Ergon GP1 Leichtbau review

Why
There seems to be no end to the good things said about Ergon grips so I had to find out if there’s anything to all this raving. For years I was perfectly happy with my foamies but Bontrager seems to have stopped making the larger diameter version…one of the rare grips I like. Most ordinary diameter grips put too much pressure on my palms and cause my finger joints to start hurting after a few hours riding.

GP1 Leichtbau
These are the same shape as the ordinary GP1 but with carbon composite clamps and lighter Leichtbau rubber. This particular GP1 weighs 169.3g in Large, around 140g heavier than the foamies I have on my other bikes. The UK price is a rather steep £32.99, but well worth it if you ask me. Team Edition Green might not be for everyone but it’s a good alternative to boring old black and dirt doesn’t show up too badly.
Installation
I followed the instructions in cleaning my bars with alcohol, then slid the grips on and tightened the clamping screw until the grips couldn’t be twisted…they‘ve stayed that way so far. Finding a grip angle you’re comfortable with is really important with these. Angled upwards it felt like my hands were being pushed forwards and put too much pressure on my palms, flat still wasn’t great but tilted slightly downwards seems just right for me.

Out riding
Firstly I should mention that I don’t wear gloves unless it’s absolutely freezing. I rarely like the feel of rubber grips, however the smooth surface and Leichtbau rubber on the GP1 feels really nice. The wing took all the stress on my wrists away, you don’t really need wrist muscles with these. That support helps a lot on long rides or climbs where I need to stand because it holds my wrists in a set position…no tired wrists or struggling to find a good hand position. My palm pressure issues have gone, the pain in my finger joints has disappeared and apparently the ergonomic shape significantly increases blood circulation too. The rubber wing gives a reasonable amount of flex, almost like a bit of suspension which is great on a rigid bike. Some foamies or thick rubber grips feel a bit dead and slow but these feel responsive and have perfectly placed grippy sections to enhance control. The mark of comfortable grips and saddles is that you don’t notice them when riding, in this case the only thing I notice is how much more comfortable they are than my previous grips.

Negatives
The packaging could be slimmed down a bit but I’m very happy with this product and will probably fit out my other bikes with Ergon grips in the future whether the packaging gets slimmer or not.