# Grips and bars for rigid fork SS



## Jack Burns (Nov 18, 2005)

Enlighten us on your choice of bars and grips for rigid fork single speeding.

Last month I did a long hard ride on my Ti 26" rigid fork SS. There was one long steep and chunky downhill in particular that put the hurts to me.

I am still feeling it a month later.

Now it's not so bad I won't ride the rigid bike, but it's the first time I have been punished in this manner. Punished for thinking I could get away with it; get away with no suspension and slim hard grips.

The grips on have on that bike are some lock-on types, with metal rings to hold them on tight. I like this kind of grip, on an FS bike because they are so easy to service. 

I put these on this SS bike over a year ago because of some sort of available convenience, and have been wanting to change them for a long time because they are too hard and those metal compression rings, bug me, particularly on the outside edge.

The other issue is that my wide bars, feel like they need more sweep. The hinge of my wrist doesn't match the bar angle and the pressure spikes behind my thumb on the big hits. 

I did well on the DH, survived at the least, but actually thought I could damage my wrist badly as I descended more and more, even though, at the time, I didn't feel any pain. The soreness manifested the next day.

So I am probably going to try some sort of ergo grip and not swap the bars. My thinking is that in theory, it would be possible to change the feel a great deal with just a grip, and go from there.

In the past I have shunned ergo grips with the "palm flap" because they don't feel good to me for a secure grip. But I have noticed there are varying degrees of this available now. (I have full on Ergon grips on my fat bike, and have grown to trust them, on the other hand).

I was even thinking, kind of along the lines of the angle-set headsets, it ought to be possible for a company to design and manufacture grips that could turn any bar into a deeper sweep by rotating around a parabolic core. But I have seen no such thing...(Maybe a patent on this design someone?)

Anyway, show us, or tell us about your grips and handlebar combinations
Likes and gripes please.

I will show photos of my set ups later in this thread.



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## jl (Feb 23, 2004)

oury lock-on grips
soma clarence bar
YMMV


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## blaklabl (Mar 14, 2011)

Kona Project 2 fork (soon to be replaced with a correct original Specialized Direct Drive cro-mo fork!!!)
Chromag FU40 bars, 780mm wide (I may take an inch off of each side eventually, just evaluating that now)
ODI Vans lock-ons (because Vans)

This is my "smooth singletrack" bike, so I don't encounter a ton of chunk, I have my SC 5010 for that. This is merely a training tool as well as a reminder of why I fell in love with mountain biking to begin with back in the late 80's.


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

I'm using ESI Extra Chunky grips and like them a lot. The bar is just a Crank Bros aluminum that I got on sale for cheap. Works but nothing special. I'd love to try carbon someday.


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## buell (Oct 15, 2015)

i use ergon grips and love them. i'd like to try out some togs too. i run some random chromag bar that the previous owner installed.


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

I use ESI ergos, the ones with the thicker outer section.

These always seemed a bit crazy to me, but they do exist: https://revgrips.com/


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## Dexter-01 (Sep 30, 2016)

Those adjustable sweep grips you wish for are a real thing
https://m.pinkbike.com/news/production-privee-adjustable-sweep-grips-and-cockpit-review.html


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## jct (Mar 26, 2004)

fork: Ti
wheel/tire: 39mm internal with 3" chupa
bar: RF haven 35mm
grips: ESI extra chunky

i initially tried to use some Easton lock on grips but was experiencing a lot of numbness a little too frequently even with gloves. the chunky grips helped to alleviate that problem but i can still get numb on long descents or really rough trail. my rides are up to 30 miles with up to 4500ft climbing.

shown below with older easton grips.


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## LittleBitey (Nov 10, 2012)

Oury "mountain" grips. Glow in the dark version if you're rad


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## Jack Burns (Nov 18, 2005)

Wow great replies everyone. Keep them coming.

On my commute to work on a cross bike I was enjoying the foaminess of the bar tape and began to think about custom wrapping the grips for the shape I think I need. But also, it would be very easy to over do it and make the grip much too fat.

