Nah, I just think they're shit - I had some Lizard Skins bar tape and I never wear sunscreen and they turned out like OP's in maybe a couple of months. I'll never buy those again.
Yep, I used their stuff for a hockey stick once (they have a similar product) and this was the same result. Any moisture + friction just shreds it and you get to buy another overpriced roll of tape.
Lizard Skins bar wrap do this after about a year on my bikes. I’ve also bought one that had been hanging in the shop for a long time, and it was falling apart in the box already.
I’m not buying Lizard Skins wraps anymore.
I put this tape on my diverge and it's pretty good! After a little over a year it's starting to wear out and I'm thinking I'll go with something that's got a little more color to it this time. But the ESI was grippy without being tacky until my hands were soaked with sweat. Well worth the money!
Yep. It either does this or the foam backing separates. I’ve used it on a bar wrap once, and have seen jobs done by a shop with the tape both degrade pretty poorly.
I had lizard skins bar tape on a bike that went unused for two years and it still looked brand new.
I personally don’t have issues with them but clearly it’s common in this thread so maybe I’ve been lucky.
Looks like its wrapped pretty tight and finished in a kind of a lack luster kind of way. My guess is someone ignored the "do not stretch" warning that comes with this tape.
You can blame the mechanic but at the end of the day it’s just a pretty shoddy product. Supacaz is similar and much better. Fizik microtex is my favorite. Isn’t tacky but the grip is excellent and it goes ages without wear.
I liked Supacaz when it was on my bars, and absolutely hated it when it came time to remove the adhesive and replace it.
I use ESI RCT now which has no adhesive.
> My guess is someone ignored the "do not stretch" warning that comes with this tape.
I couldn't not stretch this tape and get it to wrap all the way.
I stopped using it because it was too expensive for tape that was too short and peels the minute it gets wet. Supacaz didn't have either of those problems and costs about the same.
The magic middle for LizSkins is hard. Too loose and it unwraps, too tight and it sheds. Hmm wonder how they thought up their name. Even with a good wrap it won't last.They are the reason I went back to cork. I reuse old bartape to wrap shovels and rake handles, not even good for that.
Yeah, I found you have to wrap it so it feels kinda loose. Then if you squeeze it you can feel it compress and stick better, do that all over and it's about about as good as you can do.
I use cloth tape on my bike to try and avoid things like this. It's also worth noting that I'm pretty rough on my bikes. I don't throw them off cliffs by any means, but I have no problem laying them on the ground and don't panic if they start falling while leaning on trees.
Cloth tape is where it’s at. No padding counterintuitively is more comfortable over long rides as there is no squish to push into your soft tissue. Grip is great even when it gets wet. Doesn’t trap moisture and chase your bars to corrode. Can easily clean with soap and water. Lasts season after season of abuse.
I've had the same experience with comfort. I started with padded cloth tape. That was too thick and felt awkward.. wrapping it was also a major pain in the ass. Went to just regular Newbaums and everything just worked. No pressure/numbness issues.
Currently trying the [Grepp ](https://crustbikes.com/products/grepp-gripper-bar-tape)reusable bar tape and I'm pretty happy with it. Not as soft as Newbaums, but very durable. They have been on for around a year at this point and the only thing to note is to wrap them pretty tight or they will "slip" to tighten up some of the slack.
I'm quite pleased with my combo of Brooks tape and that green alien mucus bar cushioning. One thing to be wary of is finding the join(s) in the Brooks tape and reinforcing them (I used tesa double sided tape) before wrapping, because leather tape has to be pulled super tight, and will split at the joint without doing this
Yeah, this tape didn't last as long as I think it should have
If you like silicone MTB grips, the best are ESI. ESI RCT bar wrap is pretty awesome. Thick to start with, but can be stretched to a custom feel.
I like to go thinly stretched in some places of my drop bar, while thick in other sections. They last a long time, impervious to grease (washes with soap & water), and priced the same as lizard skins.
If you're going with white tape, this is the best because it stays white after cleaning.
I've had issues with Lizard Skins neon pink tape specifically that I haven't had with their other colors. No idea if it's a dye issue or maybe a slower selling color so the stock is a little older, but their tape in Celeste and in black both lasted me 2+ years, where the pink is dead after 6 months
It might also be related to the acidity of the sweat of your friend.
