WTB PadLoc Grips - Review
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WTB's PadLoc grips feature an extra-soft section of rubber on the outboard end that's said to provide an added level of forgiveness for a rider's pinky fingers and the outside of their hands, and the angled inner profile interlocks with a chamfer that's cut into each end of the handlebar that keeps them from rotating.
The design means that only a single, inboard lock-on collar is required and that the grips shouldn't ever be able to twist, even on carbon fiber handlebars that have a slippery gloss finish.
The design means that only a single, inboard lock-on collar is required and that the grips shouldn't ever be able to twist, even on carbon fiber handlebars that have a slippery gloss finish.
PadLoc Details
• Softer outer edge
• Single, inboard lock-on collar
• Angled inner shape interlocks w/ handlebar
• Compatible with PadLoc-ready handlebars
• Four diameters: 28, 30, 33mm, bulged
• Grip Shift-compatible option (30mm)
• Weight: 87g (Thinline, pair)
• Grip length: 125mm (Thinline)
• MSRP: $34.95 USD
• Softer outer edge
• Single, inboard lock-on collar
• Angled inner shape interlocks w/ handlebar
• Compatible with PadLoc-ready handlebars
• Four diameters: 28, 30, 33mm, bulged
• Grip Shift-compatible option (30mm)
• Weight: 87g (Thinline, pair)
• Grip length: 125mm (Thinline)
• MSRP: $34.95 USD
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 From left: the 28mm Thinline, 30mm Commander, 33mm Clydesdale, and the bulged Ace. |
WTB offers five different versions of their PadLoc grip: the 28mm Thinline, the 30mm Commander and 30mm Grip Shift, the 33mm diameter Clydesdale, and the Ace grip that features a bulged ergonomic shape. All five are available in a number of different colors, and all retail for $34.95 USD.
Riders can also purchase a handlebar with pre-cut chamfers on each end, saving them some time and effort if they want to use the PadLoc system. Those who don't want to modify their own handlebar can choose from Truvativ's 750mm wide Clementz BlackBox carbon handlebar that comes with a set of 30mm diameter Commander PadLoc grips, or a 780mm wide aluminum Boobar with the same grips.
The PadLoc system is made up of two parts - the grip and a modified or PadLoc-compatible handlebar - that must be used together. The grip employs a traditional lock-on collar at the inboard end, just like what's probably on your bike right now, and the rubber grip material is laid over a plastic barrel. All that sounds pretty normal, but it's the outboard end where things are quite a bit different.
The last outboard inch of the PadLoc grip's barrel has had about half of its diameter cut down at a 30° angle, over which WTB has placed a much softer rubber compound than what's used elsewhere. The result is very soft and forgiving pad at the grip's outside edge that sits under the rider's pinky finger area and near where the ulnar nerve resides.
WTB says that even a lock-on grip that doesn't employ an outer collar has only 2 - 3mm of rubber padding between a rider's hand the grip's plastic barrel, whereas their PadLoc grips provide between 16.9 and 19.4mm of rubber that's free to conform and absorb shock.
WTB says that even a lock-on grip that doesn't employ an outer collar has only 2 - 3mm of rubber padding between a rider's hand the grip's plastic barrel, whereas their PadLoc grips provide between 16.9 and 19.4mm of rubber that's free to conform and absorb shock.
The pre-cut end of a PadLoc-compatible handlebar.
The grip's novel shape requires that a normal handlebar is cut to match, with each end needing to be trimmed at a 30° angle to match the inner shape of the grip. This not only creates the required room for the grip's soft rubber end, but the interlocking shape means that the grip won't ever be able to rotate on the handlebar, even if the single inboard lock-on collar hasn't been tightened down properly. Park Tool sells their $45.95 USD SGI-7 Cutting jig and $11.99 USD SG-7.2 Saw Guide to get the job done, although I suspect that it'll probably be mostly bike shops that pick those up rather than individual riders.
