[Closed] What is it about lock-on grips that you love?

You've never found grips with locking collars to be any less secure than grips with none? Have you ever ridden in the wet?

wouldnt even consider non-lock-on grips.

they dont move when you dont want them to, they come off easily.

Soobalias +1

WTF is that about?

Dunno I use ESI, no slippage and no collar. 8)

Won't be going back to lock-ons any time soon.

Would only use locking ones now, so much better in the wet.

They are a smidge easier to fit but I've never had a problem with regular grips. I do always fit regular grips using spray glue so they don't slip in the wet and have to be cut off.

Don't really see the issue OP, less than 20% have a preference for one specific type of component, you still get to be in the majority who aren't so bothered...

I much prefer a lock-on grip to a regular one it's just a better solution, but it isn't some sort of manifesto, just a grip preference... I promise I won't mock you for your inferior grip choice... 😉

Nothing.

muppetWrangler - Member
They are a smidge easier to fit but I've never had a problem with regular grips. I do always fit regular grips using spray glue so they don't slip in the wet and have to be cut off.

Having to cut your grips off sounds like a problem to me

nothing.

I find lock on grips with a metal outer collar last longer. Don't know why, but the end of grips on all my bikes always take the brunt of every off. This has resulted in loads of grips ripping. Since using lock on grips I now have 'added character' rather than properly destroyed grips. This could have more to do with my skill level than anything else though.

I just prefer them really, similar to flat pedals and low rise bars. Tried others, but these just work fort me. 🙂

Having to cut your grips off sounds like a problem to me

🙂 I guess that does sound like it could be a problem, but I don't recall ever having to remove grips that weren't due for the bin so it's not been a problem for me. Having said that my bikes all currently have lock on grips but that's more to do with me being a bit lazy rather than anything inherently wrong with the regular type.

I'm with Dirtydog. ESI or similar silicone grips slip straight on with windolene and don't come off until I break the seal with a ziptie and another squirt of windolene. Why have horrible hard and heavy grips?

*duplicate post*

Why have horrible hard and heavy grips?

Because having grips that don't rotate after a day riding in the pissing rain is more important than saving the weight of a loud fart

ODI Xtrainers are comfy as you like too

I like the smell.

Have you ever ridden in the wet?

Nah, this being STW he was making artisan coffee in his wood burner equipped T4 home converted luxury camper while it was raining like the rest of us.

Never had mine spin round even during 24hr events with 12 hours of rain.

Lock ons are good if you are a serial bike bodger and your kit pre dates openupable clamps or as mentioned above if you ride in shit weather a lot.

Absolutely nothing, especially those that lock both ends

Nothing.....I hates them.I've bulk bought enough DMR zip grips to last me till I die (also they were £3ish a pair)

I just don't like metal bits on grips, so ESI for me. They don't seem to slip at all, the very ends have a bit of give but I'd rather that than a hard metal lock ring.

Dp

Eh..? Slip-on grips are soooo 1995.. 😯

I'm amazed it's as low as 18% in the poll.

What's not to like? Metal bits at the end of your bars to smack into things and damage paint work, etc., cool pimpy anodized colours, awesome metal rings to rest your hands on at the ends of the bars, and whip your grips on or off in 20 seconds, all with a smug sense of satisfaction.

Last time I fannied about with glue and spray and sharp knives was waaaay too long ago. Never again, kids..

The downside of lockons is they cost more and they have less cushioning due to the solid plastic core.
The plus of lockons is they are easier to take on and off, (especially at short notice, slide ons need to leave overnight to set) plus the alloy ends are gnarr (although you can get gnarr alloy bar plugs too).
So choose your poison I guess.

These days most brakes and shifters have a split clamp,

I've moved away from lockons as I find them uncomfortable especially at the ends as I ride with my hands overhanging the bars (even on very wide bars). Foam grips are much nicer but admittedly do slip on long wet rides (not something I do often) and are faff to fit and remove.

Having used both it's clear lock-ons are way easier to get on and off.
Yet to find a pair that are actually nice and soft though - I like a nice phat girth and now use Raceface Good n Evil - £10 a pair, feel lovely and last well. Put on with deodorant spray which sticks fine when dry and no issues when wet. PITA when getting them off which is the only downside. Always find the core barrel of the lock-ons makes the grips too hard and hate the metal collar on the outside (If dual collars).

Lock-ons are great if you work in a bike shop and/or need to remove them regularly, not so fussed on my own bike though. I've not had grips slip on my bike for years,despite riding in some absolutely foul weather, and put it down to the type of bars rather than the grips themselves, smooth and shiney bars hold them brilliantly, whilst peened and rough ones seem to provide a path for water to seep under in no time.
Another,admittedly rarely encountered, minus for lock-ons is trying to remove them if the bars have corroded underneath, effectively jamming them on, not to mention the ham-fisted serial bolt rounders.
All things considered, they're probably a good thing for most.

garage-dweller - Member
Lock ons are good if you are a serial bike bodger and your kit pre dates openupable clamps or as mentioned above if you ride in shit weather a lot.

+1

First time I saw lock on grips I thought about time, and I've fitted them to everything since.

If you find them too hard you can cut the grip off and fit another. I've used a grip from a motorbike for this, or you can just use handlebar tape and create your own removable comfortable custom grip.

My current grips only have bolts on the inside and I find them less secure than normal grips, there's a kind of disconcerting twist if reall hammering on the pedals standing up

The bestest thing about lock-ons that I love is when they are knackered, I can make monotone pan pipes out of them....

