So I'm finally working up the courage to try swapping out some junky hard rubber grips on my DL1 for the real Raleigh items. The problem is this:

a. the cheapo grips are quite stubborn- they really don't want to go anywhere. What methods do you suggest to knock off stubborn grips without damaging the bars?

b. the Raleigh grips that came from an old set of bars I had around have always been a bit loose. They tended to move around on the old bars a bit. I'd like to put them on the new bars- is there some way of putting them on and getting them to stick in place once they're on. In theory they should fit since the bar size is just what the grips are made for- any ideas on getting them to stick though?

Thanks

I always stick a screwdriver under the grip then spray some WD40 or other oil in it. It'll slide right off.

Knife if its a grip you dont need....

as for making the other grips stick. i always put a couple of rings of electrical tape on each side. that worked for my bmx bikes, but others may have better ideas. i was young at the time and i just made stuff work how ever i had to.

Instead of something oily, I like to use something waterbased, like spray cleaner, or even plain water. That way when you put the new grips back on, the water dries and the grip stays put. If you use an oily substance, the new grip will still move around.

Well the old ones are off- I was able to do them with just the flatblade driver dry.

It turns out that someone put a glue to make them stick, and that glue has caused mild surface rust on the bars. I should be able to get it off.

Any suggestions on getting the new ones to stick? I'm okay with epoxies or glues that will not rust the bars. I can always resort to the flatblade to get them off later, but I sure don't want something that will cause more rust.

I use hairspray for installing new grips. Once it dries, the grip should stay in place.

Neal

I found the tip of using solvent alcohol instead of WD, it slicks them up nice and evaporates quickly.

if you have a compressor, air pressure under the grip will pop it right off. Hair spray is good but hard to break loose when you change it, detergent and water will dry to a very rigid grip (unless you get caught in a downpour).

Hah, I hadn't thought about the air compressor trick since back in my bike shop days. We used to send grips flying across the room with a satisfying "pop!" with that method.

Neal