Avoid Lizard Skin

[mg2ride]

I like the way it looks and feels so I decided to give Lizard skin bar wrap a try. I normally try to pay less than $10 for tape but splurged on this stuff.

Very disappointed. The slippage might be a result of my lousy wrapping although I have done it many times with out slippage. The delimitation is what is not acceptable. This tape has less than 1000 miles. I have other bikes with tape that has been on for years and years and countless miles.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8881/17421636074_6be7b51e28_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/sxurrL)


Update:Lizard Skin contacted me with a nice email giving me some tips for the installation and offering to send me another roll!

Update #2: After 2 weeks the replacement roll never showed up.

[Cicli]

Agreed, that tape sucks. It dosent last long and is slippery as snot when wet.

[rnhood]

I don't know, maybe you got a sample from a bad lot. Maybe the coloring process is defective. I been using it for years (white color) and consider it among the best bar tapes on the market. The drawbacks are its expense, and difficulty in cleaning. But with regards to grip and feel, its top shelf.

Having said this, I currently have Performance's copy of LS on my bars. Its acceptable, though not anywhere as good as LS. Main advantage is low cost.

I would send this picture, and the tape to LS. They are easily accessible and answer the phone if you call first (like all good companies).

[kramnnim]

Looks exactly like what happened to a friend's LS tape...

[TimAZ]

I've had great luck with their bar tape for several years. I recently tried their mtn bike grips because I was given a pair. I wasn't super stoked on them. Way more difficult to install than the ESI grips that I had been using. I also like the feel of ESI grips better for the mtn bikes.

[thirdgenbird]

It would take a pretty convincing review (and maybe a free roll) to get my to try anything but fizik superlight classic.

[pinoymamba]

I use black 3.2 it's lasted over 10k miles... no delamination no slippage.

[mg2ride]

I would send this picture, and the tape to LS. They are easily accessible and answer the phone if you call first (like all good companies).


Email with picture sent.
Great idea. I don't know why I thought about complaining here before I considered complaining to them.

I will report back if they respond.

[efaust_o]

No problems here, w/ 2000+ miles and numerous roller workouts. It's hard to find someone who sweats more than I. Let us know the outcome...What do you use to clean with? :confused:

[donn12]

I have black on my trainer bike and white in my CX bike. Only been on for 6 months or so but looks and feels new

[Uncle Jam's Army]

My friend's white Lizard Skin makes the OP's tape look pristine in comparison. The tape simply disintegrated on the ramps to the hoods and on the tops, after about 6 months of use. Remarkable to see a tape fall apart like that, even under high use.

[guido]

I have the heavy weight Black Lizard Skin on my SanMarcos. Probably 700 miles so far and it is still looking fine with no damage. Still plenty stick grip.

[Daveyk]

Wrap must be a personal preference item.
I love the thicker version. Tacky and cushioned.
It may wear poorly but I don't care.
Have to admit it is slippery on really hot, humid days.

[SPOKE]

If LS tape is stretched too much during install it can go bad pretty quickly.

[Seramount]

Fizik Microtex...

using the white color, I still get 1.5 years (10K miles) of service. it cleans up easily, but will finally develop a dingy tint after enough time.

black would probably last forever.

[Dead Man]

Yup. I think it sucks.

I bought some... it delaminated. I contacted LS after the fact, and they immediately sent me a new roll and said maybe I put it on too tight, causing the delam on the first set. So I put on the new stuff, being careful not to put it on too tight, and it slips off the bars. I contact them again, he says "maybe you didn't put it on tight enough, try re-wrapping it tighter." So I do..... and it's still slipping, I discovered looking at it yesterday.

Taking it off and going back to $10 cork.

[scpknees]

I started the season with lizard skin bar tape, this is my first time trying this brand and so far it's the best tape I've owned. hopefully i'll feel this way at seasons end.

[bcroslin]

Arundel tape is the best IMO

[gavingould]

LS is difficult to wrap; doesn't like to be stretched, but also hard to wrap tightly enough.
once it's on there though, it's been great for me. my first LS tape spent a few thousand miles on the road bike then was re-wrapped onto the cross bike for a season of racing.
i just put a new roll on my do-it-all bike and rode ~70mi on it yesterday.
for what it's worth, i don't find it slippery in the rain at all. i don't wear gloves unless it's full-finger weather, 40F and below.

[Fishbike]

My yellow LS delaminated as well after just a few hundred miles. And then I had the white on 2 bikes that discolored quite a bit -- not so much dirty just yellowish. I love the feel but the polymer does funky things.

