Installing new grips

[bjsullivan1]

This is somwhat of a dumb a$$ question and I probably could have figured it out alone but considering I have access to this great forum.......... ;D

I need to replace my grips and haven't done this since I was a kid. Will a little soap and water do the trick? I seem to remember the grips moving a bit when I did this.

Also, I have these old stubby bar ends that I am debating about putting on. If I put them on do you just cut the grip around them ???

Thanks from the Newbie !!!!

[off piste]

I'd forego the soap and just use water at first, that usually does the trick. I usually use a screwdriver to work a small space between the grip and handlebar to get things started, being careful not to poke a hole through the grip. A squirt bottle is useful but not necessary.

On the bar ends, the usual approach is to cut off the grip end where the bar end will sit.

[vinnycactus]

bag the bar ends. invest in lockons. you can pick some up for about 15-20 bucks. but if you're set on using traditional grips check this out:

http://bustedspoke.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?t=13032

there are a multitude of methods.

[slapheadmofo]

Lock-on grips are one of the best mtb products to ever come along. I highly recommend picking some up.

[AA]

I use the lock on grips as well. There are some people that are bothered by the metal lock ring and prefer "regular" grips. My recommendation for regular grips is to use grip adhesive. I used to buy mine at the local motorcycle shop (Scott brand). Squeeze some glue in the grip, it slides on easy and is securely on there by the next day.

[Quo Fan]

All of my bikes have lock-on grips. They make changing things much faster. Since I do all my own maintenance, speed is key. I don't want to have to buy new grips every time I want to fiddle with my handlebar set-up.

[off piste]

Lock-on grips are one of the best mtb products to ever come along. I highly recommend picking some up.


After reading all the feedback on the lock-on's, I invested in a pair today as a "thank you" to Gearworks for saving my butt by taking me as a walk-in for repairs for the second time in as many days. Now, to see if I can live without the bar ends, which have been a fixture on my bikes since 1997...

[slapheadmofo]

Mark - try to sliding the grips in far enough so you can clamp the bar ends on outboard of them. If you're bars are wide enough you should be able to use them that way.

[Ben-O]

Lock-on grips are one of the best mtb products to ever come along. I highly recommend picking some up.

Now, to see if I can live without the bar ends, which have been a fixture on my bikes since 1997...


I thought I'd miss mine. But I didn't.

Whenever you superman over your bars, bar ends are like family jewel hooks...if you know what I mean.

[Quo Fan]

Oh yeah, I gave up bar ends when I switched to riser bars.

[truckboy]

Right. Riser bars equals less need for bar ends. I don't miss mine either, but if you are using flat bars, upgrading to risers is a bit more of an investment than new grips.

[ssnoobie]

This is somwhat of a dumb a$$ question and I probably could have figured it out alone but considering I have access to this great forum.......... ;D

I need to replace my grips and haven't done this since I was a kid. Will a little soap and water do the trick? I seem to remember the grips moving a bit when I did this.

Also, I have these old stubby bar ends that I am debating about putting on. If I put them on do you just cut the grip around them ???

Thanks from the Newbie !!!!



There are a couple of techniques for mounting grips. Do not use soap.

1. Soak them in Hot water, slip on the ends of the bar and wait. -this worked fine for me on a riser bar I used, but on my Mary bar, this was not nearly secure enough.

2. spray the inside of the grips with hairspray - I used aquanet on all of my grips in the 80s, but any hairspray will work.

3. Some people use spray paint in lieu of the hairspray. I have not experience with this.

4. WD40. It made no sense to me when someone suggested it a couple of months ago, but then I asked a few more questions. It turns out the carrier in the WD40 melts the grips slightly, and then they stick to the bar like glue. I used WD40 on my Mary bar with Oury grips, and I have had zero problems. They are stuck. The beauty is that if I want to get the grips off, I just spray a little more WD40 under the grips, and they slide off.

5. 3M spray adhesive. It works for obvious reasons.

All that being said, a lot of people like the lock-ons.

Os far as the bars ends are concerned, why not try them to see if you like them. I am not running them currently, but the Mary bar has a hand position that replicates bar ends. I say run them to see if you like them.

[If_Rider]

I use lock-ons too but before switching I used compressed air to put em on and take em off. No mess, no wrestling with them and it's very quick. Assuming, of course, you have access to a compressor.