Installation
Installing WTB's anti-slip grips isn't difficult, especially if you're sliding them onto a pre-cut, PadLoc-compatible handlebar, but the job does require some special tools and the ability to follow directions if you're using the grips on a standard handlebar that needs to be modified. By modifying, I mean cutting a precise 30° chamfer onto each end of your handlebar that interfaces with the inside of the WTB grips, with each side being in the correct spot relative to the roll of your handlebar and also mirroring each other.
Installing the PadLoc grips on a standard handlebar isn't difficult, but it does require some common sense a few special tools.
The soft ends of the PadLoc grips are large enough to allow for more than enough handlebar roll adjustment, but you'll still need to find and mark the topmost part of your handlebar to ensure that each side matches and the grips are aligned correctly.
To do the job correctly, you'll need to use a lot more tools than you would if you were installing a traditional set of grips. The list if your handlebar has PadLoc cut markings from the factory includes Park Tool's SGI-7 Cutting jig and SG-7.2 Saw Guide, a hacksaw with a blade for either aluminum or carbon, sandpaper, 2.5mm and 5mm hex keys, and whatever tools you need to remove and install the handlebar onto your bike since you need to take it off to cut it. The list is longer if your handlebar doesn't have PadLoc cut markings, aka everyone's handlebar: all of the above tools, plus a level, a ruler, and some type of marker - I used a Whiteout pen because it shows up well on matte carbon.
I put the grips on an unmarked carbon fiber handlebar from Cannondale that called for the most involved installation process. Total time: about twenty minutes.
Park Tool's standard cutting jig is paired with a proprietary guide that ensures your cuts are done right so long as you've measured correctly.
The guide slots into the Park Tool cutting jig, and you simply line up your marks with a slot in the guide for no-brainer cutting.
Start by removing your old grips and then using the level to find the topmost point of the handlebar where your grips sit, making a mark at the outer edge and 80mm inboard, and then drawing an 80mm line connecting the two using the ruler. This line is used for alignment in the cutting guide, so make sure that it's done correctly on both sides of your handlebar. Now, before removing the bar, use the Whiteout pen to make witness marks next to your stem's faceplate and each brake lever that will let you re-install it and your controls to the same angle and location. Take off all of your controls, remove the handlebar, and use the jig and saw guide to make your two chamfers. Use sandpaper (carbon handlebar) or a file (aluminum handlebar) to clean up the rough edges before bolting it back onto your bike and re-installing your levers and shifter.
One thing to keep in mind is that you could have to slide your brake levers out towards the end of your handlebar by half an inch or so, otherwise your hands might not rest overtop of the PadLoc grip's soft ends.
You'll feel how the chamfer cuts on the handlebar interface with the PadLoc grips when you slide them on, and they won't really rotate much even without the single, inboard 2.5mm hex bolts tightened down to no more than 2 Nm.
Performance
There are a few questions that need to be answered in this review. First, are the PadLoc grips more comfortable than standard lock-on grips? Second, is there a safety risk when it comes to standard lock-on grips, and does the PadLoc system address this? And finally, are they worth buying and having to modify your current handlebar for?
So, are they more comfortable? The short answer is... kind of. I spent time using the 30mm diameter Commander, the 28mm Thinline, and the bulged Ace grips for everything from sessioning jumps to five-hour cross-country rides, and can say that the extra-soft outer ends of the PadLoc grips are noticeable. There is certainly a difference between these and lock-on grips that employ a single, inboard collar, but at no point during my time using any of those three WTB grip options did I find myself blown away by any increased comfort. In fact, I kinda forgot that I was using them, and when I went back to using an unmodified handlebar with standard grips (single, inboard lock-on collar), I didn't really miss the PadLoc's forgiving ends.
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| As its name suggests, the 28mm diameter Thinline is ideal for riders who want an ultra-slim grip, but it's probably a bit rough for those who don't wear gloves. WTB is also making a running change to a softer, more forgiving rubber compound for both the Thinline and Commander grips. |
I might have a different impression if I had issues with the ulnar nerves in either of my hands, something that is certainly not uncommon to many mountain bikers, but my trouble-free mitts never really felt more at ease when using the PadLoc grips. That said, they are more comfortable than traditional lock-ons that feature both inboard and outboard collars, which as someone who tends to ride with my hands on the outer reaches of the grip, is certainly a plus.
