2manyoranges
Old School Grand Master
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A recent Pinkbike poll showed that grips were one of the first things which riders replaced on stock bikes.
My own relationship with grips has been a bit up and down.
In the 1990s I used foam grip a lot. They really helped with trail chatter. After a full two or three days' riding on the South Downs my wrists were noticeably less beaten up when I used them. They did, however, have one scary characteristic. The moment it rained they were prone to rotating on the bars. Effing scary. Sure you could glue them on, but that meant removal was a whole morning’s job. Rubber grips at the time were good and cheap but heavy (Ritchey) or good and light, but expensive (Yeti) - the Bontrager Rule.
There was one stand out grip - the ODI Attack.
ODIs have the interesting asset of being capable of being ‘wire-on’ grips. Few people realise that the very thin inboard groove is designed for thin stainless wire - wrap, twist, cut, poke sharp ends inwards - so that despite not being lock-on, the wire could resist the angst of slipping in the wet.
The years passed and lock-on grips became A Big Thing - but many were hard and thin - I have average sized paws and thin grips just made my wrists hurt (vibration) and hands ache (through gripping the thin diameter). But then DMR, bless them - in conjunction with the seemingly insane Brendon Fairclough - produced the Death Grip.
A brilliant pattern on the grip, different diameters and different durometer rubbers. And different colours. For me and the Grom, the thick-soft version was just great. But since the olden days, the ODI Attacks still lurked in the stable - on various jump bikes and one of the enduro bikes.
Our criteria for grips have been refined over the years … right diameter, right compound, lock-on or not prone to rotating, and … interestingly, soft ends for leaning the bikes against the sides of cars. Instead of two lock-on rings with high scratching-everything-potential associated with the outer one, DMR Death Grips have that great internal tapering nylon insert - again people just put them on without knowing that you really need to push them home to lock them on using the internal taper, and THEN do up the lock ring. Nice feature, which gives you a soft ended but rock solid grip - the packaging should highlight that installation technique more. WHAT???!! Read some instructions? How quaint.
DMR Grid Grips are a cheap alternative to Death Grips but again in the rain can eventually give a frightening loose rotation - yikes. And gluing on with hairspray sort of works and sort of doesn't. Meh. But they are nice and cheap, nice and squidgy, have a good diameter and pattern, and have a soft end. Nice.
Others? Burgtec grips are OK-ish - but I still am more conscious of vibration when I use them. Renthal are nice-ish but wear out SO quickly. So while Death Grips feature on almost all our builds, the humble Attack lives on....
The thin fins just seem to work. Period. What lovely things they are.
My own relationship with grips has been a bit up and down.
In the 1990s I used foam grip a lot. They really helped with trail chatter. After a full two or three days' riding on the South Downs my wrists were noticeably less beaten up when I used them. They did, however, have one scary characteristic. The moment it rained they were prone to rotating on the bars. Effing scary. Sure you could glue them on, but that meant removal was a whole morning’s job. Rubber grips at the time were good and cheap but heavy (Ritchey) or good and light, but expensive (Yeti) - the Bontrager Rule.
There was one stand out grip - the ODI Attack.
ODIs have the interesting asset of being capable of being ‘wire-on’ grips. Few people realise that the very thin inboard groove is designed for thin stainless wire - wrap, twist, cut, poke sharp ends inwards - so that despite not being lock-on, the wire could resist the angst of slipping in the wet.
The years passed and lock-on grips became A Big Thing - but many were hard and thin - I have average sized paws and thin grips just made my wrists hurt (vibration) and hands ache (through gripping the thin diameter). But then DMR, bless them - in conjunction with the seemingly insane Brendon Fairclough - produced the Death Grip.
A brilliant pattern on the grip, different diameters and different durometer rubbers. And different colours. For me and the Grom, the thick-soft version was just great. But since the olden days, the ODI Attacks still lurked in the stable - on various jump bikes and one of the enduro bikes.
Our criteria for grips have been refined over the years … right diameter, right compound, lock-on or not prone to rotating, and … interestingly, soft ends for leaning the bikes against the sides of cars. Instead of two lock-on rings with high scratching-everything-potential associated with the outer one, DMR Death Grips have that great internal tapering nylon insert - again people just put them on without knowing that you really need to push them home to lock them on using the internal taper, and THEN do up the lock ring. Nice feature, which gives you a soft ended but rock solid grip - the packaging should highlight that installation technique more. WHAT???!! Read some instructions? How quaint.
DMR Grid Grips are a cheap alternative to Death Grips but again in the rain can eventually give a frightening loose rotation - yikes. And gluing on with hairspray sort of works and sort of doesn't. Meh. But they are nice and cheap, nice and squidgy, have a good diameter and pattern, and have a soft end. Nice.
Others? Burgtec grips are OK-ish - but I still am more conscious of vibration when I use them. Renthal are nice-ish but wear out SO quickly. So while Death Grips feature on almost all our builds, the humble Attack lives on....
The thin fins just seem to work. Period. What lovely things they are.
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