just decided to go with bar tape… I know, I’ve got “roady” habits.
The bar tape seems to me to be a good way to double-wrap over the position of the normal grips, wrap over the brake lever clamps, wrap all the way to the stem for a comfortable climbing position (similar to riding on the tops of a drop bar bike), and wrap my middle-mounted bar-ends (or bar-middles in this case).
And critically, bar tape is cheap, especially the foamy type, which I prefer.