Tried them years ago, they weren't comfortable. Where's the option to vote for "Anything but lock-ons"??

[i]Tried them years ago, they weren't comfortable[/i]

All of them??

Some are comfortable, some aren't. A teensy tiny bit like non-lock ons.
My son's bike had some really comfortable mushroom grips on it, he doesn't wear gloves, so wanted thme back on when I changed his bars. I put them back on and they just rotated, moved, slipped as they got stretched when getting them off. He has lock-ons now (Lizard Skins) and hasn't complained.
Still, you don't like em, don't use em. Who bloody cares!

I tried everything to get my old grips to stay in place - paint, hairspray, photo mount, wire...then I switched to lock on grips and have never looked back.

They aren't perfect though, the allen bolt heads can rust and round out, but it's possible to remove stubborn grips with an adjustable spanner and a hammer.

My absolute favourites are the ODI Vans grips. I've very large hands so the chunky profile fits perfectly. I'll go out of my way to find a set.

Different Grips for different needs

I use lock-ons on my suspension bikes because...not sure really mainly as they are already on there I think. I suppose it allows you to color match your bike with bling lock rings maybe 😉

On my rigid bike I use foam grips - because the space taken up by the plastic tube on a lock on grip can be filled with foam and therefor more comfortable.

I only fitted the foam grips last year and the fact that they haven't budged a mm since fitting (no glue used) despite being my winter bike has left me pondering the point of the lock on ones which I assumed would be more solid. They are heavier and more expensive too!

Also top tip for removing and installing foam grips - lift one end of the grip and stick the rubber pipe from your ghetto lemonade bottle tubeless inflator underneath. Then blast away and watch with satisfaction as the grip fires across the garage (or with a gentle push slides onto the bar). Air is a fantastic lubricant! Takes less time than removing or fitting a lock-on - especially when the bolts are filled with dried mud.

People keep saying about spinning, it's just a non-issue if you a) have decent grips and b) fit them right. If you buy rubbish lock-ons, they don't work well either.

Funnily enough I managed years on motorbikes without needing to bolt my grips to the bike...

I've been using lock-ons for yonks now, they're just my default.

I like the fact that they don't rotate (not that I had too many issues previously) and that they're easy to remove / reinstall. Comfort wise, I don't notice the metal clamps or find them worse than normal grips.

Glad I'm not the only one who doesn't get lock-on grips then.

That is all.

been using lock ons for ages, easy on/off for faff/component swap (which I do fairly regularly) and secure the rest of the time - previous grips (few years back) used to move about in the wet. They are a chunk of weight tho, can be a bit pricey and they are a bit harder on your hands but as I always wear gloves and generally have several inches of front sus it's not really an issue.

Having said that, I won a set of ESI grips, stuck them on my ss and they haven't budged so I may get some more of those when my lockons wear out.

I suppose for me it's habit, going back 10 years or more, non-locking grips were a fuggin' liability, at best they'd squirm and move around on the bar, at worst you'd find yourself holding a grip that wasn't attached any more. Bought my first set of ODIs in about 2007 and have been locked on ever since.

Recently a mate bought a set of, I think, Raceface grips that use a sort of double sided tape to fit, they seem to work and they're softer and thinner than mine.

Ultimately though, grips have never been a big thing for me, I'm completely none fussy about them, lock-ons don't cost much and they last years for me.

I like a single-end lock-on me.
The very slight twist gives me a bit of hand suspension........possibly.

Happy with lock-on moabs, but prefer the feel of esi chunkies. But the esi's are fragile - a couple of tree interfaces and they are tatty. I then turn them around so the tatty bits are in-board, eeking out a bit more life for their quite high cost.

Dream grip - esi chunky, but made out of durable things.

I thought I'd like single ring lock ons but I missed being able feel the end of the bar properly before being on it.

I've got short fingers though so have to use thin grips, and I've been getting a bit of tingling post ride on the new bike, the forks are better than the old ones so I think I've just been hammering it harder, so I might give some foamies a go if they're cheap enough

ergon GE1. single bolt, great shape, look good.

whats not to like.

I didnt know you could get anything but lockon grips for a mtb these days.
I used to use slide on ones back in the 80's on my bmx, secured with a spray of deodorant if I recall, helped them on then dried to hold them in place.
I wouldn't want to go back to that.

Never used lockons, but prefer thickish rubber ones for a bit more cushioning.
Dont have problems with grips spinning since I started using damp start silicone spray to stick them on.

It used to be a royal pain putting on normal grips.. Kettle of water, soak the grip in it, take it out, dry it, spray hair spray on the bar, try and slide it on and only get half way.. And that was the easy part! Taking them off was a right pain in the arse!

Now with lock ons its slide it on, tighten 2 allen bolts, job done....

Oh I've got some shitty shifters that have to be slid on the bars.. undo the two lock on bolts, slide off, slide shifter on, slide on grips, tighten the bolts.

That is a hell of a lot easier than getting a hot bowl of water, resting one grip in the hot water then try and take it off and end up scratching the bars from using a screwdriver to try and remove the grips, sometimes resulting in cutting the damn things off then going and buying some more... 🙄

I don't understand the reasoning for not using lock ons.

Milkie - Member

I don't understand the reasoning for not using lock ons.

If I could find any I liked as much as the ESIs I'd be happy to use them... But lock-ons are just inevitably harder, or fatter, or both, they need structure to work which standard grips don't. ESIs are nothing but grip

Some people don't get on with locking grip rings, depends on hand position that. Never bothered me personally.

I much prefer basic rubber grips - maybe it's BMX nostalgia ..