So, one of my favourite things to do on the trail is clip my bars against trees. (I'm amazed by guys who love the wide bars as I'd kill myself.)
As a result, my foam (silicone) grips get torn up pretty often, so I'm always swapping them out. Thought I'd share some feedback on what I've tried and would love your input.
ESI Chunky - Not cheap, but they don't twist, which is great. No need to add hairspray, in fact you'll probably have to soap up your bars to get them on. I usually cut them off once damaged. Hate the gaudy end caps they include though - ugly logo. Decent hand padding though.
Crank Bros. - Also not cheap, and uses a lock-on solution (foam is on top of a plastic sleeve), but they provide the hex bit. The ends match most anodized colours, and provide some protection. Not bad at all, but not super-lightweight.
Ritchey Ergo foam - Very light, and not overly expensive - I'm running them now. Have an unusual shape (thicker area between thumb and index that I found odd at first, but like it now). They twist easily, so will require hairspray added first. Not as cushy as the ESI chunky, and I'm feeling it in my hands today.
Any other input on grips? I'll hit a tree soon, so curious about your feedback. How are the ESI regular grips?
I've been using the ESI racer's edge grips for a while and although not as cushy as the chunky, they have become my favorite grips. Just simple, lightweight and not too thick either.
Titec Pork Rinds were the best ever but out of production. Ritchey makes a straight shape in a addition to the "ergo" you tired. They're alright but the foam's a little soft so I feel my hand bottom-out on the bar in rocks. I'm interested in the Bontrager XXX.
I've used the XXXs. Very light. I think they weighed around 15g. They are a firmer foam, and not all that cushy. I've since gone back to ESI Racer's Edge.
I just ordered some KCNC EVA's today, going to give them a shot, any of you guys like those?
I had been using the Specialized XC lite foam grips for about a year, they were really cheap ($15?) and under 20 grams for the pair.
I tried some prologo 'feathers', then took them off after one ride as they span round the bars like they were mounted on bearings. And the foam compound compressed and didn't spring back. So, back to ESI racer's edge for me. I run gripshift, and once you've cut the grip down to length there's less friction holding them, so the ESIs seem to be the only reliable option for me. Heavy for foam grips though...
I've used Grab-Ons nearly forever, the set I have on my 'old bike' that I still regularly ride I bought new in '89. I've bought a couple pairs of nos GrabOn MTN-1s off ebay, -looks like about 70g in package on my crappy old scale. I've got large-ish hands and like a slightly bigger grip.
I wonder if my shop carries the specialized xc lites...
phlegm: You described two grips that I have own or owned and used. Of the two, I would say a baby between the two would be the SRAM foam grip as they're light, and probably the lightest and best feeling current option for a "lock on" grip. If weight didn't matter, I'd roll OURY or Vans pattern lock on grips. Using them all, the ESI Chunky is superior in almost every way.
Glad to see more input here. I ran the Ritchey foam grips for the remainder of last season. They're fine, but not as cushy as ESI chunkys, and the Ritcheys rotated a bit (even with hairspray).
I'll probably go back to the chunkys this year... at least until I clip my next tree.
I've had great sucess with Extralite HyperGrips the last season. The hot tip to make any foam grip stay put is to use a tiny bit of wood glue on the bar prior to installation. Hair spray will just soak right into the grip and not do much.
ESI Chunky - Not cheap, but they don't twist, which is great. No need to add hairspray, in fact you'll probably have to soap up your bars to get them on. I usually cut them off once damaged. Hate the gaudy end caps they include though - ugly logo. Decent hand padding though.
I'll quote myself, because I'm back to the ESI chunky grips, and love them. Great combination of padding and relatively light weight. They don't budge once installed. I don't think I'll switch again.
BTW, maybe they listened to me - they changed the ugly logo on the end caps!
Yep, probably best to start with the smaller diameter racers edge.
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