Here's the grip on the SS I was talking about in the OP:









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## azjonboy (Dec 21, 2006)

Both of these ar Ti bars with ESI Chunky grips. I'm 57 and I have wrist issues.This combo is great 

And yes, there are rocks everywhere i ride


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## Birdman (Dec 31, 2003)

Regular oury grips, Forte carbon low-rise bar. I run Oury/carbon low-rise on my SS hardtail & geared fully as well. 

JMJ


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## fat-but-slow (Oct 19, 2009)

Imho: Esi Grips with a carbon bar. That's it. Nothing less nothing more. I have a Niner one Nine alum. frame with rigid niner carbon fork on my SS. I could not ask for more. I tried ergons with the SS, they are good with other "suspension" bikes. However with SS, I am "all over the grips". Meaning on Steep pulls , I stand up and wrap my hands under the grips for extra leverage, other times I am relaxing my hands and letting them ride in different places. You can't do that with an Ergon. Ok. I've laid the gauntlet down, let the ERGONITES light their torches!

IN other words: If you want to ride your SS in the City Park around tennis courts using Ergons will work beautifully, however if you are riding Single track up mountains, you will appreciate the ESIs. No I am not employed by either manufacturer. I will add that Ergons are the "Best Grips" for Mtbs with suspension. ENJOY your SSpeed, I think they offer the most fun per pound of any mountain bike!


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## SS29erRigid (Nov 11, 2016)

I am using ESI Extra Chunky wrapped with silicone bar tape, Easton Haven carbon bar, 3" barends for climbing and alternate hand positioning for flats, Niner carbon fork, 2.6 Nobby Nic (cushy and light), Salsa Ti frame, Ti swept back seatpost, knees and elbows and making fast lines smooth - all adds up to a smoother ride - at least for rigid.


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## Cotharyus (Jun 21, 2012)

Ergon grips with a low rise carbon bar. Eventually rigid got to me anyway, and I put a suspension fork with a bar mounted lockout on my SS. Although it's "one more thing to service" on the bike, I don't feel like it diminished my manhood any. The bike is still fun.


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## Impetus (Aug 10, 2014)

S-Works Carbon flat bar,
Red Monkey Klampz grips. They're basically lock-on ESIs. I'm trying these at the request of my LBS owner friend. I've had them for a few months; they're neat (and HUGE), but I'll go back to ESI chunky or extra chunky soon.








(yes, I know the bike has a suspension fork in the pic. My bike is rigid 2/3 of the time). You mentioned "the FS bike"- I've found that my first ride back on a rigid fork after a long time on the Reba is rough because I don't ride as 'loose' as I should be. Technique could be playing into it as much as grips. All the same- cushy grips sure are a help.

I've used Oury, 3 kinds of Ergon, 2 kinds of ESI's, 2 kinds of ODIs and now these. I think ESI extra chunky is my favorite.


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

> Jack Burns said:
> 
> 
> > Enlighten us on your choice of bars and grips for rigid fork single speeding.
> ...


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## Impetus (Aug 10, 2014)

MRMOLE said:


> ...even with a carbon fork/2.4 tire...... having a rigid carbon fatbike


Excellent points I hadn't noted- tire volume. I could probably ride with duct tape around the bars and get reasonably comfortable ride with a 3.0 tire at 10psi up front. 
I've gotten way too soft for that level of manliness. Somedays I still opt for a 3.0 tire AND a 100mm suspension fork.


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## Ryder1 (Oct 12, 2006)

Jack Burns said:


> The other issue is that my wide bars, feel like they need more sweep. The hinge of my wrist doesn't match the bar angle and the pressure spikes behind my thumb on the big hits.
> 
> I did well on the DH, survived at the least, but actually thought I could damage my wrist badly as I descended more and more, even though, at the time, I didn't feel any pain. The soreness manifested the next day.
> 
> So I am probably going to try some sort of ergo grip and not swap the bars. My thinking is that in theory, it would be possible to change the feel a great deal with just a grip, and go from there.


