With the introduction of SRAM’s updated 10-speed Grip Shift shifters, my Ergon GS1 “marathon” grips had to go in order for testing to get underway.
After riding the included Jaws lock-on grips for a while, I ordered up a set of Ergon GP1’s, which come in a shorter version for use with twist shifters. Technically, they’re aimed more at commuter and casual riders than aggressive mountain bikers, but my palms want what they want.
They’re available in small and large sizes, with the large having a bigger diameter that matches up perfectly with the shifter’s diameter.
One of the issues I had with the Jaws grips was their length. Even with my big paws, I was only touching about 3-4mm of the grip when holding the bar at its outside edge (ie. where you usually hold the bar). The GP1 grips are about a centimeter narrower, which ends up putting my hand on enough of the shifter barrel to shift without having to move hand positions. That alone is worth the change, and the extra padding and palm support thy Ergons provide (and that I like) is pure bonus.
They recommend a max clamping force of 5Nm at the bolt, but that’s not quite enough to keep them from slipping under hard impact or when pushing down a bit more than usual to set up a jump. They’re mounted on an Easton Monkey Lite XC carbon bar, so I’ll be playing with the torque to see what I can get away with. Under normal riding, they hold in place pretty good, and I didn’t have an issue with using the GS1s before.
The only downside is the added weight. The GP1 grips are 152g for the pair, a bit more than double the 72g for the Jaws grips by themselves. There are few things I’m willing to accept a weight penalty for, and this is one of them.
MSRP is $29.95 at Ergon-bike.com.
