ESI grips are one of the most popular grips on the market. Their Chunky and Racer’s Edge models have taken the mountain bike industry by storm due to their style, very light weight, and low cost.
I’m running the Chunky Customs on both of my rigs, and there are a few things I really like about these grips. They look great and have a handful of color options to match your bike. They are extremely light (50g for the Racers Edge and 60g for the Chunky) and are very inexpensive at $18.99 (+$2.00 for the Chunky model). They are very comfortable and absorb a lot of vibration, and provide decent grip, especially paired with a nice glove.
Though they have some nice attributes, there are a few negatives that make it hard for me to really love these grips. They are not very durable and shred pretty easily. Catch a bar on a tree, and you bet there will be some silicone missing. They are very tough to line up correctly, which is more or less just annoying. And lastly, but most importantly, they do not lock onto the bar even a little bit. They freely spin, and I have to readjust them constantly while I ride. It is extremely annoying and potentially dangerous.
If you use ESI grips, I would love to hear how you like them. Leave me a comment below and let me know how you feel about them. Have you had success adhering the grip to your bars? Do you have any tips for the rest of us?