[JAllen]

I can't speak to their tape (I buy whatever is on sale or clearance. Latest being Specialized), but I can speak to their grips. A buddy of mine bought a bunch on a great deal online and we put them on bikes fixed up and resold. A little hair spray and they fit right on. I like them quite a bit and they are nice and comfy on the test rides.

[CheshireCat]

funny...I've had mine on the bike for over a year and they've been great.

ive done black, white and pink and all were great.

you really cant stretch the tape when you install otherwise it will delam. There's a trick to keeping it taut without stretch and sometimes it takes a couple tries to get the perfect wrap, but i love the stuff.

[efaust_o]

I watched the video on Youtube. What is your tip (trick) in keeping it taunt? :help:

[illuminaught]

Here's a pic of mine after 2 days... I'm really disappointed.
Total waste of money. It's gotten significantly worse in the last week...
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff415/derpology/IMG_20150513_090307184_zpsoe1mywua.jpg

[Dromen]

WOW. I have LS on all bikes except a couple with Handlebra. Cant wear it out. One bike has some that has been re-wrapped 4 times(off other bikes) and it has gotten a bit thin and less chushy but no issues with condition.

All black for me.

Never understood the slippery when wet either....

[CheshireCat]

I watched the video on Youtube. What is your tip (trick) in keeping it taunt? :help:

for me:instead of pulling on it with a lot of distance between my hand in the tape, I pull it tight but not stretched by keeping my hand and fingers extremely close to the bar. I try to keep the tape as flat as possible while wrapping around the handlebar with very little wrinkling. The tricky part is when going over the hoods/cables exiting the levers as this is a prime spot to overstretch the tape. I've messed up the tape a couple times, but it usually is fixed if I re-wrap the bars again but switch sides that the tape sits on.

After getting whacked by a car, I was able to just flip the tape around and work around the gash that I earned by smacking the ground.

I'm fine, but my wheel just suddenly bent and I think I might have a hell of a time getting insurance to pay for it since it was a few months since I've ridden the bike with that wheelset and was hit.

it's a bummer that the stuff seems to be of inconsistent quality from y'alls reports. I've got it on all my bikes.


the best traction by far has and always will be the stuff from ESIGRIPS and ZEVLIN, if you're looking for a Lizard Skin alternative:

http://www.zevlin.com/category_s/1862.htm

http://www.esigrips.com/Silicone_Road_Grips.htm

(I use ESI for MTB, but my friend loves the road stuff on his cross bike)

[r_mutt]

odd- i've used it for over 5 years and have not found a better tape.

[cinema]

The price is outrageous. takes all kinds i guess

[kasak]

Can confirm. I have some blue and white lizard skins on the trainer and the blue will bleed out and with a heavy sweet. Definitely slippery when wet too - it can be like grabbing a slick sponge but others don't fare great here either. I also had some black LS on another bike - it was older and less slippery. That one went all to pieces but it had been on there quite a while so I really can't fault it. Just don't think it performs well enough to justify their asking price.

[Highpowernut]

I believe it is priced high,.
I have it on two bikes, started with it on my tri bike due to its feel when wet. Good grip for me when hands are wet.

Put it on my road bike , doesn't seem to be lasting as long, starting to see ware after 1k miles.
Any other similar alternative would be great as I like the feel , but don't know if I can justify the cost again

[jwalther]

I've had mine on the bike for a couple thousand miles and one rewrap for new cables, and it looks brand new. Pricey, but I wanted the two tone to match the frame.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s216/jeffw63/6E05D239-3EAC-49B5-84F6-72C81DA9C13F_zpsp7int3cq.jpg (http://s153.photobucket.com/user/jeffw63/media/6E05D239-3EAC-49B5-84F6-72C81DA9C13F_zpsp7int3cq.jpg.html)

[AJosiahK]

Great tape!

Losses is nice sticky texture after not long. Thicker stuff is nice but I like the thin 1.8

Be sure to avoid stretching as this as start above will kill the tape. I splits the layers apart and causes early destruction!

I have wrapped many bars with LS and find a light wrap in combination with grabbing the tape, and twisting the bar with it loose yields a good and lasting result.

[Walter]

I have used the black on one of my bikes for the last several years w/o any trouble at all.

[PaulE]

I don't think I've wrapped it too tight. 1 bike has about 500 miles with the tape and the tape has started to wear out on the bars just behind the hoods. Another bike has less than 500 miles on the tape and the same spots on behind the hoods have worn the color off on spots about the size of a nickel. The third bike has about 100 miles with the tape and no problems yet. All of this tape is the 3.2 mm thick version.