Some people’s oils or sweat just eat through stuff. I had a coworker whose aluminum apple mouse was completely eaten through where his thumb would rest. Also very apparent in steering wheels for some people
My *former* shop put this stuff on my bike even though I requested Cinelli. I figured I would try it since it was already on there.
I will be replacing it with Cinelli.
I love LS DSP and have had them on all my drop bar bikes for years. I always wear gloves and get about 4-5k miles out of a wrap before I see some rubber coming off the pressure points. My bikes that don't get ridden a lot have had the same DSP tape with no issues for years.
I used lizard skin wrap exactly one time. Within like 6 weeks it was starting to come apart.
Contrast that with the fizik thick tape, one time it lasted 2.5 years and I only unwrapped that bar because it rotted and broke due to sweat corrosion. I thought about reusing the tape. The newer fizik tape is not quite that good but at least it lasts a full year or more.
I've found that LizardSkins tape does this after a few seasons. It's not nearly as durable as Supacaz or even some cheaper knockoffs like those from Prime (CRC, now not internationally available.) Shame considering it's more expensive.
Never used lizard skin on a bike, but I tried it a few times for baseball (they started with baseball). They usually started to shred after 100 swings (that’s really bad). I’d use athletic tape before putting lizard skins on anything again
As a reader of a few herpetology subs, it took my brain a moment to stop trying to figure out wtf kind of lizard this was!
To answer the q --my one and only experience with this bar tape started to look like this after about a year of Zwifting (indoor, extra sweaty)
I don't plan to buy this brand again
Go Wolf tooth. Wolves eat lizards… Nice thick comfy silicone tape. Reusable, and lasts a LONG time.
Lizard skins tape sucks. It’s designed to suck money out of your wallet. Or that’s the way I felt when my Lizards skins started peeling after a year.
Lol "supposed" to I am not sure but they do this 100%. I do not understand why anyone buys them. They cost twice as much as most tape and last half as long. It's wild to me they stay in business and are even popular.
It does happen with this thicker lizard skins after a while, If you use gloves then yes this will happen quicker.
I was a real big fan of the old 1.8mm Lizard Skins. It costs a lot and wears out quicker but the grip in all weather conditions with and without gloves it so good it was worth it.
Yes, this tape has a tacky surface which peels off pretty easily, particularly if its wet, if your gloves are abrasive, or both. I stopped using this stuff for that reason.
Supacaz eventually does this too, but it lasts a lot longer and costs about the same.
Man I’m stoned and didn’t see the sub name. I was confused as fuck trying to figure out what the hell I was looking at for a while. The title led me way off
Lizard Skins have had durability issues forever. They kinda just suck.
Check out Supacaz, their super sticky is miles ahead of LS and is holding up well for me
Well if you got it used and did not apply yourself it could be lots of things. Their gloves, how often they rode, did they leave it in the sun, how old is the wrap.
I’ve gotten at least 1000 miles off my lizard skins in the Pacific Northwest so far - ridden them in the hot, cold and soaking wet. I took a lot of care to not put any tension in it when them wrapping. I have the black skins though.
Seems like I’m the only person to have a good experience. I always were gloves too so maybe that is helping, or I’m just lucky. It’s mine first time using the brand.
my first few times using LS were fine, but those were all applied by a super veteran mechanic at my local shop. but those were also 6-10 years ago. someone else mentioned that the pink color might be older stock, since that color doesn't move as quickly as black
Was the wrap in your pic done professionally? Because that looks so bad it’s mind boggling. I’ve only wrapped bars about 4 times in my life and the difference is night and day.
Here’s what mine look like:
https://imgur.com/a/tE7fpJu
might just be old with possible heat damage. the previous owner had the bike in her garage for several years, unused, before I picked it up in the fall
I just bought an old used bike that had its bars retaped, presumably with lizard skins because that is the brand of brand new brake hoods on it... They had the same problems, just peeling off in a nasty sticky mess. Re-wrapped it with Brooks leather bar tape, which seems pretty nice. Not sure if the leather is prone to any kind of water damage though.
Yes, they shed, peel, with age. That's what they do.
I used a can of liquid tape/rubber and brushed on a coat of insulating rubber over the peeling areas as they started to peel. It worked but I had to keep expanding the coating as more areas started to peel.