Comfort aside, WTB also says that their grip and handlebar system is safer than a traditional lock-on setup, which does make sense. Not only can the grips not slide to expose the unplugged end of a handlebar (core sample, anyone?), they're also impervious to twisting on the bar. I tested this by backing off the inboard lock-on collar enough that it should have allowed the grip to slip, but it didn't.
And to be fair, grips that use single, inboard collars sometimes do need to be over-tightened to keep them from twisting on carbon handlebars that have a slippery gloss finish. ''At the 2014 EWS Crankworx alone, we counted six snapped handlebars from this very method of 'preventing' traditional lock on grips from slipping on traditional round bars,'' WTB says in the FAQ section on their website.
While I can't vouch for over-tightened grips being the sole cause of those six failures, I can say that I've certainly had to over-tighten a fair number of grips to keep them in place over the years.
While I can't vouch for over-tightened grips being the sole cause of those six failures, I can say that I've certainly had to over-tighten a fair number of grips to keep them in place over the years.
The soft section on the end of the PadLoc grips is large enough to allow for more than enough handlebar roll adjustment.
Much like how I'd never make fun of a rider who chooses to wear kneepads regardless of how tame the trail is, I also wouldn't fault someone for reading about carbon handlebars failing due to over-tightened lock-on grips and deciding to err on the side of caution by using the PadLoc system. I also hope that they don't over-tighten the inboard lock-on collar of their new PadLoc grips because the same thing can still happen if they end up doing that.
WTB is also strongly stating that they are not trying to introduce any type of new grip and handlebar standard: ''You can modify your existing bar. We are not okay with grips slipping, even if it hasn’t yet happened to you, it happens to many riders regardless of riding style, size, ability, type of bar or bike. This prevents that slippage, it also is far more comfortable, and considering how complicated bikes have become, this is a relatively simple fix to a high-stakes problem - a loss of control from the cockpit of your bike.'' While it might not be a new standard, you can't install traditional grips on a handlebar made or modified for the PadLoc system, regardless of if they're single or dual lock-on collar. The issue is the material that's been removed at the chamfered ends of the handlebar, with there no longer being enough support for the end of the grip where that void is.
I preferred the smoother 30mm Commander over the 28mm Thinline and its rougher contact surface. Both are now offered with a softer rubber compound than the grips I tested, which should only increase comfort.
The bulged Ace grip won't be for everyone, but I did find it comfortable.
Pinkbike’s Take:
 | The final question: are the PadLoc grips worth buying and having to modify your handlebar for? Potential safety benefits aside, my healthy hands didn't feel more pampered when using any of the three PadLoc grips that I tried. Will a rider with hand issues, such as with their ulnar nerve, benefit from the PadLoc system? Probably, but I wouldn't buy a set of the WTB grips and cut my handlebar unless I did have a hand issue that I was trying to resolve. - Mike Levy |
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Yes, the caps was necessary. I'm that frustrated. Is cutting your freaking bars like that supposed to be a selling point? Who the hell approved this idea?
yup!
Falls into the category of "I've got a great idea, but I forget to ask anyone else if it was actually a great idea?"
What a waste of WTB resources to develop this bar/grip system?
Cutting a nice carbon bar in a direction the bar designer never intended...yikes!
I'll stick with my ODI lock-on grips, can say I've never had any issues with them slipping, or requiring bars to be cut to get them to fit?
If the ulnar nerve is troubling, look at your bike fit. Too much load onto the arms and hands is often the result of a poor bike fit including an unsupportive saddle
For those who aren't familiar
if your grips are twisting it may be beneficial to look at your bike set up as you probably have a poor position on your bike and hanging on too tight.
Now take your old 750mm bars and cut that angle in the end. Install these new grips and boom! You have 780mm bars.
Call it WideLoc.
Your welcome WTB.
I guess you could sell the narrow bars.
Yeah WTB, never mind!
So now, I'm out about 100 bucks just for the grips/install tools, and another 50-150 dollars for a new handlebar because the last time I checked, there was no going back to regular grips after I modify my handlebars because they have a giant ass cut thru them. Plus, if I have carbon handlebars, doesn't separating the fibers by, CUTTING THEM IN HALF, basically destroy any structural integrity the bars had to begin with???
