Proper posh, user friendly Dutch bar tape with a delicious feel and detailing for those who can afford it
Pros
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Super comfortable padding
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Glorious Dolce bar plugs
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Easy to fit and re-use
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Generous sizing
Cons
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Patterned perforations look untidy on the bar
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Limited colour options
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If Ere packaged its bar tape any more impressively we’d expect a pre-recorded fanfare to play as you opened the recycled cardboard tub. The unwrapping is just the first part of a wholly luxurious experience for those prepared to pay a bit extra.
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With the gorgeous CNC machined, anodised alloy Dolce bar end plug sitting proudly in the window and the recycled cardboard tube sliding open with deliberate iPhone style smoothness, Ere Research does a good job of justifying the super high cost of its Genus tape before you even start fitting it.
The extra wide 35mm width, generous 2m length, a grippy but not sticky (it’s a significant difference) securing strip and a lot of stretch in the thick perforated material makes it really easy to apply. Because it doesn’t stick or tear when you unwrap it’s really easy to reapply if you get your wrap length slightly wrong and the perforations also make matching overlap and alignment easy. The broad width also flattens out the padding so it doesn’t feel lumpy on the bar. The rubber flanges on the CNC machined and anodised Dolce bar end plugs (6 different colours, €12 a pair separately) can be a bit of a floppy fight to install but once they’re coaxed into place and the central bolt tightened up the grip is tenacious. Even the leather effect finishing tape actually has a reasonable amount of staying power, only coming loose and needing a dab of glue after a couple of hours rather than immediately like most useless offerings.
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Perforations keep the bars grippy when hands get sweaty or it starts raining(Image credit: Guy Kesteven)
CNC machined and anodised Dolce bar end plugs are well made and securely plug the bars(Image credit: Guy Kesteven)
Packaging reflects the luxurious feel of the bar tape(Image credit: Guy Kesteven)
The luxuriously cosseted feel from the thick EVA foam and gel tape meant even that didn’t bother us though as we were fully immersed in how much more comfortable our bars felt. It’s certainly comparable to a significant reduction in tyre pressure over rough roads and the perforated pattern also keeps them reassuringly grippy if sweat or rain becomes an issue. Considering the boutique bar plugs price isn’t excessive either.
The interruption of the perforation pattern to form the Ere monogram is a fail though as you can never see the whole logo and the irregular gaps in the wrap look untidy if you’re sensitive about such things. Not everyone will appreciate the added depth of padding either as it does distance you from the bike in terms of feedback and small hands might struggle too. There are currently black/red (Obscurus) and white/red (Albi) colour options to choose from.
There are stickier rubber logo ‘Explorator’ bar tape (€35) for gravel/all-weather use and classic cork infused ‘Omnia’ bar tape (€30) options but you’re still stuck with monochrome colourways.
Verdict
Super comfortable, fat and wide bar tape with luxury presentation, gorgeous end plugs and super user-friendly fit. Extra girth, punctuated perforations and limited colour options won’t suit everyone though.