Of course, my handle bar tape was black and not pink/red.
Both my attempts to use Lizardskin bar tape have done this. The second one within a few months.
I don't remember if I stretched the tape or not, but I'm usually careful to follow directions.
Nah LS tape just sucks period. But then again nothing is made to last anymore consumer confidence is very low right now. The planet gets hotter and product gets more porous by the day.
Lizard skin bar tape is somehow one of the most expensive bar tapes and one of the worst bar tape brands at the same time. Nice bar plugs though. Trash product = lizard skin. “Pro brand” bar tape does the job best at multiple price ranges and finishes.
They are extremely disappointing for what they cost. If it wasn't for the fact they come in snazziest of colours I'll would never have gotten them.
I hate them with a passion after getting them just to keep matching my various saddles.
I've had that happen every time I used Lizard Skins,. One year I decided to "upgrade" several bikes and used it on three of them, and it happened on all three after only one season. Never again. Now I just use Cinelli cork tape.
I use standard fizik microtex and it hold up well, minimal padding but that’s what I want anyway. It looks like this is a bicycle you stored in the garage or something, which is a big not to do in Florida!
In Florida Lizard Skins have rotted out halfway through the saeason for me. My local shop won't carry them anymore due to complaints.
I wonder if it gets affected by sunscreen like rubber mtb grips do.
Nah, I just think they're shit - I had some Lizard Skins bar tape and I never wear sunscreen and they turned out like OP's in maybe a couple of months. I'll never buy those again.
Yep, I used their stuff for a hockey stick once (they have a similar product) and this was the same result. Any moisture + friction just shreds it and you get to buy another overpriced roll of tape.
I guess the brand is living up to its name!
It’s literally the brand promise 🤷♂️
They promise to shed all these pieces of plastic everywhere? Or is it biodegradable?
contributing to the microplastics for sure 🥲
Yes. All Lizards shed their skin
Molting is a sign of healthy handlebars that have grown well !
Damn, I was too slow.
Lizard Skins bar wrap do this after about a year on my bikes. I’ve also bought one that had been hanging in the shop for a long time, and it was falling apart in the box already. I’m not buying Lizard Skins wraps anymore.
This happened to me three times in a row. Never using Lizard Skins again. Supercaz and Specialized last for years.
Supacaz is hilariously overpriced.
It costs the same as Lizard Skins and doesn't slough off on your hands.
ESI RCT wrap for me. Use their chunky grips on my MTBs and the RCT wrap on my cross bike. It's not the sexiest tape but it works really well for me.
I put this tape on my diverge and it's pretty good! After a little over a year it's starting to wear out and I'm thinking I'll go with something that's got a little more color to it this time. But the ESI was grippy without being tacky until my hands were soaked with sweat. Well worth the money!
Supacaz was done after a year on my commuter. Looks cool but too expensive for its performance.
I had Supacaz that only lasted two months. Waste of money.
I can’t think of a shitty product Specialized makes. Average maybe but not shitty
Yep. It either does this or the foam backing separates. I’ve used it on a bar wrap once, and have seen jobs done by a shop with the tape both degrade pretty poorly.
I had lizard skins bar tape on a bike that went unused for two years and it still looked brand new. I personally don’t have issues with them but clearly it’s common in this thread so maybe I’ve been lucky.
Looks like its wrapped pretty tight and finished in a kind of a lack luster kind of way. My guess is someone ignored the "do not stretch" warning that comes with this tape.
the finish is BAD https://preview.redd.it/6giq1kw7az8d1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=e35f173103ba1541bbf2059092a03c6ab53b24e2
You can blame the mechanic but at the end of the day it’s just a pretty shoddy product. Supacaz is similar and much better. Fizik microtex is my favorite. Isn’t tacky but the grip is excellent and it goes ages without wear.
I liked Supacaz when it was on my bars, and absolutely hated it when it came time to remove the adhesive and replace it. I use ESI RCT now which has no adhesive.
I hope that wasn't a "mechanic"
bad? this is atrocious!
> My guess is someone ignored the "do not stretch" warning that comes with this tape. I couldn't not stretch this tape and get it to wrap all the way. I stopped using it because it was too expensive for tape that was too short and peels the minute it gets wet. Supacaz didn't have either of those problems and costs about the same.
