Bicycle Mechanics - Looking for the secret to ......

Hola peeps.
New to the forum and thought this would be the place to find out the secret to ...... removing grips from the handlebars without damaging them. I have some rubber/synthetic leather Electra grips I would like to remove for future use. Any helpful hints/secrets would be great. Thanks MVAZ

Slid the thin tube that comes with wd 40 as far down inside the grip as you can and squirt some in it. Then grip then and twist back and for to slide them off. Usually works for me.

If you can get access to an air compressor, all you have to do is cover up the hole on the opposite side of the bar, and shoot air in through the hole on the other side. The grip expands and slides off.

Wow! That was fast. Thanks for the info. Just waiting for some new grips to come in to take them off. MVAZ

There's several methods-
I use soapy water (in an old mustard squeeze bottle) and a very thin, long screw driver. I'll lay the bike on its side (gravity helps) and slightly pry the grip and dribble in a bit of the liquid. Work the screwdriver around gently and repeat, going deeper. Often, when you get near the end, you can "work" the grip enough with your hand and avoid using the screw driver for the last inch or 2..
If you have compressed air, you can "pop" the other grip off.

Sometimes you can use a 7/8" open ended wrench and tap off with a hammer. This works best on harder grips or the foam grips over a plastic sleave.

Hola peeps.
New to the forum and thought this would be the place to find out the secret to ...... removing grips from the handlebars without damaging them. I have some rubber/synthetic leather Electra grips I would like to remove for future use. Any helpful hints/secrets would be great. Thanks MVAZ

Your question is answered in the "Hints and Tricks" thread at the top of this (Bicycle mechanics) subforum. Basically, squirt a little bit of alcohol under the grips with a siringe, perhaps in more than just one location, twist a bit and then just pull it off.

If you can get access to an air compressor, all you have to do is cover up the hole on the opposite side of the bar, and shoot air in through the hole on the other side. The grip expands and slides off.

What if the grip is just like a pipe (like most are) with a cork? The problem is that the "cork" (usually a piece of plastic) is inserted in the handlebar itself, so pumping air from the other end will not help remove the grip, just shoot off the cork.

All I do is loosen up the brake handle mounts and use them to push the grips off the bars.

No muss, no fuss, and no soap or WD-40 to clean up.

I usually lift up one lip and drop some rubbing alcohol in and work it in a bit, after that it just slides right off.

A pretty easy way is to simply borrow your wife or girlfriend's hair spray, pry up the end of the grip a little with say a flat screwdriver or similar implement, and spray in a bit of the hairspray. No mess, no fuss. Turn it a bit and it will slip right off. To put the grips back on, just spray the inside of the grip with the hair spray again and slide it on.

I must have used that method 100 times back in my mountain bike and hybrid days.

You guys are awesome. The old "alcohol down the grip" trick worked great.

was able to go from this: http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q194/fryeglider/Hbars-1.jpg

to this: http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q194/fryeglider/Hbars2.jpg

without messing up the first set of grips.

Thanks,
MVAZ

You guys are awesome. The old "alcohol down the grip" trick worked great.

was able to go from this: http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q194/fryeglider/Hbars-1.jpg

to this: http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q194/fryeglider/Hbars2.jpg

without messing up the first set of grips.

Thanks,
MVAZ


Show us some more angles of that bike, will ya?
Dan Burkhart
www.boomerbicycle.ca

You guys are awesome. The old "alcohol down the grip" trick worked great.


Yeah, I always have a siringe with a needle (carefully packed to protect the innocent) in my toolbox, and a little bottle of denaturated alcohol.

EDIT: I kinda like the old thing better. Don't hate me.

No hater here. I still have the old grips in one piece. Ha! My wife has an old glass syringe from her college photography days that I used to get the job done. Saved me a ton-o-time. I think the new Brooks grips will look better with some time on them. They are still squeaky clean so, once they have been used for a while, they should darken up some. I like the "old school" feel they have. They also are the same color as the seat. Thanks again for the tips peeps. MVAZ

My wife has an old glass syringe from her college photography days that I used to get the job done.

That stuff is vintage, and relatively valuable nowadays, just as old apothecary or medical equipment.

Dan,
Just saw your request for more angles of the bike.

Here ya go.

[without the new grips]

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q194/fryeglider/Bike1.jpg

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q194/fryeglider/Seatbag.jpg

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q194/fryeglider/Pedal.jpg

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q194/fryeglider/Bike2.jpg

MVAZ

^^^sweet