Bar tape thickness comes down to personal preference, but 2.7mm hits a specific sweet spot that Lizard Skins engineered for riders who want cushioning without losing bar feel. The DSP Ultra 2.7mm uses their Dura Soft Polymer compound—the same material found on their mountain bike grips—wrapped around a foam underlayer that absorbs road vibration before it reaches your palms. That dual-layer construction explains why DSP tape feels different from traditional cork or gel alternatives: the polymer surface stays tacky in wet conditions while the foam handles impact absorption duties separately.

Lizard Skins developed DSP specifically for cycling applications after years of manufacturing grip solutions for baseball bats and hockey sticks. That cross-sport experience shows in how the tape handles installation. The polymer stretches predictably without thinning out, which means you can wrap tighter around the curves of your drops without creating thin spots that wear through prematurely. The adhesive backing holds position during installation but won't leave residue on your bars when you eventually rewrap.

The 2.7mm thickness represents the middle option in the DSP Ultra lineup, sitting between the 2.0mm race-oriented tape and the 3.2mm maximum-cushion version. If you're coming from basic cork tape, the difference in vibration damping will be immediately noticeable. If you've been running thicker gel tape and find your hands going numb on longer rides, the firmer DSP compound might actually work better—it dampens vibration without the sponginess that can cause grip fatigue.... Read More