Trying to fix bar sweep with new grips is a dubious strategy. There are those eccentric grips someone posted. And you can make sure your bar is already rotated toward you as much as you'd like (increases backsweep but decreases upsweep). Or you can try a bar with more sweep (hardly uncommon among rigid SSs).



Jack Burns said:


> In the past I have shunned ergo grips with the "palm flap" because they don't feel good to me for a secure grip. But I have noticed there are varying degrees of this available now. (I have full on Ergon grips on my fat bike, and have grown to trust them, on the other hand).


The "enduro" grips from Ergon (GE-1) have a bit of "flap." They're super popular, I love them, and are my second favorite for a rigid SS (hard to beat ESIs). You can rotate the GE-1s a bit to dial in personal fit (hand position and how much you want it to encourage an "elbows out" position) which sorta feels (?) like changing your bar's back sweep.

For a bar, I like an uncut carbon riser with at least 9d backsweep, currently running an Easton EC70 720mm (no longer available).


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## Shinkers (Feb 5, 2014)

Running a stock kona xc/bc 780 bar with ODI ruffians. Now that I have callouses on my palms I don't see ever wanting to change grips.


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

5-6° up, 8-9° back and 750mm wide carbon bars and 110mm wide ESI Chunkies with TOGS.


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## garcia (Apr 10, 2008)

I am using the Niner RDO... ow top bar I think it is. The one with the wonky advertising saying it is for shorter female riders, that most people thought was an afterthought when they realized it wouldn't have wide appeal. Well, it didn't, so $80 got me a carbon bar with some bend to it! I don't currently have a built up rigid SS, but a ROS + is waiting on wheels right now, and it'll have the aforementioned bars and probably a set of Ergon's with bar ends to start, and if those don't work, Red Monkey Sports grips that are on my ROS will be what I use. 

As for the pain you are feeling a month later, a ride down a washboard jeep trail... 4 or 5 years ago on a fatbike with a rigid fork caused me to develop periodic tendinitis, so this is an area I focus on quite a bit. I am only trying rigid again because I'll have 29x3 up front, carbon bars this time, and better selected grips. It'll be an experiment for sure, but I am hoping it keeps the vibration down a little bit.


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## Stray Mutt (Dec 3, 2011)

Watson Cycles Parkerino Ti bar, ESI chunky grips. 
29x3" tires.

That setup replaced a niner carbon bar and ergon grips. For me it's a winner.


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## Jack Burns (Nov 18, 2005)

A whole panoply of grips and bars being put to good use out there for sure!

Lots of good ideas. 

BTW, Today, on another forum thread I bumped into some grips that people were absolutely raving about called Revolution Grips, which had something like 1/8" of suspension in them. (revgrips.com).

Before I put on the thin Origin8 lock on grips I used to always run a variety of finned BMX grips, which I will probably be using next on that bike.

The minor wrist pain I received was exacerbated by running too high of an air pressure on my 2.5" front tire. On a previous DH that morning I flatted due to the tire rotating and shearing the valve stem base of the inner tube. Because of that, on the much longer and more technical descent, I paused at the top and put more air into the tire in order to increase the pressure of the tire bead against the rim wall to prevent tire slippage.

So yeah, I should be running tubeless. In fact, I already have an i35 Scraper rim, spokes, hub, etc, to mount up a 2.8 tire on the front, and had intended to have that on that bike before that ride, but didn't. So I do think there is reason for hope.

If I have some bar tape around, I will try to wrap the bar for sweep and ride it. I do have tape, because I can use the commuter bike's old remnants after I replace them soon.

This weekend a did a pretty good ride on another SS, this one with a steel fork, going off some drop offs, and crossing some deep ruts, and felt fine. So I'm feeling happy and grateful that my wrists are recovering well.

A third SS is being built as well. This one has a suspension fork. It also has the Answer 20/20 bar. So I will be able to experience that sweep. It appears to be a good choice to me.

