Ergon GP1 Grips Review
Component Reviews, Reviews | 198 | June 25, 2008 at 9:59 pm
From Ergon-bike.com
The GP1 series of grips offer maximum comfort and the best possible pressure distribution. They are specially cut for a small to middle sized hand (Size S: 6.5 / 8.5 – particularly good for female hands), as well as for middle to larger sized hands (Size L: 8.5 – 10.5). They feature a forged aluminum clamp for fast and secure installation. The support platform is individually incrementally adjustable for the correct hand angle by simply turning the grip.
Test Subjects
Size Tested: Small 6.5/8.5
Bikes Tested On: Moots Mooto-X 29er Hard Tail and Ibis Mojo 140mm Full Suspension
Installing the Ergon GP1 Grips
Installation is as easy as any other lock-on, slide on the grip and tighten the bolt. The only issue that takes any time is figuring out the most comfortable angle for your riding and making sure that both grips are even. With normal grips, this is not an issue because they are circular.
Weight
These grips are heavy due to the extra material (170g per pair according to JensonUSA on the smalls and over 200g for the larges). If you are a weight weenie looking to shed those precious grams, these are probably not the grips for you. I have heard from endurance racers that they find the added benefits during longer riding a big enough trade off for the weight.
Price
Averaging around 35.00 per pair (25.00 if you look hard), these are some of the most expensive grips you can put on a bike from a mainstream retailer.
First Impressions on the Ergon GP1 Grips
At first, it really took some time to get used to the Ergon GP1’s. For such a long time, riders have gotten used to regular grips for all of their riding needs. The Ergon’s are much different than anything else on the market. Finding that “sweet spot” on the bikes was a little bit more difficult than I had planned on, but once they were set…they felt great.
My hands are relatively large and I found even the smalls to be a little big. I like to be able to grip all the way around the bars with my index and middle finger in technical riding situations. The large sized grips really hindered my ability to do this. So for me, the “better for women” size worked out the best. I have found this to be true for almost all of the men with any experience with Ergon’s. (For reference: My hands have a 9” spread)
On The Bike with the Ergon GP1 Grips
According to Ergon, these grips are supposed to prevent soreness and numbness in the hands and fingers by providing optimal pressure distribution on the palm. I do not have chronic problems in these areas but I did find the grips to be very comfortable on long climbs. I was able to rest my upper body weight on the bulk of the grips and this helped in loosening my grip on the bars. I found that my hands were not as tired at the end of long climbs as compared to regular grips.
On the descents, I have two opinions. On the Moots Mooto-X 29er, the grips felt great when gravity takes over. I still had complete control over the front end and I felt more stable on the bars. When I switched the the Mojo, things changed a little bit. In more downhill/freeride situations, I really missed being able to grip all the way around the bars in multiple positions. This left me feeling uneasy on drops and jumps that I normally feel at home on.
One other critique…The one bolt clamping mechanism makes installation a breeze, but I did find that the bolt can loosen easily causing the grips to move on the bar. A simple tightening of the bolt with the multi-tool rectified the issue quickly, so it was more of a little annoyance than a deal breaker.
Durability of the Ergon GP1 Grips
Even through all of the testing, the grips still look brand new (with some added dirt). This makes me believe that the grips are going to last a pretty long time. Some other brands soft compounds tend to wear out pretty quickly, but the Ergon’s look like they are going to be around for a long time. This helps with the price of the grips if you know you aren’t going to have to buy another set for a long time.
Conclusions
I can see exactly why endurance racers love these grips. They work out great on the long haul. It is my opinion that these grips are best suited for rigids, hard tails and short travel full suspension bikes. They will relieve your hands in long mileage rides and help with numbness and soreness in the palm area. If you are looking for a set of grips that are going to be comfortable over long rides and you aren’t worried about weight, look no farther than the GP1’s. I would try out a set before you purchase to make sure you are ok with the size, but it is my guess that the smalls are going to work for most riders.
If you are an all mountain/freeride/downhill rider, you are probably going to want to stick with a conventional grip. A personal favorite of mine is the Oury lock-ons, but Ergon also has a new GE1 that may work out better for more aggressive, technical riding situations.