WTB. I love your saddles. But take this idea and ********* it up ******* *******, preferably with the sharp pointy handlebars you convinced me to cut in half.
Regards
Automotive Engineer
Good Carbon bars are only a risk if you over torque the lockring/stem bolts.
In the end, if you divide the cross-sectional area by the material strength, multiply that by the thickness of the grips, then raise it to the angle of the cut, you get... still a plain ol' dumb idea.
We've actually been advised by Giant UK tech not to use carbon specific blades, but a brand new 32tpi steel blade and water, then the cut cleaned with fine emery cloth, then dried.
We sell a lot of high end carbon road bikes so regularly cutting steerer, bars and seat post / integrated seat masts ( don't want to f&ck that up!).
Cheers!
(A Giant brand store workshop manager)
-Mike Levy
This will be one of those super obscure ideas that never took off
and in 5 years we'll be saying "oh yeah, i remember that, what
the hell were they thinking?"
This grip system is way too complicated and costly for the marginal improvement that it provides. It requires a permanent cutting of your (potentially very pricy) handlebars, utilizing tools that likely only a bike shop would be willing to purchase. What happens when you try out these grips and realize they aren't for you?
You're asking a consumer to make a huge commitment to a product which only has a marginal impact on the user experience on the bike. These grips don't make any revolutionary changes - that means the motivation for a consumer to use this product is extremely low. This, coupled with the above mentioned fact about commitment, and you now have a recipe for failure - pushing a customer toward a point of no return for a very minimal "improvement".
If WTB had come up with some novel grip attachment method that didn't require extensive bar modification or special bars (which are both HUGE compromises), I would have said their product had potential, but that clearly isn't the case here. This is product is the result of a problem being posed (likely by a product manager) and the solution coming from completely the wrong direction. I'm disappointed in whatever engineer(s) designed this without ease of implementation in mind, and disappointed that whoever else reviewed this product allowed it to go to production. What a waste of resources and tooling.
edit: I also want to add my common sense FEA feedback: When you cut a handlebar like this (especially carbon) you are now exposing a much longer "cut" surface to potential impacts. These impacts are no longer backed up by a consistent hoop section, but rather a truncated half of a tube. Eccentric impacts (like smacking the end of your handlebar as you try to squeeze through two tightly spaced trees) put a huge load on the last couple inches of a handlebar. And now with this design, You're putting that same load on a much smaller cross sectional area with a bunch less material to support and absorb the impact and resist breakage.
SRAM: Who needs a front derailleur when you can have a 12 speed rear mech!?
WTB: Uh,... who needs the tips of your bars when you can have PadLoc!?
Happy trails!
So, either this is a defiant stance by WTB (they need to get some cash back from the "extensive" R&D .. at least $100 to claw back here !!!!) - or there is genuine interest in it, interest from bodies that live beyond web based biking communities (they do exists .. really)
So what is it, who is emailing WTB and saying "I need this" .. who?
. also, people are spending way too much on their bars .. lol ..... !
someone remind me why we need these again?
Just waiting for someone to offer the size/width of the Clement at a cheaper price. Don't need a Boobar on my trail bike, but not going to spend money on a Clement.
Hate all you want, but if you had the pain I have, you'd want these too.
Oh and P.S. Try ODI ruffians, these grips = heaven because like the lady's say, it's more about girth than length
I can cut and instal these in about 10 minutes. This article makes it harder than it needs to be.
Cheers,
VF
Could you clarify?
Cheers,
VF
I can't say what the grip of these patterns is like until I try them though. And I do have a set of bars that I'm good with carving up for the test.
Till then, keep her sticky side down mate!
Cheers,
VF
On the trail, I was happy. Didn't help with the onset of numbness, but one big plus is now I can say that the numbness isn't being caused by the outer metal clamp on a standard lock on.
I did definitely feel less discomfort and pain thanks to the rubber end. It's not super squishy or gummy. It's relatively firm, so it feels like you still have a substantial piece of grip in your hand.