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## Jack Burns (Nov 18, 2005)

Stray Mutt said:


> Watson Cycles Parkerino Ti bar, ESI chunky grips.
> 29x3" tires.
> 
> That setup replaced a niner carbon bar and ergon grips. For me it's a winner.


That Parkerino looks like one of the best bars out there! It's not cheap either. But he'll, it's worth it no doubt.

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## JackWare (Aug 8, 2016)

I can't comment on bars but I experienced wrist pain with previous 'skinny' grips and those that support your hand like Ergons. My current grips on my rigid forked Cooker are cheap rubbery BMX style that have a shoulder and over these I have over sized foam grips that are advertised for motorbikes but fit perfectly and again are cheap (is there a theme here..) 
The wrist pain is gone and that combined with experimenting with the front tire pressure has cured my wrist pain.
I've now added these same foam overgrips to my fat bike's lock-on grips and find them much more comfortable.


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## Shinkers (Feb 5, 2014)

Just to add (and I think you've already alluded to this), but grip preference is incredibly personal, just like saddle preference. Lot's of people have experienced wrist pain or discomfort (myself included) with thicker grips, as well as with thinner grips. 

When it really comes down to it, I believe things like bar position, fit, and riding style are far more significant in how your body feels. Moving to really soft or squishy grips may be immediately satisfying, but could be glossing over another issue that will still show up mid-ride. 

Riding rigid exacerbates these potential issues, especially because you have to ride higher tire pressure even with a tubeless setup if you ride your bike hard. I found this out first hand when I destroyed my front rim last weekend because of low tire pressure.


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## maximo (Nov 2, 2011)

Ibis Lowfi carbon bars 
ESI Chunky Grips wrapped in Lizard Skin Bar Tape 

The Lizard Skin bar tape adds a little extra padding but more than that it is a very grippy material it allows me to relax my hand grip on the bar.


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## qtzmznt (Jan 15, 2017)

I'm riding a rigid 2017 Unit SS with stock bars and grips (2.8" 27.5+ Nobby Nics tubeless ~19psi, LEV Dropper and SLX brakes) but getting some hand and fingernumbness on descents. Also seem to be aggravating some tendon pain in 1 finger but no wrist pain. I ordered a RF Next 3/4" riser bar and Oury mountain grips and I'm excited to try them out!


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## Waverys (Jan 14, 2016)

Enve SWP bars with ESI Racers Edge grips on my rigid. Love the setup.


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## max-a-mill (Apr 14, 2004)

also remember there is a lot of subtle technique to mastering riding rigid. Sounds like you are holding on too tight maybe; trying to hard to guide the bike instead of letting it ride? working on rigid downhill technique takes time; i think a lot of folks throw a suspension fork on before they ever really "get it". you gotta let the bike do it's thing and try to get loose enough so your body can get out of it's way...

sorry for the rigid bike technique sermon; on topic, i use generic silicon grips cause i cant afford the esi's when i regularly tear the hell out of them. the metal outer collar of the traditional lock-ons doesn't work for me at all; but i got friends whom it works fine for.


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

I prefer bars which are close to parallel or with a big sweep. We really work our wrists on a single speed and to my thinking using a straight bar (a hangover from the days of inadequate stem clams) puts our wrists at an unnatural angle.

I like dropbars for the parallel positioning, but bar ends do the same job, and I'm also happy with a swept bar like the On-One Mary which I use for 24 hour events and more technical stuff.

But everyone differs.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned here is gloves. I have a pair of gloves that has me in great discomfort after an hour while the other pair are fine. They look very similar. 

Maybe it's just the gloves?


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## dompedro3 (Jan 26, 2004)

I use an old 25.4 bar and some ergonomic grips


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## socal_jack (Dec 30, 2008)

Been liking my Red Monkey Klampz silicon lock ones. Meaty, cushiony grip, with 780mm Niner bars


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## Jack Burns (Nov 18, 2005)

A friend of mine bought a pair of bars, carbon, made in France, that flexed like a leaf spring, some years back. 

He's a total weight weenie, and went back to road riding. He pretty old but is the top of his category on local climbs.