Ergon is also the only grip company, that I can think of, that is truly involved with their riders. There have been multiple test sessions held at our local trail heads by Ergon employees. They install the grips on your bike for testing and answer questions as you go along. As the bike industry becomes more competitive, this is a huge plus in my book. I really like “hands on” manufacturers.
Where Can I Buy Them?
Ergon Grip P1 Series Bicycle Handle Bar Grips (Standard, Small)
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- Ergon GP1
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- Moots Mooto-X 29er
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- Ergon GP1 Package Front
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- Ergon GP1 Package Back
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- Ergon GP1’s Installed on the Ibis
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- Ibis Mojo
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Tags: ergon bike, ergon gp1-s grips, ergon grips, ergon-bike.com, grgon gp1 grips, ibis mojo, moots mooto-x, mountain biking, mountain biking by 198, mountain biking product reviews, part reviews
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Nice review, I have been eyeing these for some time now. I think I am ready for a set on my SS
I have had these grips for over a year and love them. My hands still occasionally get numb, but I have carpul tunnel. My hands get numb a lot less than they used to with regular grips.
I have never had the bolt clamping come loose. Even with some nasty crashes, they have stayed in the same position.
I totally agree. I use them on my Trek 69er singlespeed but do not like them on my Maverick ML-7/5. However I am OK with the Large size…but I like larger grips, and am using the ODI Rogue Lock-On’s on Maverick and was on the Trek prior to the Ergons.
Chris – for a singlespeed -the GC2 with integrated bar ends are a great option – however, downside is they’re 315g.
For those riders who wish to shed some weight with the Ergon grips…look at the GX lineup. The GX lineup of grips cuts the overall weight for a pair nearly in 1/2
I also have these same grips and find they are about as big an improvement I could have ever imagined for a handlebar grip: Put’em on my Anthem and wow! I told everybody I know who does serious long and or hard cross-country rides; Get these, good stuff, you won’t regret.
I have these grips on my HT, and I love them. the only thing I’d change is the packaging, it should say, “people with small sized hands” or “people with large sized hands”. better yet, just sz. SM, or sz. LG. otherwise, perfect for the non-weenie.
These things rock. I have a set on my YBB. It’s like a platform to rest your palms on – I find myself with a much more relaxed grip on the bars. Unless you’re an orangutan, start with the small grips. I can palm a basketball and I’m running the smalls.
I love my Ergon GP1 grips! I was having problems with sore wrists on longer rides, even to the point where i started wearing wrist supports. Then I got these grips and its a world of difference! Highly recommended!
I have been riding with Ergons on my SS 29er for a year, I also have them on my wife’s hardtail and my kid’s bikes. I got them to reduce wrist fatigue. At first they were a little wierd, felt like I didn’t have enough hand wrap, but after a few days I stopped noticing the difference. Now, when I try round grips, they seem so small and I no longer feel like I have as godo a grip with them as I do with ergos. My wife prefers the Specialized brand of ergos because they have more indent on the underside of the grip, she feels it gives her more control. I have very large hands and run Ergons, the kids are 12 and 15, they run small Ergons. I like to jump and I never have trouble holding onto the bars.
I have a question.
With all the talk about needing big hands and discomfort with the inability to grip the bars, is the design too “flat” underneath? Does it need a sort of “scoop” to allow more wrapping while still providing a platform on top?
I do not own these. I have large palms and short fingers, and I _love to wrap non-brake fingers around the bars.
I put these on last year after having years of problems riding my Giant Trance. My hands would go numb and then painfull when i tried to flex them out. Once i pulled the trigger on these i was astonished about how well they worked. No more, not even once, hand pain.
One thing not mentioned is that they only work with trigger shifters, so my beloved gripshifters had to go. But all in all it was well worth the upgrade.
I’ve also had these grips for over a year and i love them. When my local bike shop first showed me the Ergon GP1 I said no way. I have never had any problems with the screws loosing up. What is with you people and weight? To save yourself 157g you’ll forgo reliability. I have friend that went though a faze, to have the light bike in the group, even the tubes weighted in at about 100g you now the pink tubes. Back in 2002 he when riding with are group 23 times during the summer season, his bike probably broke down 18-20 times during the rides and he was forever working on it. My bike and most everyone else weighed 3-4 pounds more then his did. The remained of the group (Total rides is 6) had 3-5 problems on the trail.
