The best bartape in the world? Dropbars become a comfort zone! Ergon has long used advanced materials from the medical and orthopedic fields – like our premium OrthoCell® foam – as supportive and damping elements in its selected saddles. Now, this high-tech material brings its exceptional performance to drop style handlebars. OrthoCell® offers an outstanding balance of cushioning and rebound, providing a comfortable, responsive grip without the hands sinking in or feeling spongy. The tape also distributes pressure evenly across the hands, helping to reduce hand discomfort and finger numbness during long rides. Made in Europe.
UNIQUE MATERIAL
Maximum Grip Comfort – Minimal Fatigue
With OrthoCell®– our high-tech orthopedic foam – Ergon introduces a revolutionary material to handlebar tape that has already proven itself thousands of times over in our popular saddles. Now, for the first time, this premium material brings its advanced performance to your hands.
Made in Europe from medical-grade raw materials, OrthoCell offers an outstanding balance of flexibility and stability. At 3mm thick, the tape effectively absorbs micro-vibrations and heavy impacts, outperforming traditional cork or gel tapes in absorbing road and trail surface bumps, potholes and uneven transitions.
Despite its cushioning power, the tape remains dimensionally stable – your hands won’t sink into it, you’ll retain precise steering control and the tape will stay in place on the bars. The result? A secure grip with less effort, reducing fatigue in your hands and forearms mile after mile.
LIGHTER - SUPPORTIVE - DURABLE
Material Superiority
To match the exceptional cushioning of Ergon’s 3mm BT OrthoCell® tape, a gel-based grip tape would need to be significantly thicker – resulting in added weight, reduced stability, and an overly bulky handlebar wrap and feel.
What sets OrthoCell® apart isn’t just its comfort—it’s the unique combination of support and resilience. Unlike other soft materials, it maintains high restoring forces, meaning your hands stay supported without sinking into the tape. This preserves optimal ergonomics and control.
And when it comes to durability, OrthoCell® clearly leads the pack – it’s made to perform at the highest level ride after ride.
ALWAYS IN CONTROL
Omnidirectional Texture for Maximum Grip
To minimize the effort needed to maintain control, the handlebar tape features an omnidirectional surface texture that delivers outstanding slip resistance. No matter the direction of impacts or vibrations, your hands stay securely in place – without needing to grip too tightly.
The result? Less strain or fatigue with more comfort and control on every ride – so you can stay in the saddle longer and ride stronger.
A New Era of Comfort for Drop Bars
While comfortable ergonomic grips have long been standard for flat handlebars, road and gravel cyclists have been using the same basic handlebar tape for decades – often at the cost of comfort. Pressure points, hand pain, skin irritation, and numb fingers are all too common, especially on long rides or rough gravel roads.
Times are changing.
For the first time, an orthopedic high-tech foam – OrthoCell® – is being used in handlebar tape. This breakthrough material offers exceptional cushioning without losing its shape, providing stable, supportive comfort. It evenly distributes pressure across the palms, preventing hand fatigue and reducing strain on the arms, shoulders, and neck.
The result? Greater comfort, better control, and more enjoyment – no matter how far or where you ride.
Maximum Vibration Damping with Minimal Bulk
At just 3 millimeters thick, OrthoCell® handlebar tape is only slightly thicker than standard bar tapes – but its vibration-damping performance is in a league of its own.
Continuous road and gravel surface vibrations don’t just affect your hands and fingers – they travel through your wrists, arms, shoulders, neck, and head, leading to premature fatigue and reduced comfort. Without effective, cushioned damping, your muscles fatigue much faster than necessary.
Thanks to its advanced material properties, OrthoCell® dramatically reduces road and gravel surface vibrations and shock, helping you stay comfortable, focused, and performing at your best – mile after mile.
Relaxed on the handlebars
Reduced vibration combined with the responsive rebound of OrthoCell® grip tape gives you a secure, confident hold on the handlebars – even on rough terrain or in challenging situations. This leads to a natural, relaxed hand position with less tension and reduced effort required to maintain control.
The benefits are clear: less strain on your muscles and joints, reduced fatigue, improved comfort, and more energy for the ride. And when you're not wasting energy just holding on, you can ride longer, stronger, and with greater enjoyment.
The Perfect Connection Between Rider and Bike
Modern road and gravel bikes are known for their stiffness and stability – qualities that improve performance but often reduce comfort, as vibrations and impacts from the terrain are transferred directly to the hands.
OrthoCell changes that. Its advanced material properties create a cushioning interface between your hands and the bike, acting as a comfortable, responsive connection between rider, bike, and road or gravel surface. In addition to absorbing shocks, it also distributes pressure evenly across the palms, reducing pressure points, hand pain, and finger numbness on the handlebar tops, transitions and the drops.
The result: a more comfortable, ergonomic, and efficient connection to your bike.