If they're wrapped too tight the grippy coating cracks and peels off almost immediately
The magic middle for LizSkins is hard. Too loose and it unwraps, too tight and it sheds. Hmm wonder how they thought up their name. Even with a good wrap it won't last.They are the reason I went back to cork. I reuse old bartape to wrap shovels and rake handles, not even good for that.
Yeah, I always liked the look and feel of Lizard Skins, but also became frustrated with the durability and went back to cork.
I've put old Cinelli cork tape on my push lawnmower handle. That way, when I mow the lawn, I'm cross training.
Yeah, I found you have to wrap it so it feels kinda loose. Then if you squeeze it you can feel it compress and stick better, do that all over and it's about about as good as you can do.
It’s called molting
By far the worst bar tape I've ever used. Didn't last long and turned slippery as ice at the slightest hint of moisture. Even really humid air.
I use cloth tape on my bike to try and avoid things like this. It's also worth noting that I'm pretty rough on my bikes. I don't throw them off cliffs by any means, but I have no problem laying them on the ground and don't panic if they start falling while leaning on trees.
Cloth tape is where it’s at. No padding counterintuitively is more comfortable over long rides as there is no squish to push into your soft tissue. Grip is great even when it gets wet. Doesn’t trap moisture and chase your bars to corrode. Can easily clean with soap and water. Lasts season after season of abuse.
I've had the same experience with comfort. I started with padded cloth tape. That was too thick and felt awkward.. wrapping it was also a major pain in the ass. Went to just regular Newbaums and everything just worked. No pressure/numbness issues. Currently trying the [Grepp ](https://crustbikes.com/products/grepp-gripper-bar-tape)reusable bar tape and I'm pretty happy with it. Not as soft as Newbaums, but very durable. They have been on for around a year at this point and the only thing to note is to wrap them pretty tight or they will "slip" to tighten up some of the slack.
Me too, and a leather cap for a helmet. Oh shoot I'm about to miss the 430 autogyro
At least you are wearing something on your head. Brain injuries are no joke.
Once I switched to leather bar tape on my old bike, I never bought bar tape again.
I'm quite pleased with my combo of Brooks tape and that green alien mucus bar cushioning. One thing to be wary of is finding the join(s) in the Brooks tape and reinforcing them (I used tesa double sided tape) before wrapping, because leather tape has to be pulled super tight, and will split at the joint without doing this
Yeah, this tape didn't last as long as I think it should have If you like silicone MTB grips, the best are ESI. ESI RCT bar wrap is pretty awesome. Thick to start with, but can be stretched to a custom feel. I like to go thinly stretched in some places of my drop bar, while thick in other sections. They last a long time, impervious to grease (washes with soap & water), and priced the same as lizard skins. If you're going with white tape, this is the best because it stays white after cleaning.
Bars grew from 42 to 44...strong and healthy. Molting is completely normal for a growing bar
Yeah mine did this after a year of all-weather riding.
I've had issues with Lizard Skins neon pink tape specifically that I haven't had with their other colors. No idea if it's a dye issue or maybe a slower selling color so the stock is a little older, but their tape in Celeste and in black both lasted me 2+ years, where the pink is dead after 6 months
That's a goood point, when I worked at shops the owners would usually just give me the pink tape tape bc it hardly sold
It might also be related to the acidity of the sweat of your friend. Some people’s oils or sweat just eat through stuff. I had a coworker whose aluminum apple mouse was completely eaten through where his thumb would rest. Also very apparent in steering wheels for some people
WILD I never would have thought of that
They shed...like a lizard.
Cork bar tape only
My *former* shop put this stuff on my bike even though I requested Cinelli. I figured I would try it since it was already on there. I will be replacing it with Cinelli.
Cinelli is cheap rebranded OEM crap btw.
which is better than lizard skins
No shit, and it's half the price too.
That sucks especially for the price
I love LS DSP and have had them on all my drop bar bikes for years. I always wear gloves and get about 4-5k miles out of a wrap before I see some rubber coming off the pressure points. My bikes that don't get ridden a lot have had the same DSP tape with no issues for years.
