Commuting - Suggestions for Grips???

Hello, i've just begun using my mountain bike for commuting. i also use it for rough mountain biking in the woods. i am going to be taking my grips off so i figured i might as well get new ones since i currently have some roughed up ones.

i'm curious what sort of grips i should get since i'll be needing good grips for rough riding but comfortable ones as well that won't get sticky or worn out by sweat. At the same time i'd like to keep the price at a VERY, VERY low one. However i will take any suggestions. :-)

I use the Cane Creek bar ends with just any grips on the flat bar bike. Cane Creek also makes a matching clamp on grip. Looks nice but I can't justify the price for the grips. The bar ends are where my hands go anyway, and they were pricy enough.

I wanted the Ergon grips on my other bike, but it uses a road bike sized handlebar, and I don't think clamp on grips are going to work there so I got the Bontrager Satalite Plus grips. Same idea as the Ergon, but able to cram them onto the bigger bar.

You might like the Salsa Pepperjacks. It's a BMX grip, but who cares how they designate it.

Ritchey TrueGrips are pretty good and inexpensive.

http://rbikes.com/itemdetails.cfm?catalogId=39&id=10838

Crane Creek ones look nice. It looks like i'd get a good grip on them. Those TrueGrips are a good price though. Thanks for the input. i am getting a better idea of what brands i should look at. :D

My favorite grips are these velo foam grips (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=20162&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Show%20All%20Products) and they are cheap. I tried some other foam grips thinking that foam is foam. Well let me put it this way. I have a barely used set of titec porkrind grips for free if you want them.

i'm curious what sort of grips i should get since i'll be needing good grips for rough riding but comfortable ones as well that won't get sticky or worn out by sweat. At the same time i'd like to keep the price at a VERY, VERY low one. However i will take any suggestions. :-)
Pipe Insulation meets all your requirements.

I'm rapidly closing on trying the pipe insulation ILTB. I have a tandem, the front of which is a trifle small for me. This means that, with a suitably long seatpost, I'm leaning forward onto the (priest style) bars rather more than I'd want to, given that they have hard plastic grips with ridges. Whoever designed those did it to hurt me. Anyhow, if I can't find a suitably long stem anywhere in my boxes of stuff to get me up to the right position, I'll be trying the insulation. And maybe trying it anyway. I have some, after all, so there's nothing to lose....

Pipe Insulation meets all your requirements.

A better choice since it's one piece and less likely to come loose when you don't want it to is Grab-on (http://www.grabongrips.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=9&zenid=5f2e2b0e53f7a663369e63492a771438)grips. Slightly denser than pipe insulation and not split. I've been using these for about the last 15 years and they beat the pants off of any other grip, in my opinion.

I am using a set of cane creek bar ends and cork grips. They two realy help lessen the vibration/fatigue in my experience.

Ourys come in a ton of colors, are cheap, and last forever. Pepperjacks are my next favorite.

Oury's.

http://www.ourygrips.com/

A better choice since it's one piece and less likely to come loose when you don't want it to is Grab-on (http://www.grabongrips.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=9&zenid=5f2e2b0e53f7a663369e63492a771438)grips. Slightly denser than pipe insulation and not split. I've been using these for about the last 15 years and they beat the pants off of any other grip, in my opinion.


This is another type of pipe wrap. It's more like rubber than foam. Stretches tight and the split stays closed better. But, it also tends to compress more. The closed cell foam type that ILTB uses keeps its shape, and is pretty shock absorbant. It's basically the same stuff found inside some suspension seatposts.
http://i19.tinypic.com/47maft5.jpg

These are somewhat similar to cyccomute's, but even cheaper.
http://i15.tinypic.com/4bogv8i.jpg

Ergons
http://www.swedishdesignaward.se/_images/1148289066_55_3.png

Thanks for the input all. i never thought of using pipe insulation! i will keep that in mind for the future. However, a good deed has been done. Dalmore, kindly, has donated a pair of grips to me!

Thanks everyone for the input. i'm bookmarking this page for future reference.

So how do you like those bar end/grip combo thingies? I'm not planning on changing to drops or other bar options, but would like a little more options on my plain jane flat bar. I saw these mentioned in a previous thread and was thinking I might give them a try.

What about my bar end mirror (which I like a lot) can I put that on these?

Thanks.

Ergons
http://www.swedishdesignaward.se/_images/1148289066_55_3.png

+1 ... I love those things!

+1 ... I love those things!

I didn't know they made Ergons for gripshift. I ended up cutting my full sized ones to fit with my gripshift. :(

This is what I use.
http://www.odigrips.com/images/mtb_rogue_lo.gif
That and a pair of bike gloves

I didn't know they made Ergons for gripshift. I ended up cutting my full sized ones to fit with my gripshift. :(
You did the right thing, I bought a set for grip shifters, both were short. I returned them and got a full size set and cut the right one down.