I won a set of these at 24 hours of E-rock. I was skeptical until I rode with them. I agree about the fine tuning, but once they were right I felt like I was part of the bike and my hands had zero numbness even on long rides. I just bought my wife a set for her birthday and she loves them too. She has lots of carpel tunnel problems and nerve problems in her wrists, these grips really helped her. I don’t care about the weight.
@ Happy Bill
Bill,
Ergon does offer them in a GripShift version now.
-198
I love the Ergon GP1 & GC2 !!!
They are better for DH and FR than the review and other comments indicate (& XC as well)…
Their larger surface area of the (properly adjusted) grip distribute shock and vibration to a larger area and is therefore less painful and aggravating in rough stuff or on jumps and drops, without a doubt!
Also offers more (fore/aft twisting) ‘Leverage’ for adjusting the bike under you, in flight. hops, or otherwise…
I will NOT Ride without them! I rented an IronHorse Sunday at Diablo NJ and put my Ergon grips on! (Pretty nice bike, otherwise…)
They are also fairly durable, as I tax every component and these only look dirty, not dilapidated or destroyed…
I would also consider trying the WTB ComfortZone grips, which are somewhat similar with two pinch bolts per grip and 60% the price or so… But I haven’t tried then, yet…
I’ve been waiting for mine to arrive. They’re going on my rigid dr.dew townie!
I’ve used these grips for years now and will always have high praises for them. My hand numbness is gone forever. The most comfortable grips I’ve ever ridden with and would never go back to traditional grips. I’ve had several friends ride my bike with the grips and they all love the way they feel. Good writeup here and accurate.
I recently got a set of these after having some pain in my pinkie knuckle. I do a lot of 4 hour rides on the weekend, mostly super fast endurance style stuff. The BIGGEST thing I noticed which has not been mentioned (other than the reduced hand pain) is these grips hold your posture better on the bike for those 3+ hour rides when you typically shrug or pull your shoulders in (if that makes sense) and allows you to keep riding hard. Quality product.
Great grips, but they really have some wasteful packaging!!! It’s really over the top IMO.
Great Grips!!!… I have a pair on my Ironhorse Warrior. I used to get numbness in my hands. Getiing the grips and raising handle bars slitly cured this. Price point $30 Canadian is nothing for bike add ons.
Love them! Will put them on any future bike I buy. Was experiencing some numbness and tingling in my left hand after rides of only a couple hours. Noticed it wouldn’t go away for about a few days, so was starting to be nervous about long rides. Wife bought me a pair of these for Christmas, and, Bingo!, problem solved. Have literally had no numbness or tingling at all since. Not sure what size I have, though I think large, which seem ok for my very long fingers. I’m on a Reign 3 doing a lot of drops and such, but no problems. I think they’re great.
Does the shape work with marybars or are they then at the wrong angle?
-Scuppy
Yes, the grips will work with Mary bars…and other bars with radical bends. I have numerous folks rocking that set up.
Granted (for the sake of disclosure), my team (Big Wheel Racing) is sponsored by Ergon. However, we wouldn’t have pursued them if they didn’t make fantastic products.
I have these grips (you can see ‘em on my blog) and love them. I’m about to head off for a week of Alpencross and they’re what I’m counting on to get me through a week with a rigid fork.
After riding these on Robb’s Ells test bike I’m thinking of getting a pair. They remind me of my Oakley III grips from back in the day!
I picked up the GX-1. Slighter smaller wedge than the GP and also lighter. If these hurricanes stop I’ll get to ride them.
I have been riding for about a year with the Ergon GP-1s. I have tried many different grips in an effort to relieve numbness in my hands. The Ergons are the best I’ve found. I wear an XL or XXL in gloves depending on the manufacturer. Some mentioned prior to the purchase to go small or with womens just as the reviewer has indicated. I completely agree as I am riding with the smalls and find the fit to be satisfactory. If I did not need the relief from numbness and for my tendons that are affected with Dupuytrons disease that causes aching I might go with a traditional firm small diameter grip like the ones supplied with my Stumpjumper. I needed relief and have found it with these grips.