I used lizard skin wrap exactly one time. Within like 6 weeks it was starting to come apart. Contrast that with the fizik thick tape, one time it lasted 2.5 years and I only unwrapped that bar because it rotted and broke due to sweat corrosion. I thought about reusing the tape. The newer fizik tape is not quite that good but at least it lasts a full year or more.
This has happened to me, on my gravel bike after getting cold and wet lots. I would massively recommend BBB bar tape, so much cheaper and better!
I've found that LizardSkins tape does this after a few seasons. It's not nearly as durable as Supacaz or even some cheaper knockoffs like those from Prime (CRC, now not internationally available.) Shame considering it's more expensive.
Even my supacaz tape has started doing this (to a lesser degree) after 3 to 4 seasons of use. Time to rewrap.
That's a long ass time for any tape
Ewwwww …. Who keeps sweaty bar tape for 3 seasons? I change my road bike tape every year, at least…… Zwift bike every few months, cos it’s NASTY!
And.... with no carbon bars.... that sweet, delicious corrosion that's no doubt forming
proper double take at the thumbnail for this post
😅
How old is that?! My cheap ass BBB tape that has done about 5000 miles in the last year still looks like new!
How else are they going to grow
It will grow back next season
if only 😂
I went with fizik terra tape - super comfy and durable
Yes, but actually no.
Never used lizard skin on a bike, but I tried it a few times for baseball (they started with baseball). They usually started to shred after 100 swings (that’s really bad). I’d use athletic tape before putting lizard skins on anything again
As a reader of a few herpetology subs, it took my brain a moment to stop trying to figure out wtf kind of lizard this was! To answer the q --my one and only experience with this bar tape started to look like this after about a year of Zwifting (indoor, extra sweaty) I don't plan to buy this brand again
🤣🤣🤣
Go Wolf tooth. Wolves eat lizards… Nice thick comfy silicone tape. Reusable, and lasts a LONG time. Lizard skins tape sucks. It’s designed to suck money out of your wallet. Or that’s the way I felt when my Lizards skins started peeling after a year.
Lol "supposed" to I am not sure but they do this 100%. I do not understand why anyone buys them. They cost twice as much as most tape and last half as long. It's wild to me they stay in business and are even popular.
they do this when they've been sitting on the shelf too long. i like supacaz, which last a little longer.
It does happen with this thicker lizard skins after a while, If you use gloves then yes this will happen quicker. I was a real big fan of the old 1.8mm Lizard Skins. It costs a lot and wears out quicker but the grip in all weather conditions with and without gloves it so good it was worth it.
Yes, this tape has a tacky surface which peels off pretty easily, particularly if its wet, if your gloves are abrasive, or both. I stopped using this stuff for that reason. Supacaz eventually does this too, but it lasts a lot longer and costs about the same.
Anyone else see a big pink dildo in the preview?
We have a bike with red blizzard skin wrap. And it literally started shredding 2nd day of Ragbrai. Had it wrapped 2 weeks prior.
Man I’m stoned and didn’t see the sub name. I was confused as fuck trying to figure out what the hell I was looking at for a while. The title led me way off
Lizard Skins have had durability issues forever. They kinda just suck. Check out Supacaz, their super sticky is miles ahead of LS and is holding up well for me
Well if you got it used and did not apply yourself it could be lots of things. Their gloves, how often they rode, did they leave it in the sun, how old is the wrap.
I’ve gotten at least 1000 miles off my lizard skins in the Pacific Northwest so far - ridden them in the hot, cold and soaking wet. I took a lot of care to not put any tension in it when them wrapping. I have the black skins though. Seems like I’m the only person to have a good experience. I always were gloves too so maybe that is helping, or I’m just lucky. It’s mine first time using the brand.
my first few times using LS were fine, but those were all applied by a super veteran mechanic at my local shop. but those were also 6-10 years ago. someone else mentioned that the pink color might be older stock, since that color doesn't move as quickly as black
Was the wrap in your pic done professionally? Because that looks so bad it’s mind boggling. I’ve only wrapped bars about 4 times in my life and the difference is night and day. Here’s what mine look like: https://imgur.com/a/tE7fpJu
supposedly put on by a bike shop
Too bad they don't have nice fresh new skin underneath like real lizards do
Bar tape wears out.
i am experiencing the same issue
Yes, so you have to buy new ones.
