Fabric is a company based out of the UK that’s known for producing sleek saddles (and a cageless water bottle, in case you missed it), and during a meeting at Sea Otter I spotted what the company is claiming is the lightest lock-on grip available. Honestly just looking at the design I would say there probably isn’t anything lighter–but you know, journalism and all. Officially, the grips weigh just 34 grams each (68g for the pair.)
The Slim Grip pulls off two key weight saving tricks. First, the grip only locks on the inside of the bar so it ditches half of the locking hardware. I haven’t tested these grips so I don’t know how this affects performance (do they twist at the ends?). The other cool trick is the company uses cutouts in the rubber and the lock-on core. This seems to be a great idea since the cutouts should offer a good gripping surface that might actually relieve hand pressure as well. However, Aaron pointed out this might allow dirt and sweat to work its way in between the grip and the bar, which would obviously be a negative. Only testing will tell.
The Slim Grips are said to retail for around $30 USD.
