I think I need new grips

E

Eclectic

1 kW
Joined
Aug 6, 2012
Messages
308
Location
Southern California (San Gabriel Valley)
Now that I have ~20 commutes (@ ~50 mins each way), my right hand and wrist are starting to hurt. I’m looking to replace the handlebars and grips. It seems like most recommend the Ergon grips but I’m open to other possibilities. I notice that they have both the GP1 & the GC1. It looks like the GC’s have a slight bend to them so that they work better on handlebars with more sweep rather than the GP’s that seem to be for straight bars.

Does anyone have any experience with the GC’s?

Do the shorter “shifter” models work with a half throttle?

Any suggestions?
 
Some grips are quite pliable and soft. They don't last as long but are far more comfortable. See that you feel them in the stores before you buy. Padded gloves help as well I use the weightlifting kind in summer as they have a mesh back that does not hold heat. Got suspension and fatty tires? Once I started the commute by bike I found the need for good full suspension.
 
I started commuting ~3 days/week in May, and I'm having the same problem with my right wrist. Replaced my old gloves and added a wrist brace. I was gradually raising my seat, but not raising the handlebars at the same time, and when I replaced the seatpost, I don't think the seat went back on exactly level, but was pitched froward a tad. Fixed that and raised the handlebars and we'll see. Next I suppose is front suspension. I have an older bike with a 1" steerer tube. Apparently RST still makes forks for these that are reasonably priced. Probably good enough for commuting, if not for offroad.
 
I like the Renthal grips in full diamond, not the waffle ones. They are available in several different compounds and also a larger diameter, with the thicker ones being better suited to e-bicycle use, the thinner ones are great on a motorcycle when you are wearing chunky gloves.

Renthal trial;
http://www.renthal.com/shop/mx-products/grips/trials-grips


Large dia;
http://road.renthal.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=2795
 
Nava Gran Turismo made in Italy 40 years ago. Most are for motorcycles and have a different size for the throttle grip, but I've seen them on eBay with both on-the-bar size. Black is rare now, but I've seen red, blue, white, translucent brown (gum), large flake metallic candy red, large flake metallic candy blue, and white grip/black collar.

There are inferior copies now. Look for the ribs to have a wide flat top to identify the genuine.
 
I changed from a round profile (very common) to an ergonomic (wrist & palm support) profile for the same reasons. The numbing stopped. I did need to hacksaw a bit of it to make it fit with the half throttle. This is the Ergon grips.
 
Don't laugh but after going through many grips I found these to be among my favorites:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sunlite-Foam-Bicycle-Bar-Grips-Black-with-Endplugs-5-inches-long-Black/281411960315?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D24192%26meid%3D00d8673208e8415f9241f26f412c8589%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D10284%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D390861613861

They have an almost "gel" like quality which effectively absorbs bumps and shocks through the bars. They don't compress down like many cheap foam grips I've tried.
 
Eclectic said:
Now that I have ~20 commutes (@ ~50 mins each way), my right hand and wrist are starting to hurt. I’m looking to replace the handlebars and grips. It seems like most recommend the Ergon grips but I’m open to other possibilities. I notice that they have both the GP1 & the GC1. It looks like the GC’s have a slight bend to them so that they work better on handlebars with more sweep rather than the GP’s that seem to be for straight bars.

Does anyone have any experience with the GC’s?

Do the shorter “shifter” models work with a half throttle?

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

I got some of the shifter model for half twist, but have yet to install it. I think it will work fine
 
It may not be the grips at all, but your handlebars are too far forward forcing pressure on the wrist. I have this same problem if I position the seat in too much of a tilt forward position forcing body weight to the arms and hands. The firmness of the grips shouldn't matter.
 
Ykick said:
Don't laugh but after going through many grips I found these to be among my favorites:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sunlite-Foam-Bicycle-Bar-Grips-Black-with-Endplugs-5-inches-long-Black/281411960315?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D24192%26meid%3D00d8673208e8415f9241f26f412c8589%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D10284%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D390861613861

They have an almost "gel" like quality which effectively absorbs bumps and shocks through the bars. They don't compress down like many cheap foam grips I've tried.
Click to expand...

Ain't laughing because that's what I use. They are cushioned enough but it's the ergonomics that I am worried about. I'm thinking of going from a 2" riser handlebar to 3.5" which I think will help also. I like the idea of support for my wrist. For just cushion and grip, I like Ykick's choice.

I'm also trying to figure out a way to soften the throttle grip. I guess I could use gloves but that's just one more inconvenient thing to deal with while getting ready to ride.

I am worried that something ergonomic might interfere with the use of the throttle. I thought about going to a bike forum but I think we are a little unique (there's got to be joke in that) in the way we use our handlebars.
 
melodious said:
I changed from a round profile (very common) to an ergonomic (wrist & palm support) profile for the same reasons. The numbing stopped. I did need to hacksaw a bit of it to make it fit with the half throttle. This is the Ergon grips.
Click to expand...

Do yo know what model of Ergons? Did you get the short shifter kind or did you just hack off a full sized grip? What's it like using a twist throttle on a non-round handlebar grip?
 
Eclectic said:
melodious said:
I changed from a round profile (very common) to an ergonomic (wrist & palm support) profile for the same reasons. The numbing stopped. I did need to hacksaw a bit of it to make it fit with the half throttle. This is the Ergon grips.
Click to expand...

Do yo know what model of Ergons? Did you get the short shifter kind or did you just hack off a full sized grip? What's it like using a twist throttle on a non-round handlebar grip?
Click to expand...
Size small. I have medium size hands @ 5'10". My hands like the feel of the smalls vs. medium/large ergons. Hacksawing the grip is easy due to the tensioning allen bolt is located near the grips endpoint (aka handlebar tips). I just measured what I needed and cut off the rest. Easy peasy.

