Lizard Skins DSP 2.5mm handlebar tape review

Championed by the likes of Alejandro Valverde and the MTN Qhubeka Lizard Skins bar tape feels incredibly comfy.

Cycling Weekly Verdict

Our favourite bar tape. Wraps well, durable, light, super comfy, looks good.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Feels amazing

  • +

    Lightweight

  • +

    Can be rewrapped

  • +

    Durable

  • +

    Can be wiped clean

  • +

    Large range of colours

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    High price, but not really a con, as it is justified by the quality of the product.

  • -

    You get what you pay for.

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

DSP stands for 'Dura Soft Polymer' meaning that animal lovers can sleep easy in the knowledge that this tape is not made from actual lizards. If you have never tried Lizard Skins DSP tape we strongly urge you to.

>>> How to wrap bar tape

We have fallen in love with the way Lizard Skins bar tape feels on the bars, so much that we have relished recent mild weather as an opportunity to go sans gloves, such is the pleasant texture of this wrap.

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Lizard Skins finishing tape is superb and works very well.
(Image credit: mike prior)

The tape is good at absorbing shocks, (a 3.2mm version being a popular choice in Paris Roubaix) and it looks great too, with top quality finishing tape that actually works, unlike some of the others we have used. It is impressively light too, considering how comfy it is.

>>> Seven of the best: Handle bar tape

Although it is expensive at £27.99 we found Lizard Skins bar tape to be hard wearing and very easy to wipe clean. It can also be unwrapped and reused if necessary, which goes a long towards justifying the price. Being able to unwrap and rewrap tape is especially useful for maintenance, if you need to access a shifter or cables.

There are a hue range of colours available to perfectly match your steed, so for more info head over to 2pure.

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Oliver Bridgewood - no, Doctor Oliver Bridgewood - is a PhD Chemist who discovered a love of cycling. He enjoys racing time trials, hill climbs, road races and criteriums. During his time at Cycling Weekly, he worked predominantly within the tech team, also utilising his science background to produce insightful fitness articles, before moving to an entirely video-focused role heading up the Cycling Weekly YouTube channel, where his feature-length documentary 'Project 49' was his crowning glory.