His mountain bike was a super light old school aluminum 26" Giant with a rigid Trigon carbin fork. 

This handlebar flexed on one axis only, the vertical (although you rotated it inside the stem clamp to preference) obtaining perhaps up to 1 1/2 inches of travel on severe impact.

I tried the bars by pushing on them from the side. The bike was much too large for me to ride. Felt actually good.

He could descend in perfect control.

At the time I chuckled to myself about these handlebars and how they were merely a manifestation of his peculiar personality.

But now I would like to try them, and even buy them off him, just for the novelty, if he no longer used them.

Seemed like they might be dangerous.



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## bikeny (Feb 26, 2004)

I've gone through a number of tire/bar/grip combinations over the years, and have settled on moderately swept bars with ESI Extra Chunky grips. before the ESI grips, I thried a few different styles of Ergons, and while they were comfortable for easy riding, I found they were not ideal for techy rocky trails, as they are harder to hold onto. I had a couple of close calls where my hand almost slipped off the bars. I never tried the 'Enduro' version with a smaller wing though. I decided to try the ESI Extra Chunky and really like them. At the same time I started experimenting with 'Alt' bars with extra sweep, and decided I really like those! I also figured out that the Ergon grips don't match well with swept bars. I currently have on different bikes: Ti Groovy Luv handles, Ti Jones Loop bar, carbon Origin8 Space bar, & aluminum Origin8 Space bar, and like them all. The Luv Handles have a bit less sweep than I would prefer, and the Jones have more sweep than I prefer for techy riding, but the Jones bars are awesome for longer less techy rides. My favorite are the carbon Origin8 which are unfortunately not made anymore. They all have ESI Extra Chunky grips, although I need to change out the grips on the fatbike because they are too fat for me when riding with winter gloves.

Also, I always gravitate toward fat rubber in front, I'm a big Plus tire fan!


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## FishMan473 (Jan 2, 2003)

Ritchey WCS TruGrips are a durable foam that are very shock absorbing. Much better than any rubber grip I've used, cushier and much tackier than ESI. I think people discount them because they are foam, but I get two seasons out of them on average.

I use carbon bars on my SS, usually whatever I can get on discount blow-out pricing... but lighter bars are more flexy. In a perfect world I'd have bars with a 12° sweep.


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## SeaBass_ (Apr 7, 2006)

Jones Bends and Ergons.


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## Idiot Wind (Sep 8, 2008)

Jones 710 H Loop Bar
ESI Extra Chunky Grips

The grips are nice as they are tailor cut for the Jones Bar.


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## brewidaho (May 17, 2007)

Jones 710 Bend H bar, aluminum.
Ergo grips.

This puts my body shape in a very neutral position and makes it easier on climbs and decents. Hands are very comfy by distributing weight on the wide grip pattern.


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## Jack Burns (Nov 18, 2005)

Hey folks, I read an article the other week on the Radavist which brought a website devoted to a graphic comparison of handlebars to our attention:

http://whatbars.com/

It's actually very cool, and anyone reading this thread would probably enjoy checking it out.

The database on it is not entirely complete, and as such something like it is always going to be that way. It's a work in progress I suppose. However I did see some bars on there I'd never heard of.

The central graphic feature allows the overlaying of handlebars on a grid to compare their shape. The view doesn't allow 3D rotation so you can see the effects of rise and other subtleties. It is still a great website.

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## mr_chrome (Jan 17, 2005)

- ESI Chunky on an Easton carbon bar........does well.......


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## Jack Burns (Nov 18, 2005)

Here's a screenshot from whatbars.com

I've selected 4 different bars. One is obviously the Jones loop and the integrated stem is the Ritchey Carbon Bullmoose (which is super expensive).

Try to guess the other two.









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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

I really like my Enve bars and ODI Rogue grips. Handlebars are nice and compliant and have good angles. Grips are big and grippy. 

I also have SQ Labs Carbon 30X 16 degree handlebars on my SS Krampus. Nice and wide and nice and sweepy. Same grips.


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