Another thing is I didn't realize that triangular pad is PART of the grip, not a separate snap in or screw in insert to the sleeve. It is one solid molded piece of the rubber grip. Was concerned I might pop that wedge off in a crash, but not the case.
I rode a really rough trail for over an hour and I'm happy. The grip does 3 things. No outer clamp to eliminate discomfort. A padded, yet solid feeling end to help with hand pain and a pretty smart design (solid, closed end plastic sheath with the integrated rubber end that is just "firm" enough that won't twist) or stab a hole in your thigh.
Step 2: Cut your handlebar at some ridiculous angle to ensure warranty is voided and no other grip can ever be installed.
Step 3: Install grips that do the same thing as most grips that are designed to relieve hand pain.
Step 4: When grips wear out and you realize that these things were discontinued because they are stupid go buy a new bar and new grips.
Or:
Step 1: Remove your old grips.
Step 2: Install Ergon GE1 grips.
Step 3: Ride
[bangs on the table]
Dr. Ian Malcolm: you're selling it, you wanna sell it. Well...
John Hammond: I don't think you're giving us our due credit. Our scientists have done things which nobody's ever done before...
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should.
I can see how this conversation would go-
Rider-"Hi (insert brand) the end of my bars snapped off after 1 ride, I had to hack off a chunk of the end to fit the new WTB grips, is that ok?"
Manufacturer -"I'm sorry you modified/compromised the structural integrity of your bar by chopping part of it off, jog on fella"
Like others have said, WTB bring some great gear, but this seems like a dud move. Conventional lock-ons with a bit of fibre-grip - I'll take a bit of worst-case slippage over bolting a carbon spear through my stem.
@mikelevy - having tested them, is there enough rubber at the barends to offer some protection? Do WTB seem to have given any to thought the potential dangers of a "sharpened" barend? I'm not against innovation, just for balance between safety and performance.
The padded section is a lot sturdier than I realized and the sleeve itself internally is one solid piece that can't tear off and leave a handlebar exposed. Think of it as basically a plastic sheath for a knife blade. One solid enclosed piece of plastic tubing with a sturdy rubber cap on the end.
You'd have to leave the bar grinding on the pavement driving down the highway at speed to carve through to the point of exposing any metal. Gravel parking lot might chunk some of the rubber end, but that plastic sheath underneath doesn't look it's going anywhere soon, where as if you popped a bar end plug off in a wreck, you'd have to put another in to cover the hole.
Cutting the bars isn't great though, I if I had spent loads on good bars I probably wouldn't be into it as much.
How about we get someone who actually has hand problems to test this properly instead of assuming something is beneficial because we didn't notice any improvement?
I have ulnar nerve issues in both hands, but one in particular always causes me problems on extended downhills. I decided to give the PadLoc grips a shot to see if they helped.
I tried both WTB and Pivot options. I regret to report that they did nothing and, if anything, they made it worse. The Pivot versions are MUCH softer on the outer portion of the grip, which causes the outer part of your hand to move around a lot. It's kindof disorienting. The WTB versions are much firmer, but they don't seem to do much to relieve pressure on the nerve, at least not for me. I found no improvement and, with the Pivot versions, the smaller size of the grip seemed to 'dig' into my hand and cause more pain.
SQLab 70x seem to be the best options I've found that work for me, ESI grips are a close second.
@bizutch does this reflect your experience also?
The WTB Commander series grip makes a ton of logical sense to me. It if functionally more comfortable than ESI grips to me, gives me an almost bar end grip that I can turn my hands in the direction of a stubby bar end and grip with my palm on long climbs, keeps my bars from destroying a paint job on the car & eliminates that uncomfortable hard end of almost every other single & double clamp lpck on grip.
I completely agree w/ your assessment of the Pivot variation. Squishy to the point of lettingnyou feel the hard inner core.
I love my Commander grips more than single lock ons & dual lock ons. They're no magic pill for hand numbness. My hand goes numb holding the steering wheel ????
There must have been an idea... no?
Solving a problem that didn't exist. My ODI lock on grips never slip, neither do my Spank lock on grips or even my cheap DMR lock on grips. No fancy tool needed or cutting of my bar.