FWIW I had the similar Arundel tape on one of these bikes and had the same problem, which is why I went to this tape. I have had Cinelli and other cork tapes last for years, I guess I'm going back to that.

[mg2ride]

Lizard Skin contacted me with a nice email giving me some tips for the installation and offering to send me another roll!

Even if I'm unable to get it right the second time around, I wish I had done some research and contacted them prior to choosing the title for this thread.

If a Mod reads this would you please consider changing the title to "Avoid Stretching Lizard Skin"

[dave thompson]

Lizard Skin contacted me with a nice email giving me some tips for the installation and offering to send me another roll!

Even if I'm unable to get it right the second time around, I wish I had done some research and contacted them prior to choosing the title for this thread.

If a Mod reads this would you please consider changing the title to "Avoid Stretching Lizard Skin"

Easy to change the title in your original post: go to 'edit' then to 'advanced' which will allow you to edit your title.

You can prevent slipping of the tape by underwrapping with hockey or friction tape, then wrap the LizardSkin normally with minimal pulling.

[false_Aest]

Easy to change the title in your original post: go to 'edit' then to 'advanced' which will allow you to edit your title.

You can prevent slipping of the tape by underwrapping with hockey or friction tape, then wrap the LizardSkin normally with minimal pulling.

also possible to do this by wrapping e-tape sticky side out. I think I learned that trick from the old Svelte Cycles blog

[Cicli]

also possible to do this by wrapping e-tape sticky side out. I think I learned that trick from the old Svelte Cycles blog

Friction tape works better. Vinyl tape melts and makes a sticky mess.

[dave thompson]

Yep, hockey/friction tape provides a lot of friction without the stickiness of electrical tape so LizardSkin bar tape doesn't move around when wrapped with it.

[Dead Man]

Lizard Skin contacted me with a nice email giving me some tips for the installation and offering to send me another roll!

Even if I'm unable to get it right the second time around, I wish I had done some research and contacted them prior to choosing the title for this thread.

If a Mod reads this would you please consider changing the title to "Avoid Stretching Lizard Skin"

Russel seems like a nice guy.

It's still a failed product. Sounds like around 50% of people have no trouble with it, and maybe another 25% can get it to work with some special effort. That's not working for me, personally.

[mg2ride]

Russel seems like a nice guy.

It's still a failed product. Sounds like around 50% of people have no trouble with it, and maybe another 25% can get it to work with some special effort. That's not working for me, personally.

Those numbers don’t necessarily related to failure. As long as his profit covers the cost a 1 free replacement he is still doubling his money 75% of the time.

I’ll take that all Day!

[arthurlo]

Any correlation between people who wear out the tape faster and those who wear gloves when they ride?

I was in the same boat with the surface of the bar tape wearing off within 1000 miles. I wore gloves with synthetic leather palms all the time and tended to put my weight on direct on the section that wore out first. I wonder if it would have lasted longer if I did not wear gloves.

[PaulE]

Any correlation between people who wear out the tape faster and those who wear gloves when they ride?

I was in the same boat with the surface of the bar tape wearing off within 1000 miles. I wore gloves with synthetic leather palms all the time and tended to put my weight on direct on the section that wore out first. I wonder if it would have lasted longer if I did not wear gloves.

Since an accident last summer where sweaty bare hands on leather bar wrap were possibly a contributing factor I've been wearing gloves and I ride 99.9% of the time with my hands on the hoods. All of my lizard skin wear issues are where the heels of my hands come in contact with the bars behind the hoods.

Having said that, it's not a problem with cork tape which lasts for years for me. It usually gets faded and dirty before it starts to break up.

[mg2ride]

Lizard Skin contacted me with a nice email giving me some tips for the installation and offering to send me another roll!

Even if I'm unable to get it right the second time around, I wish I had done some research and contacted them prior to choosing the title for this thread.

If a Mod reads this would you please consider changing the title to "Avoid Stretching Lizard Skin"

2 weeks from the initial contact with the Company and no replacement was sent and no further contact.

The only thing worse than not responding to a complaint and responding that you will make it right and than not following thru.

No biggie just a $35 lesson learned.

[odin99]

my buddy and i had the same issue as the OP with colored LZ Skin tape. about the same mileage. i don't use it anymore. fizik for me.