Gloves should be worn every time you ride IMHO (falls, greasy bike fixes, getting rid of branches & road debris, and poison oak/ivy, etc.) The bonus is the added comfort when throttling.
 
melodious said:
Size small. I have medium size hands @ 5'10". My hands like the feel of the smalls vs. medium/large ergons. Hacksawing the grip is easy due to the tensioning allen bolt is located near the grips endpoint (aka handlebar tips). I just measured what I needed and cut off the rest. Easy peasy.
Click to expand...

So my translation: Sounds like you have the GPs because the I don't think the GCs come in sizes. I don't think I've seen anyone talk about getting the large ones (only the smalls). It also sounds like you just got the full length and cut them to size instead of ordering the short shifter ones and hoping they are the right size. I'm also guessing that you like them even with the throttle or you would have said it was a PITA.
 
melodious said:
Gloves should be worn every time you ride IMHO (falls, greasy bike fixes, getting rid of branches & road debris, and poison oak/ivy, etc.) The bonus is the added comfort when throttling.
Click to expand...

You are probably right but...

One thing I have discovered since I've started commuting, it's not the actual commute time (works out to be a wash on time) but it's the prep time. When using my car, I grab the things I need for the day (lunch etc.), walk out the door, press the button to unlock the car while I'm walking to it, throw my stuff on the passenger seat, put on my seatbelt as I'm backing out the driveway (wow that was a long sentence). 30-40 seconds tops.

With my bike:
Pack everything in a bag along with the cloths that I will change into later at work.
Fill my water bottle.
Carry the bag and water bottle outside and set it on the ground.
Open the garage.
Take the fiberglass welders blanket off the bike and fold it up.
Walk the bike out of the garage.
Close the garage door.
Strap the bag on the back.
Put the water bottle in the holder.
Plug in the battery.
Turn on all the blinkies and lights.
Put on the safety vest.
Put on the helmet.
Get on the bike and pull out on the street.
Spend most the next block adjusting my mirrors.

This process takes 20+ minutes and since time and money are at a real premium for me nowadays, this time comes out of my sleep schedule.
Don't know what this has to do with grips (other than the gloves thing adding more time to it) but I just wanted to rant. Maybe it deserves it's own topic.
 
Another vote for Ergon's here. I use size small GP1s. The nice thing about ergonomic (as apposed to round) grips is that no matter what your body angle is, you can adjust the grip so that the weight is carried on you palms, while your wrist is held at a comfortable angle.

Ergons can be easily cut to length with a Stanley knife blade.
 
The one day I go out without gloves I had a front tire blow out on a decent corner at around 30mph, It came out of no where and my knuckles still don't bend right to this day...fingernail is almost grown back. Luckily I had a full face on and a backback/jeans to take some of the road rash.

Now I feel naked/paranoid without them, i'll spare you the arm pics

IMG_2343.JPG

IMG_2345.JPG
 
Thanks Avitt - You know I was real close to pulling the trigger on the GP1s. But then I had to do some more research and found the GCs (that have the bend in them for bars with more sweep) and now I am stuck in the paralysis of indecision. Why do I do this to myself?
 
My bars are straight. If I had swept bars, I'd probably go with the GCs.

You could buy both from Amazon, and return the ones that you don't prefer...
 
Ouch skeetab5780!!! You remind me of my motorcycle days. Didn't have the armor they have today, just a Cal-lether jacket and Levis (well gloves and a FF helmet I wore sometimes). And yep; I'd kiss the pavement every 20,000-30,000 miles. That's part of the reason I ride an ebike @ 20mph now. Although I do hit 30mph everyday on the -8% grades @ -300W and there are times I wish I could hit a nitro button and hit 30-35 just to get thru the 3 lanes of 45 mph traffic so I can get to the left turn lane. I can't imagine what it would be like pedaling @ 20 mph in full body armor - probably safer though.
 
Avitt said:
My bars are straight. If I had swept bars, I'd probably go with the GCs.

You could buy both from Amazon, and return the ones that you don't prefer...
Click to expand...

Hmmm - hadn't thought about tryin' both. Maybe I'll see if I can get to my LBS this weekend and see what they have to say. Thanks again for your feedback.
 
This is what I ended up getting.

View attachment 2
Ergon GC1 grips and I went from a 2"riser bar to a 3.5" riser bar (first chrome on the bike).

20140823_152119.jpg

I actually rotated the bar back more than moving it up. The locks on the Ergon grips allow them to be rotated to match whatever angle I put the bar at. You can really see the forward sweep of the GC1 grips. They are made for bars with some rear sweep to them. The GP1 grips are for straighter bars.


20140823_152442.jpg
I trimmed this one to fit with my throttle. You can also see that I don't have enough room to fit the rear shifter on the straight part of the bar.




What do I think?

First impressions:
Well made - but I paid for well made
Substantial - they feel really substantial in my hand - they just fit well
Ergonomically correct - my hand and palm fit very well - adjusting the angle allows me to change the wrist support
A little harder than I expected - if you were using them on a MTB, they would be great but I would like them a little softer and gel-like
Actually a little too much grip for my throttle hand that needs to slide and rotate easily

I may have to start wearing gloves. They just aren't as soft and fuzzy like my old foamy grips, but there was no support with those. So far I like the support though. Let me get a couple a hundred miles commuting and I'll have a better idea. So far I like!
 
I bet a bar with more sweep would do you more good than any grips. I use Origin8 Space bars or On-One Mary bars to make MTB setup better.
 
I have noticed grips don't really matter. The vibration of the bike plus the bouncy terrain will make your hand hurt no matter what. I guess it depends on how long you are riding.
 
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