OK, so today I wanted to help you out with your choice of grips.
It might not seem like much, but it usually takes a lot of trial and error to find what you really like in grips. Also, even though grips might look insignificant on your setup, like the griptape, they're the parts you directly touch and feel when riding, so don't take them too lightly. They make a real difference.
I tried to break down the choice of grips into a few key points. Let's check it out!
Length
Grips are getting longer and longer these days, and there's a reason for that. It gives you more room to land your barspins, or just to handle your ride.
I think we've reached a good compromise in length with sizes around 160–170 mm. Most of the new models coming out these days are around there.
Why not bigger? Well, if you have even longer grips and tend to ride with your hands toward the inside of the grips, you'd be so far from the ends of the bars that you might be better off getting smaller grips and cutting the bars down a bit...
Why not smaller? Maybe you like riding with your index finger outside the grips (on your bars), in which case a smaller grip would make sense. It would also be lighter, so maybe it's worth it...
Thickness
Thickness-wise, it's more about preference. Normally, the smaller the hands, the thinner the grips, and vice versa. It wouldn't make sense for a 6-year-old to ride super thick grips that his hand wouldn't even wrap around.
Still, by popular demand, new grip models are getting a bit thicker than before. So if you're trendy, you'll go thicker.
Softness
There's no real choice here but to try different grips to find the feel you really like. But there are 3 things I can help you with here:
1. Softer grips will be more comfortable but will wear down faster (Envy, Fasen).
2. Harder grips will be less comfortable but will last longer (Hella).
3. ODI makes the best softness/durability grips out there! They make their grips in the USA, and they make grips for a couple of other brands too! (ODI, S&M, Tilt)
Patterns
Ever got a pair of grips with super nice patterns on them, and they disappeared after 5 rides? Well, that's usually normal.
When you've got side patterns on your grips, they tend to wear a lot faster, because your hand movements work against those lines. That's why the brands making those use thicker side lines than the others. On the other hand, a ribbed (or ribbed-ish) pattern tends to last longer, because your hands work along the lines. That's why the majority of grips have a ribbed or similar pattern.
Also, the thinner the pattern, the better the feel usually is for the same softness, but it will wear way faster. The opposite is also true: the thicker the pattern, the harder the feel, but it will last longer.
Bar-Ends
Too often forgotten, those 2 little parts on your scooter are actually hugely important and should not be chosen lightly. They're there to protect you from the open ends of your bars. Without them, the bar will slowly wear and chip, creating a cutting edge that could cause a serious injury if you fall on it.
Not all bar ends are equal, but I'll try to simplify things here with 3 categories.
Soft plastic bar ends are the ones that usually come stock on scooters and aftermarket grips. There are different qualities, but none worth mentioning. They wear and break the fastest, but they'll do the trick for a while.
Hard plastic bar ends are rarer, but quality/price-wise, they're the best choice. All of Odyssey's grips come with them, and so do UrbanArtt grips (which even come with a version for aluminium bars). These hard plastic bar ends last a long time, and if you buy them aftermarket, they won't break the bank (Odyssey Par Ends).
Aluminium bar ends will last almost a lifetime... They come with different tightening systems, but they all have one thing in common: you'll either go through 20 pairs of grips before you need new ones, or you'll just lose them... They're more expensive, but the investment will last!
Foam grips
These are back in the limelight because of their (usually) cheap price and because they're so light (yeah...).
There are some high-end foam grips out there made by ODI, but you'll rarely see those on a scooter. What you'll usually see are the Ethic DTC foam grips. They handle sweat better than rubber grips, so they actually grip your hands more. But foam is less sticky than rubber, so they tend to slip on the bars, especially matte ones. Our trick in the shop: put a layer of packing tape on the bars before installing the grips. It usually does the job. At around $5, you can try them out for yourself and see if you like the feel.
In conclusion
Grips are really all about personal choice, and when you find the perfect fit for you, you'll stick with them!
For more on length, bar ends and how to install your grips, check out our grip buyer's guide.
Here are some of our top choices
Best grips ever for GAB:
S&M Hoder Grips (made by ODI, soft, thick and long)
Best funky color choices:
Striker Logo grips (soft, thick, too much color for me...)
Best bar ends choices:
UrbanArtt grips (medium softness, thick, 2 types of hard PC bar ends)
People's choice:
Ethic DTC grips (long, soft, really thick)
All-time winners:
ODI Longneck Soft (soft, short, thin)
ODI Longneck SLX (soft, longer, thin)