[benb]

I've been using this exclusively since around 2011 and have yet to actually wear a set out. It's only been changed out when I either bought a new bike or changed handlebars or something.

There is a huge warning on the instructions & on the sticker affixed to the tape not to stretch it. :no:

I rewrapped mine a couple weeks ago and did screw it up right in the hook of the bar where it contacts the brifter and need to fix it. But I'm waiting for a new set of bars for that bike right now so I've been living with it. I may have to replace it if it seems messed up from a 3rd re-wrap when I put it on the new bars. This is the only time I've ever had trouble with it unwrapping.. I can't help but wonder if when it unwraps it was wrapped the wrong direction.

I've never had a color other than black.. I can't help but wonder if the color process can weaken it. The other thing is it could be related to sweat chemistry.. I was just reading a guitar forum and they claim some people's sweat will kill guitar strings in a week or two, other people can play the same strings for months.

I always wear gloves.

[mg2ride]

I find it interesting that before this I had never noticed anyone with delamanted bar tape. Since this has happened I have seen it twice on group rides in the past few weeks.

Both times it was self applied Lizard Skin. And just like myself they watched the Lizard Skin video and saw the don't stretch warning in the package.

Old habits die hard and in all cases by the time we started to wrap beyond the brifter the stretching started.:no:

One of the others also contacted the company but got no resolve.

[benb]

I redid mine the other night after my previous post..

I would say the part right around the brifter is pretty challenging on this tape.. on one side I had to redo it 3x to get it secure without stretching.

The other side came out perfect first time.

But then again this is about the 3rd time I've reused this particular set of tape.. I'm amazed it went back on OK.

[crossjunkee]

Anybody tried the mtn bike grips? I like the way they feel, but now I'm not sure. The outside of the grip looks like bar tape.

[dzxc]

I used white tape for about 1,000 miles then black for another 1,000. And used another roll for a different bike. Probably have 2,500 miles on it across 3 rolls. Never had an issue, but was very careful to not overstretch. This caused an issue when it kind of came unraveled during a race, but I was able to fix it. Really enjoy the tape, very cushioned.

However, it is garbage with bare, sweaty hands. In those situations it's like someone applied vaseline on my bars.

[milkbaby]

I have Lizard Skin on one bike I got second hand, so it wasn't wrapped by me. It's only started to get some wear after 3500 miles, basically the rubberized stuff is wearing away to show the underlying material, mostly in the spot where my hand rests when on the hoods.

I wear full finger gloves 99.9% of the time, so I pick tape based mostly on looks. The discontinued Fizik dual tape is my fave, actually feels good barehanded too.

[KF9YR]

Anybody tried the mtn bike grips? I like the way they feel, but now I'm not sure. The outside of the grip looks like bar tape.


I have the lock on Lizard Skin grips on my Eriksen and haven't had any issues yet (only 600 miles on this bike).

[rnhood]

Just put a new bar on my bike, and LS tape which I have historically heavily favored for its feel. I've used it many times and had good life from it. Well on my first ride today (66 miler) after installation of the new bar and tape - by a very credible local shop - it is delaminating on both sides where I typically put my hands in the drops. Definitely something is different about the manufacturing process. They have done something but probably will never admit the problem. Its the last time I will ever use it.

[djg21]

WOW. I have LS on all bikes except a couple with Handlebra. Cant wear it out. One bike has some that has been re-wrapped 4 times(off other bikes) and it has gotten a bit thin and less chushy but no issues with condition.

All black for me.

Never understood the slippery when wet either....

I'm finally replacing the handlebra wrap on my road bike after 3 1/2 seasons and probably close to 20k miles. And I'm not diligent about cleaning it - I sprayed it once or twice with 303 protectant and wipe it with a damp rag when necessary. I might even try leather conditioner this time around and see how long it he wrap lasts. The stuff is awesome, and given that I was replacing my fizik tape a couple of times a year, the cost is a wash. I dislike gloves, and the wrap feels really good too. It was a little slick the first couple rides, and then broke in. I'm sold. My old wrap is being recycled -- I'm going to salvage the unworn portions and put them on my TT bike.

[Tin Turtle]

You need to have experience with Lizard Skin tape in order to get it to work right. Unfortunately I had to pay for my experience.

[bianchi10]

I'm using their thinnest 1.8 Race Tape and I have unwrapped and rewrapped at least 7 times. I have about 4k miles on it and it still looks almost new. No problems here and will buy again. On the other hand, I bought the thicker stuff about 6 years ago and it only lasted me 600 ish miles. Not sure why or what I did different.