Ergon Grip Setup

And now we'll take a break from the GLR obsession for a word from our sponsors...

Ergon is a German company putting some R&D into all things ergonomic for bicycles.  Grips, gloves, packs, saddles, suspension posts are just a few of the items in the works.  They have several styles of grips currently available and with their growing popularity, I figured I'd share some of what I've learned on how to set them up.

I first used the grips at TransRockies last year.  For sure, I carried a set of normal grips on the trip in the event I hated the Ergons...but that was not the case.  The Ergons wiped out some forearm numbness issues I'd been having since the 24 hours of Steamboat.  This year I learned the setup is not bulletproof.  For one, the instructions are written in english by non-native english speaking folks, so seem pretty cryptic to me.  This led to trial and error - and at 24 hours in the Old Pueblo this year I had them set up wrong and had numb hands for quite some time.

This is a snippet of an email I sent to a fellow enduro nut interested in the grips.  The first sentence is about how not to put them on upside down (hi Nat).  The rest is all about the angle.

Edit:  Google's picassa changed the links so the pics aren't coming up right... 

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Just look at one of the million pics of ergons on Jeff's site and you'll see how to put them on - it's obvious. What is less obvious is getting the angle just right. It really depends on your riding style - do you keep your arms locked at the elbow or bent at the elbow with forearms close to parallel to the ground? Something in between? Based on the answer here, the grips may be pointed upwards or flat. See if you can spot a pic of Adam's (http://epicriding.blogspot.com) setup vs. my setup and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Here's a pic of Adam's setup. Not very good...but look where the grip is. He rides with locked arms. http://picasaweb.google.com/adamlisonbee/2WheeledPhotos/photo#5046832636629728642

Here's a pic of my setup. I ride with bent arms. http://picasaweb.google.com/hairball.dh/GLRPrep/photo#5058969510468091826 Again, not a great grip pic, but note the angle between the grip and barend is about 180 where on adams it's more like 100*.

Published Thursday, May 24, 2007 5:37 AM by Dave

Comments

# @ Thursday, May 24, 2007 6:07 AM

Yes, grip angle is totally personal. We suggest starting level...then going from there. And as far as the directions....they hired a UK guy to do all english translations.

Jeff Kerkove

# @ Thursday, May 24, 2007 6:21 AM

Doh!

Dave

# @ Thursday, May 24, 2007 8:02 AM

Good topic Dave. I will snap some better photos of my set up later today. Setup is key with these grips, all the benefits of them go out the window if you do not have them set up correctly.

I have experimented a bit, and the most comfy position for me is having them tilted at a pretty steep angle. This keeps my hands, wrist and arms straight.

I will be cleaning my bike later today, I will take the photos then.

Adam L.

# @ Thursday, May 24, 2007 8:31 AM

Nice! Does this mean I actually motivate someone in some small way?

I picked up the grips (actually a friend hated them and sold them to me for $25) and they're sitting in my basement. I'll go with Jeff's advice, start level and go from there.

You know the funny thing is that if I flip them upside down they actually fit to my hands pretty well. Try it next time you have them off your bike. The dip in the underside fits well in the "meat" of your palm near your thumb. Not that I'm going to do that, of course...

normZurawski

# @ Thursday, May 24, 2007 8:41 AM

Hey, you bet Norm.

I have noticed that about the upside down position. When you're riding though, you don't really keep your hands in that *exact* position so it isn't as nice as it would seem. Must admit I've tried it ;)

Dave

# @ Thursday, May 24, 2007 10:08 AM

Nice entry...I was about to write a similar entry myself today.

I've been riding the Ergons for around 2 weeks now. It took 6-8 rides of steady tinkering to get them completely dialed, but now they are really comfortable.

I ride with my arms fairly extended so the grips are set-up to let my wrists "drop" slightly behind the bars and the bar ends are running around 170 degrees from the grips (slight rise from parallel to the ground).

Puskas

# @ Thursday, May 24, 2007 3:20 PM

I must be the freak i like them pointed down...


hummmmmm

SlowerThenSnot

# @ Thursday, May 24, 2007 6:26 PM

Thanks Dave. Look forward to fooling around with them. Was going to try to get them on for next week's Mohican 100, but think I'm gonna wait till after now. Not sure I want to be along the trail trying to set up my grips correctly!

Thanks again.
j

jmahokey