Ergons
http://www.swedishdesignaward.se/_images/1148289066_55_3.png
Haven't gotten these, but I suspect I may at some point. Between all the computer work I do, my knitting habit, and a pinched nerve in my shoulder that occasionally flares up, I need all the ergonomic help I can get. :o I test rode a bike with these on it, and they felt very nice.

Donna,
Performance has the woman's grip on sale for $19. Link (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?SKU=20413&item=50-3095&slitrk=search&slisearch=true)
BTW, have I mentioned my neighbor across the street raises alpacas, and has something like a metric ton of yarn?

...and a pinched nerve in my shoulder that occasionally flares up...

I know what you mean. I dislocated my left shoulder 2 weeks ago. There's still some nerve "pinching" going on. These grips really do help with my left shoulder problems.

If somebody tells me those Ergons slide on (more or less) instead of clamp on, I'm going to order a pair. The catalog I saw looked like the clamped on, which probably wouldn't work on road bike sized bars.

They have a lock nut to secure them. I've put them on flat bars, mary bars, albatross, and north roads.

This is what I use.
http://www.odigrips.com/images/mtb_rogue_lo.gif
That and a pair of bike gloves

i was looking at those. Maybe when i have money to spend i'll get a pair. But i'll be using the ones i put on next as long as they last.

Donna,
Performance has the woman's grip on sale for $19. Link (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?SKU=20413&item=50-3095&slitrk=search&slisearch=true)
BTW, have I mentioned my neighbor across the street raises alpacas, and has something like a metric ton of yarn?
I imagine the grips with the dohickey on the end are sized for male hands?

Mmmm, alpaca yarn... :D

I imagine the grips with the dohickey on the end are sized for male hands?

Mmmm, alpaca yarn... :D

Ergon grips are made in large and small sizes - sometimes labeled men's and women's - without and without dohickey. ;)

one word Oury i have them on two commuter bikes and two mtb bikes i was using them thirty years ago on my dirt bike(motorcycle)at that time they where the grip to use,i was very pleased when the started making grips for bikes,they are around $8.00 and come in different colors

I am another Oury Fanatic....for me the lock-on version.

i was looking at those. Maybe when i have money to spend i'll get a pair. But i'll be using the ones i put on next as long as they last.
It's the only thing I'll use on a flat bat bike these days.

They have a lock nut to secure them. I've put them on flat bars, mary bars, albatross, and north roads.

With the swept back - type bars (like the latter three you list), it would seem like you'd have to rotate your hands out too far for the bar ends to be useful (thumbs pointed outwards). What's been your experience?

^^^^
The Ergons that I've been using are the ones without the bar end grips.
But I would think the mary bar would be ok with the bar ends, the albatross and north roads defiantly have too much sweep for them though.

+1 on the ergons. I just put them on my MTB flat handlebars, and I don't know what I did before them. It was a similar "Aha!" moment as when I started wearing gel gloves.

+2 on the Ergons. I have the ones with the bar end grips on handlebars very similar to Allen's mary bar. I only got them Friday, but the difference they have made in such a short time really surprised me. Even my posture has improved.

They have a lock nut to secure them. I've put them on flat bars, mary bars, albatross, and north roads.

For anyone who might be wondering, the size large Ergon grips won't work with the Nashbar Trekking bar. The straight section of the bar is not long enough to accommodate the Ergon grip, let alone shifters and brakes. And the grip is pretty stiff, so it won't curve around the end of the bar like some other types of grips might. You might be able to cut the grip shorter (or buy the small size) and make it work, but I can't confirm since I don't have that size.

Oury.

Update: After using the Ergons for a while, I can say they are indeed an improvement over standard grips. But I wish the integrated bar ends were a little larger.

Another vote for Oury.
Stick a nickel inside the ends to keep the handlebars from rubbing through.

Another vote for Oury.
Stick a nickel inside the ends to keep the handlebars from rubbing through.

Or just get the cheap plastic plug that most bike shops will give you for free.

Or just get the cheap plastic plug that most bike shops will give you for free.

You're right! I can't believe I wasted 10 cents instead of driving (or riding) to the lbs and asking for something for free! :D

edit: the smiley denotes harmless sarcasm. not trying to be an arse. ;)

I put Ergons on the "Captain" bars of our tandem a few months ago and they are much more comfy than any other grips I've tried. They spread the load out. On the other hand, I just put new grips on my recumbent and it doesn't matter. On most recumbents, there is almost no pressure on your hands and any old grips and any old gloves will probably be just fine, thank you.

Oury.

I'm sure that Oury grips are very nice, but at least based on their website, I don't understand why they would be comparable to Ergon grips, which have a wide section upon which the heel of the hand rests. The Oury grips appear to be the fairly standard cylindrical shape.

Am I missing something?

Am I missing something?

Yes!
Oury's are just cooler looking! :D

example... my new ride i'm just putting the finishing touches on...

http://d2creative.smugmug.com/photos/174366106-M.jpg