Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Ergon E1 Grips: First Impressions


I was able to mount some of Ergon's other grips on my Raleigh XXIX+G thanks to Mr. 24, who as some of you probably know by now is Mr. Ergon these days! I say "other grips", because you don't see much of Ergon's E1 grips out there. Too bad because they are some pretty darn nice grips for your mits!
Like Ergon's other fine grips, the E1's are lock ons. The similarities end there though. These grips were developed for those requesting a grip they could wrap their digits around to get the all important death grip on when the "pucker factor" goes through the roof. The "standard" Ergon shape makes this sort of thing rather difficult, therefore the E1 came into existence.
A bit of explanation for the picture, so you understand better. The tallish flange of the grip goes to the inside and the lock on collar part is on the outside. The grips are left and right specific. So, pay attention when mounting!
The shape of the grip is complex, being neither round nor oval, but multi shaped. It seems rather odd at first, but when skin hits grip, the whole thing starts to make sense. The grip seems to fill your palm. I surmise this is in an effort to spread the pressure points across a greater area. Does it work?
Well, so far during some shorter jaunts......yes. The big thing for me is, no numbness. Usually round grips really bother me within five to ten minutes of riding. Not the E1's. The grips also allow more techy manouvering, like wheelies and lunges since you can really wrap your fingers around that grip and launch. The one thing that might be of concern is that these grips don't have much in the way of give, so a front suspended mount might be the best bet over a rigid fork for these grips. Longer rides will help me determine this in the near future. The grip is tacky and provides a secure interface with the gloves I am using. I haven't gone "bareback" yet, but as soon as it warms up again, I'll give that a test run.
E1 grips are available now through most local bike shops and come in a large and small size to fit most paws out there. Other pertinent information follows. Stay tuned for more to come!
MSRP: $34.95Weights...E1 Large: 182 gr.E1 Small: 146 gr. Grip Length...E1 Large: 140 mmE1 Small: 134 mm

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