while the embossed effect certainly aids grip, it also collects grime and patina more readily. Moving away from Silicones a moment, Silca Nastro Pilotti Tape and has a surprisingly low-profile for one with an EVA foam core.
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The outer texture is closer to natural leather and the lower profile might be a better fit for smaller hands. However, it’s a fiver more than Wolf Tooth’s Supple Bar Tape. Leather tapes look great and with some basic care, durable. I’ve been impressed by Soma Leather Handlebar . However, while there’s a choice of three colours and sufficient length for big swoopy drops, I’d suggest running a gel underlay if you were looking towards rough stuff touring, or gravel duties, which means further outlay. Leather requires perioding feeding to lock the elements out and obviously, it’s a non-starter for vegan and strict vegetarian audiences.
Summary
Though relatively expensive and possibly not the best choice for riders with smaller hands, or bikes on strict calorie-controlled diets, the Wolf Tooth Supple Bar Tape really delivers. While primarily marketed at gravel and bike packing audiences, in my view it's a good option for long haul road, not just rough stuff touring duties.
Verdict:4/5 Impressive bar tape but might not suit riders with smaller hands.
Michael Stenning
PUBLISHED AUGUST 2025
