Review: Silca Nastro Cuscino 3.75 Bar Tape

Silca makes some of the finest bar tape we’ve tried; it’s as simple as that. After a short hiatus from their tape, we decided to come back to accent the road rig with some neon treatment with Silca’s Nastro Cuscino bar tape. It was everything we hoped it to be.

One attribute Silca bar tape is known for is tackiness. Their tape stays sticky longer. Straight out of the box, it’s grippy. Had the glove treatment on a long ride? Still tacky. Every inch of the bike was washed including the bar tape? Silca Nastro Cuscino keeps its stickiness. Even after several uses, through sweat, rain, gloves, and washing, Silca’s tape keeps delivering.

This review may get labeled as hype, but a good bar tape can make all the difference. Silca continues the difference with their butterfly clamp covers to avoid the dreaded tape buildup behind the levers. Unwrapped along the bars and the neon orange pops out, contrasting the black hash marks. The final detail is in the fully adhesive finishing tape, complete with the glossy minimalist Silca logo on the matte tape. The package also comes with laser engraved aluminum bar plugs.

Purposely taken well after sunset, the Silca Castro Cuscino tape stands out in low light conditions.

After several rides, the Nastro Cuscino tape’s comfort has been noteworthy. Though the tape is a svelte 3.75 mm cushion, it feels much thicker. It felt great to hold onto the bars again because of Silca tape. Even a rocket descent down an HC climb felt supremely comfortable amidst nervous grips through fast corners. With speedy descents, road vibration is reduced, providing a plush ride and less muscle fatigue. This isn’t hype; this is comfort on display.

There was a bit of apprehension with the neon orange with black hash marks. After seeing it on the bike, it was an immediate hit. Our summer rides regularly hover around sunset, and the bars stand out in low light situations. If ever there was a statement to be made on a bike, Silca’s Nastro Cuscino neon orange tape is it. 

There have been numerous bar tapes that we’ve tried and didn’t review. Silca is not one of them. Each time the service course mechanic wraps with Silca bar tape, a little more excitement is added. It helps that Silca turned to Formula One technology to execute a supremely comfortable, wildly sticky, and attention grabbing product. It would hardly surprise us to see more riders at the group ride with Silca-wrapped bars in the future.