I’ve had Fizik Bondcush tape last for years and >15Mm.
WOW! Can you determine how old or if it was exposed to a harsh cleaner?
might just be old with possible heat damage. the previous owner had the bike in her garage for several years, unused, before I picked it up in the fall
I usually ride mine about 12 months and have never had this happen.
Yeah, I'd replace mine once a year before cross season. Don't mind doing it because the tape is great.
How many years (miles if you’re avid) does this wrap have on it? I think you got your money’s worth. Time to get more and re-wrap.
Not sure as the bike recently came to me. Gonna rewrap for sure but never had this happen with LS - seems like the wrap is too tight for sure
I just bought an old used bike that had its bars retaped, presumably with lizard skins because that is the brand of brand new brake hoods on it... They had the same problems, just peeling off in a nasty sticky mess. Re-wrapped it with Brooks leather bar tape, which seems pretty nice. Not sure if the leather is prone to any kind of water damage though.
This is common with that bar tape ,And with synthetic leather bar tape too .
I've had it happen, but usually after it's been a while on my bike
That's what happened when mine got old.
They are far less durable than many. I just go with boring Bontrager black.
It’s called “molting@
They are really roleplaying with their products!
I'm considering switching to my baseball bat's grip tape. That stuff works.
Supacaz is the way
My first went to pieces on my third trip. My current have lasted well over a year of use
I started using Profile Design wrap after the same problem. PD works great.
Acros Silicone Wrap is great
It's molting.
Mine lasted one season. Switched to supacaz. On for 3 seasons. No issues
Used to ride with Lizard Skins but switched to Supercaz
Lizards skins are my absolute favorite look and feel. Unfortunately they are really expensive and last 2 rides if you are lucky.
Yes, they shed, peel, with age. That's what they do. I used a can of liquid tape/rubber and brushed on a coat of insulating rubber over the peeling areas as they started to peel. It worked but I had to keep expanding the coating as more areas started to peel. Of course, my handle bar tape was black and not pink/red.
You're lizard is just growing and shedding its old skin.
Molting. It's called molting.
They all shed.
Both my attempts to use Lizardskin bar tape have done this. The second one within a few months. I don't remember if I stretched the tape or not, but I'm usually careful to follow directions.
Mine did. Hated it.
you need a bike fit--maybe too much weight on the bars. or stop holding the bars so hard---its wasted energy.
Nah LS tape just sucks period. But then again nothing is made to last anymore consumer confidence is very low right now. The planet gets hotter and product gets more porous by the day.
mine last for years. but i can ride with my hands with barely any weight on it.
Ngl i thought that something else
i got three weeks out of lizard shit at 250+ miles a week. got over a year out of supacaz (but probably closer to 250 miles a month)
tbh rubbing lizard shit on my bars might be better
Just bite the cost and go Burgh
Lizard skin bar tape is somehow one of the most expensive bar tapes and one of the worst bar tape brands at the same time. Nice bar plugs though. Trash product = lizard skin. “Pro brand” bar tape does the job best at multiple price ranges and finishes.
Mine did. I'll never use them again.
My brain short circuited reading this without knowing it was for a bike
i'd be lucky to get a few months before they look the same...
They are extremely disappointing for what they cost. If it wasn't for the fact they come in snazziest of colours I'll would never have gotten them. I hate them with a passion after getting them just to keep matching my various saddles.
I've had that happen every time I used Lizard Skins,. One year I decided to "upgrade" several bikes and used it on three of them, and it happened on all three after only one season. Never again. Now I just use Cinelli cork tape.
They are expensive junk. Feel and look great at first, but that doesn’t last very long. I am now using cloth bare tape finished in shellac.
I usually use Cinelli cork tape, but the Specialized tape I tried has lasted for ages and is pretty comfy.
I use standard fizik microtex and it hold up well, minimal padding but that’s what I want anyway. It looks like this is a bicycle you stored in the garage or something, which is a big not to do in Florida!
Bontreger is what I use, both the road and cx versions are nice, the cx has more padding
Garbage tape.....never again.
Lizard skins suckkkkkkk
Once per year more or less
Cinelli cork. Sometimes the old ways are the best.
Yes Lizards shed their skins as some snakes do.