Everyone likes a quiet bike, right? Well, no. We know some of you like to run obnoxiously loud hubs, but surely no one is stoked on the noise made by the chain slapping the chainstay incessantly as they’re riding along. In that regard, Velocity Hucking Systems has been keeping bikes quiet since 2019, developing their VHS Slapper Tape out of a garage in New Zealand. Now, the brand has released an updated version of its lauded chain slap damper; the VHS 2.0 Slapper Tape, with extra chainstay wrap for added protection.
VHS 2.0 Slapper Tape
Most mountain bike frames get some kind of drive-side chainstay protection these days, but a lot of them have their shortcomings; as in, they are quite literally too short to protect the entire stay leaving exposed areas vulnerable to paint chips. Others are simply made of too hard a rubber, so when the chain slaps against its upper surface it’s pretty loud. Other simply begin to peel away from the stay prematurely, leaving your pride and joy looking a little rough around the edges.
Velocity Hucking Systems’ answer to all of the above issues is their VHS 2.0 Slapper Tape, a bettered version of the original in that it now wraps further around the stay to add extra protection, and make the ride even quieter. It now has a 70mm wide base made from a malleable silicone rubber that is said to easily mould to the shape of your frame.
VHS has also made some subtle changes to the rubber protrusions, or bubbles, as they like to call them. The silicone in this area is said to be softer to, again, create as much dampen the noise as much as possible. They say they have made this change without compromising on durability.
The VHS 2.0 Slapper Tape is 350mm long, 70mm wide and 10mm high. It does come with a little warning about heel rub. If you are someone whose heel tends to rub the chainstay on the drive-side, you should take care to cut away the VHS Slapper Tape in that region as continued heel rub on the slapper tape will cause the rubber to separate from its adhesive under layer.
Pricing & Availability
VHS 2.0 Slapper Tape is available now for $31.99, and is distributed solely by PBG in the U.S.
