If you think that grips are not the most crucial part of a bicycle, we would agree with you.
They don’t directly affect the speed of movement, they can be changed every day, or, conversely, you can ride with basic grips all your life and genuinely not understand why they need to be changed at all.
However, if you want not just to move from point A to point B, but do it with comfort, have high requirements for the bicycle's weight or variety of weather conditions for riding, then you cannot do without exploring the question of grips.
Besides, if you ride actively, sooner or later even the most durable grips will become unusable..
Types of ebike grips by material
All grips of the world can be conditionally divided into several categories depending on their material and shape. Each has its own pros and cons, it all depends on your riding style, goals, and budget.
1) Rubber Grips
You can find lots of them on Amazon
Positive:
- Durable and resilient, especially if made of good rubber;
- Thick models provide excellent shock absorption.
Negative:
- Have significant weight, if this parameter is important to you.
2) Foam Grips
You can find lots of them on Amazon
Positive:
- The lightest of all - weigh literally a few grams (for comparison: 20-30 grams against 70-80 grams of rubber grips);
- If the weight of the bicycle is important to you, we recommend paying attention. For road or cross-country, this is the best solution.
- Variety of shapes and colors;
- Perform well in bad weather: do not slip in the rain, pleasant to the touch in the off-season.
Negative:
- Very low shock absorption, if compared with all other types;
- Do not fix on the handlebar and can rotate;
- Extremely sensitive to mechanical impact: fell a couple of times, dropped the bike three times, and it's time to buy a new pair.
3) Leather Grips
You can find lots of them on Amazon
Positive:
- The most stylish of all, they transform the entire bicycle. We recommend getting a pair for mood uplift and hedonistic city rides.
Negative:
- These grips are not so lucky: they have poor shock absorption, leather easily gets scratched and requires maintenance. Do not think of installing them on a stunt bike, or if you plan on off-road riding: you'll damage the beautiful grips and will be upset.
4) Cork Grips
You can find lots of them on Amazon
Positive:
- Pleasant to the touch;
- Work excellently during the shoulder season, provide good grip and keep the warmth of hands;
- Beautiful and suitable for both sports models and city bikes.
Negative:
- The cork will darken from use, and dirt will embed into the porous material. If you're an aesthete, take this into account.
Types of ebike grips by shape
1) Straight Grips without Lock-ons (Slip-on)
Essentially, this is just a tube that is mounted on the handlebar, having no elements of mechanical fixation and held in place by friction force.
Classic grips are the most basic option, which you are probably familiar with; most manufacturers install them by default if the model belongs to the economy segment.
You can find lots of them on Amazon
Positive:
- inexpensive;
- sold everywhere;
- good choice of colors and sizes: can be changed weekly to match your mood;
- resistant to wear and tear;
- decent shock absorption for their price.
Negative:
- become slippery when riding in the rain;
- cheap rubber grips start rotating and sliding off the handlebar quickly, making it utterly impossible to ride on them.
2) Straight Grips with Lock-on
These are the same straight grips as classic ones, but with a hard fixation – lock-on. Rubber tubes are not just stretched onto the handlebar, but also have elements for attaching to it. Such a grip won’t go anywhere, so grips with lock-ons are much more convenient than the aforementioned classic rubber ones.
You can find lots of them on Amazon.
Positive:
- securely fixed on the handlebar;
- also, a wide choice of colors and materials.
Negative:
- be careful not to overtighten the fixator during installation and damage the handlebar;
- shock absorption will be worse than that of the classic grip;
- if every gram is important to you, better pass: grips with lock-ons will weigh about 100g.
3) Ergonomic Grips
These grips have a refined shape that provides a very solid grip on the handlebar.
You can find lots of them on Amazon
Positive:
- The ideal option for long rides and off-road biking! The connection with the bicycle is significantly better than when using straight grips. Try them – they are fabulously comfortable!
Negative:
- usually cost more than straight models;
- need to be carefully selected to fit your hand.
4) Soft Grips
This option is more suitable for professional sports or performing bike tricks. But bear in mind: after a few months of active riding, the grips will need to be replaced, and it's good if they last at least that long. But that's life: grips are expendables.
How to remove and install grips?
As you may have already understood, a good grip should fit tightly on the handlebar, otherwise, it won't be of any use. But what to do when you need to remove the old grips from the handlebar and, more interestingly, put on new ones? There are several cycling life hacks for this.
1) How to remove grips:
2) How to install grips:
- It's better to hold hard rubber grips in boiling water for a few minutes before stretching them on, and then let them cool and dry on the handlebar.
- Grips made of other materials are better put on when the handlebar is wet.
- If the grip has loosened and started to spin, you can try to fix the situation by spraying the inside with hair spray. Craftsmen claim that this method is old as time but works.
Best ebike grips brand
We have been selling bicycles and accessories for a long time, and during this time we have managed to study all the manufacturers, communicate with them, test their products and offer only the best ones to you. Here are those we can easily vouch for:
1) Race Face
Race Face was created by a group of die-hard mountain bikers hell-bent on doing things differently. When the gear couldn't keep up with the riding, we made our own. The mountains near Vancouver turned out to be the perfect playground to dream up and test legendary parts.
Also you can buy it on Amazon
2) ODI
Over the past 40 years, they have dedicated ourselves to providing the best there is to offer in each of their products. This includes their proprietary grip compounds which have been extensively researched and tested by top athletes around the world to ensure that they provide the highest level of comfort and longevity possible. They are also the innovators of the Lock-On Grip system, which innovated the way in which grips are installed and secured to the handlebars and still remains the worldwide standard for grips.
Also you can buy it on Amazon
3) Ergon
A wonderful English brand, well known in cycling circles. Renowned for its minimalist design and excellent quality of products. Look how hard they've tried: they made grips in so many colors, choose whichever you like the most.
We hope we helped you navigate the world of bicycle grips, and soon you will be able to give lectures on the topics of gripsology. For now, you can just choose the coolest ones for yourself.
Also you can buy it in Amazon
Сonclusion
At Movin Mobility, we continuously experiment with various brands of grips to find the optimal combination of price and quality. Currently, we've settled on rubberized ergonomic grips.
Additionally, if you're searching for more accessories for your bike, we've prepared a useful guide for you.
If you're seeking a powerful bike with soft and durable grips, come visit us at 654 College Street. Schedule a test drive and experience their high quality firsthand.