Mini-Review: Ergon GA1 Grips

When talking mountain bike grips, everybody has their favorites, but when Ergon grips made their appearance here on these shores in 2005, a lot of people took notice. The "paddle" style grip is nothing new, but Ergon's take on it was unique, and many riders made the switch to using them. However; there were a lot of riders concerned about how technical terrain would be handled with a grip that, well......these riders couldn't get a grip on. To answer that, Ergon made a more traditionally shaped grip called the GE1. Now Ergon has introduced another grip, similar to the GE1, but an evolution of it called the GA1.

The GA1 is a lock on grip and in traditional Ergon fashion, it locks only on the outside. The grip can be fine tuned to a degree, but this has less of an effect than it does with Ergon's platform type grip designs. The grip has "zones" that aid in keeping your grip on the bars which look like varied patterns in the surface of the grip. Designed specifically for all mountain use, the GA1 series has a sculpted shape that is designed to reduce hand fatigue, yet allow for maximum control in technical terrain.

The GA1 comes in black, white (tested), and Team Green colors in Large (tested) and Small sizes. Expect to pay about $30.00 for these at your favorite bicycle shop.

The grips went on my Salsa Cycles Big Mama and I have been riding them all summer. The single sided clamp grips my Pro Moto riser bar like a vice and the grips have been holding up quite well in terms of wear and resistance to sweat. I have found that other grips can get , well.......funky after several sweaty rides, but not the GA1's. They have retained the same feel as the day they went on.

The grips seem to be working in as far as comfort and hand fatigue are concerned. I haven't experienced any soreness, or numbness in the hands since using these. I also can vouch for the control these grips give you, as I have never had a control issue due to glove/grip interface since using them.

Conclusions: If a part becomes a transparent part of your daily riding routine, then I would say it is doing its job. Maybe it isn't immediately noticeable, but that is good, because I find that if I am noticing something like a grip when I ride, it usually isn't a good thing! The GA1 fills a niche that not many grip companies out there are hitting. The all mountain, lock on grip that addresses fatigue and hand pain. Does Ergon hit the mark with this grip? For me, it certainly does. I can not fault it in any way so far. Will it work for you? Possibly. As with any other contact point product, personal preferences are paramount. That said, I recommend the Ergon GA1 grips as a great product for technical mountain biking.

Comments

[mike]

i've ridden these all summer as well and they are by far the best grip i've ever had. ergon customer for life.