November 04, 2015

ESI Grips Long Term Review - 4 Years of Use




ESI chunky grips


ESI has been one of our team's long time sponsors.  All of our team riders use their grips, and for good reason.  ESI uses surgical grade silicon to make the most comfy grips.  They provide vibration dampening, creating less hand fatigue and allowing you to get a more secure grip on the handlebar.  All this gives you more control, making you ride better.

Unlike other grips I've used, the ESI grips don't rotate on the bars, don't give your fingers some weird colors and are grippy in either dry or wet conditions.

As recommended by ESI, if you want to get the best durability out of your grips, get a good bar-end plug.  The grips are so soft and comfortable, they can tear on the end if you crash and lay the bike down.  The Hope bar plug has worked really well:


The downside with the Hope bar plugs is that, while they work really well, they do weigh more.  If you're being tight on weight, the plastic ones that come stock with the ESI grips work well too but can pop out pretty easy and don't offer as much protection.

All that being said I've have ridden for years with grips that have been partially torn without them getting any worse. An easy fix if you do tear the end of the grip is to use a razor blade to cut off the end with the tear.

Good news is even after your grips are worn out/ have a tear and you want to replace them they can be re-purposed. I have used mine as a bumper under the legs of my trainer to keep it in place on the floor.

I've also used tape or zip ties to attach the old grips to the center part of the handlebar for a comfy place to rest my forarms/ elbows or getting in a TT position on road sections. I know several pros who do this, especially for 100 mile NUE races that often have road sections where aerodynamics are key.

I used these grips for over 2 year before cutting them off my handlebar with a box cutter and re-purposing them as tt pads. They are still soft and still getting use 4 years later.


Here are the options...
I've not tried this type yet, but from what I hear amongst friends, they are extremely comfortable.

The yellow grips pictured above -- this is my favorite style.  They fit my hands really well

The green grips that I re-purposed and have gotten 4 years of use out of them


I have used the Racer's Edge (the thinnest version) and the Chunky but haven't had the opportunity to use the Extra Chunky yet. I like big soft grips so Extra Chunky is what I will buy next time I need some ESI grips.

Frankly, I don't like riding a bike that doesn't have ESI grips on them.  Other style grips tear up my hands, or rotate on the bar when they get wet, or have lock-rings that feel odd under my thin gloves.
Color options for Racers Edge and Chunky. The Extra Chunky is only available in black.
Chunky grip set weighs 45 grams


- Mike

May 18, 2015

Where to Follow Us

We've mostly moved over to Facebook and Instagram for our team updates -- click on the upper right hand buttons to head over to those two pages.

https://www.facebook.com/Scott-Mountain-Bike-Team-169203563102642/

November 28, 2014

Thanksgiving Snow Ride

Dylan's back in town, which means long rides with lots of climbing (and trying to hang onto his wheel for dear life, even though he's borrowing a bike for the week).

This year's pre-Thanksgiving storm dropped a lot of snow on the higher elevations outside Washington, DC, so no go on charging through the rocky singletrack on the Massanutten Mountain ridgeline.



Cam - Post Race Interview

He sprints pretty darn well for a skinny guy!

http://dirtwire.tv/2014/11/cameron-dodge-2/


Cam Leans on His Mtb Skills - