I've gotten super-geeky with my new Surly Cross Check, loving the fact that EVERYTHING is black. Even the bar tape. I've never had black bar tape before. (just got black-n-yellow Ortlieb panniers today. I figure the yellow is a safety accent! )

My Trek 420 was lovely blue with white bar tape, and I kept white bar tape for years. Loved it! I think it was a spongey/corky tape, and it did get dirty, but not too bad. And it looked gooooooooood on the blue bike!