Remember the days before lock-on grips? It's a distant memory now, but there was a time when a can of hairspray and a spool of bailing wire were necessary to keep your grips securely in place. Without the proper precautions the damn things would spin like a rolling pin whenever the slightest bit of moisture made its way between the bar and the grip. Of course, non-lock-on grips still exist today, and some riders continue to swear by them, but their popularity has certainly dwindled now that it only takes turning one or two hex bolts to permanently end any slipping or sliding.
Where grips are born.
While it can be difficult to debate the merits of a non-lock-on grip vs. lock-ons, the actual style of grip is another matter all together. It's like arguing about creamy vs. chunky peanut butter, or the proper way to install a roll of toilet paper. There's no right answer, but there are plenty of strong opinions about the issue. For grips, the big questions is whether you prefer them thick or thin. Hand size is part of the equation, but it really just comes down to what you're most comfortable with. Some riders prefer to feel exactly what their bike is doing, and pick the thinnest grips possible, while others would rather have a bit more comfort, and choose to go with thicker, more cushioned options. Along with pedals and seats, grips are part of the 'points of contact' trifecta, the three spots where your body is actually touching the bike, and where small details can make a big difference. There's nothing worse than finding out that a set of supposedly 'ergonomically correct' grips actually cause soreness and fatigue, or that a grip's surface becomes as slippery as a metal slide coated in baby oil whenever it rains. That's why so many riders develop such a strong loyalty to one grip style or another – once you find a pair that works, it's hard to let go.
Pinkbike Poll Contest
As a bonus for entering this week's poll, ODI has offered up a prize pack that will be awarded at random to a lucky winner. The pack includes ODI Flight Control II bars (750mm, extendable to 788mm), ODI All Mtn or Direct Mount Stem (50mm, 70mm or 90mm) and your choice of ODI Lock-On grips.
I really like Ergons new grip. The GE1 but I do wish it were a bit thicker. It just doesn't have quite enough diameter to fit my hands as nicely as they could but everything else is great and no grip seems to be quite as big as it should or could be.
Why can't companies offer thicker sizes? I don't need a squishy grip so much as I need one that gives me a good sizable squeeze. I think a grip with more diameter would relieve my hand of fatigue a very good bit more.
Like...come on. I only hold onto my bike for dear life by the grips and my feet are just resting on the pedals. You'd think there would be more engineering and selection for grips but I think it's an under appreciated component of the bike. I hope it gets more attention. Grip is a huge factor in control and fatigue. It's why bars are getting wider and more advanced but I think grips would be the other half of it.
Please hear our cry for bigger grips! I'm talking to all the biggies...Oury, ODI, Ergon, Lizard Skins...there's a demand for it! I would pay 40-50 dollars for a grip if it was perfect for me.
Please, up-vote this post if you want the companies to hear this. I would love me some bigger grips.
Always lock on.
From all grips, I liked the ODI X-trainers in combination with gloves most. Without gloves I prefer the Brooks grips. Ergons are comfortable regarding the form, but not the material. The ruffians gave me loads of grip, and so did the Deitys.
The question about lock-on vs no lock on is not worth answering because: hairspray!
I don't like the ODI Rogues or the Race Face Strafes (both quite thick) because there's nothing at the edges of the grip. It always feels like I might get blown off the bar (especially if it's wet or if I'm in the bike park). The Eastons have ridges at each end. And they're carbon-friendly.
www.eastoncycling.com/en-us/dirt/components/extras/lock-on-grips-1202
Never got on with the "Rogue" just found them too damn fat to feel good and I have quite large hands which could show that hand size is irrelevant to grip diameter?
I am 100% pro-rogue!
But ironically, I am decidedly ANTI-prorogue! (youtu.be/WQm0t1v2wOM)
Odi TLD all the way...
I used to use rogue, they were a bit too soft for me, so went to ruffians for a few years and loved them!
Then one day in 2010 I saw in my lbs the TLD..
They are worlds apart..
The pattern makes mud shed from the grip and glove, and they last forever due to the deep tread!
The heel rest and flange make them super comfy too, and makes hand placement perfect.
The way the grip spirals around is great too as it follows the natural angle your hand is at, as the hand is never exactly square to the bar. Just make sure you put them on the right way round!
I never went back......
www.bontrager.com/model/11260
Has someone tried the ODI Vans grips?
They look similar to the Bontrager Big Earl grips which aren't produced anymore.
Also the paint on collars of the vans wears off pretty quick so best going for white as they don't look as tatty so quick.
