Bike Reviews

For the past few years I’ve been dealing with some hand soreness on longer rides. I’ve tried larger grips and even rode with a wrap of road tape over my standard grips. The tape wrap worked to provide more comfort, but the wrap just wouldn’t hold up to offroad riding. My hands are pretty big and conventional grips just weren’t getting it done for me.

Since then I’ve been using the Ergon GP1 grips. The large grips are designed with an ergonomically thickened profile that is intended to distribute pressure evenly over a larger surface of the hand. The grips take a bit of getting used to, but once you get their angle adjusted to your liking and spend some time with them, they do just as advertised. I’ve seen some folks comment on feeling less in control of the bike, but I think that’s just part of getting used to them. I feel as in control as ever and don’t have the same soreness problems that I once struggled with. The grips are a bit pricey coming in at around $25. There are options that include nicely designed, though small, built in bar ends, and a couple of the grips come in 2 sizes.

Specialized has their own ergonomic grip options on the market that include a grip that is similar to the Ergon along with a couple of smaller models. The grip I picked up is a new one from their line called the Comfort II grip and it sells for around $20. It is like a smaller version of the Ergon model that provides a platform designed to relieve pressure, but the grip section that is located at the heal of your hand is a little smaller. This grip is a great option for folks who are looking for increased comfort but don’t want to take the plunge to the larger Ergon style grips.

Both grips include lock-on style clamps that lock the grips to the bars. If you’re looking for a little more comfort you can’t go wrong with either of these options.

(2 votes, average: 6 out of 7)
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