Esi are great just a shame they don't do a lock on version, no amount of hairspray could keep them stuck during a wet uk winter.
Next one to try will be esi super chunky
www.odigrips.com/yetilock-ongrips130mm.aspx
dot be put off by the chunky design, they are so soft your hands and grips just melt into one and they grip like spiderman
I'm thinking about it because it takes too little time for a brand new pair of lock-on to develop a little play, and I don't like feeling the grip slightly moving in the clamps.
I mean now, about every component on a handlebar has a removable clamp so no need to remove the grip to do some maintenance. And some WD40 (in the past I used this instead of hair spray, when it dries it makes ODI grips very sticky and only takes 15 / 20 min) paired with wire do the job (ask Brendog).
You can also add that for the same thickness, a non lock grip has more rubber that the lock-on version since it doesn't has the "plastic tube" inside, so that means more cushioning.
Finally they are cheaper, soooo.... for all these reasons, I'm really thinking about going on non lock grip.
That said, I'm running the Eastons right now and finding them to be pretty awesome. I also rode some the of the Loaded NoSlip grips, which don't have a fully rigid inner tube (it's kinda semi-regid, holds shape but you can bend it,) and they felt better, but I didn't like the "softer" part, it chewed up my hands, even with gloves.
I tried so many companies in the past years included several ODI-s, and I can tell that they produce the BEST grips, RaceFace was also good indeed, but now I ride a very cheap Acor one, because in my country the good grips are soo pricey, SO PLEASE MTV PIMP MY RIDE, oh please pinkbike give me the mighty ODI pack
I put a hair line break on my hip because the hair grips slipped.
Hopping over a 3inch log at 50 km/h on a hard tail. Grips slipped back wheel dropped and over I went.
Landed on my hip and my head. Also why I only were MET helmets (I know they work).
Lock on all the way.
Having said that though please don't listen to me (and anyone else) when choosing grips. Grips are really personal. It all boils down to hand size and personal preference. I don't believe thin or thick grips give you a better or worse feel on the bars. They each give a different feel so it's about what you prefer. Keep in mind that grip choice depends on whether you ride gloveless or not. And if you ride with gloves you may want thinner or thicker grips depending on how much padding there is on the palm of the glove.
Thankfully, as grips are very personal, your friends will probably be running different grips each so you'd have a wide variety to test and see what you prefer.
Or perhaps somebody does and I've just never heard of them.
Video on Oakley history at the bottom of this page.
startupblog.wordpress.com/2012/07/17/the-original-pivot-oakley
Shame the stopped making grips, loved the .5`s and the B-1B`s.
What happened???
Or I have developed a replacement end lock with rubber covering. Anyone interested in this?
twitter.com/stigofdadump/status/487519606014480384/photo/1
Pretty fat for bigger hands and longer than the average grip so that's a plus. A little soft from the boiling and all the sticky crap than rubs off from new grips is gone too.
I was rinding Odi's Ruffian with gloves for a while and it was good. A year after I change for a Sunlines's big S Lock-On grips (www.sicklines.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/9939) and began to use it gloveless, my numbness feeling deacresed, overal grip feeling increased and began to change my death grip technique for a loosie one. Sometimes because the wheater or trail I can't use gloveless but still that I prefer a fat grip.
By the way ODI's extendable flight control bars are a great way to find the correct bar wide AND if You use different wideness on different bikes or even direfferent trails Odis is a great choice
Currently I'm running a pair of Q2 ruffian clones I got from a friend for $5 because they were too short for his BMX bike. They have a cut-out in the palm area so the rubber is thicker against your hand but thinner on the finger side. I'm pretty happy with them, especially for five bucks.
When I built up my current ride (Santa Cruz Chameleon in tennis ball yellow/green) I threw on a pair of matching ODI/TLD lock-ons because they look fantastic, and figured I'd probably have to go find a pair of Strafe's eventually, because I like them thick. I haven't yet hit the park on the new ride, but so far I'm really impressed with how grippy these ODI/TLD grips are, and while blisters and calluses are just a part of riding, I haven't had any crushing hand pain like I had from a day of park riding with shitty grips.
Who remembers those OG ODI Mushrooms back in the day? I think they still make them but bmx back in the 80's with them were awesome.
Am I the only one out there who really dislikes the "half lock on" grips? I think they're crap!
www.singletrackworld.com/files/2010/01/IMG_3464-2-648x486.jpg
www.pinkbike.com/video/130663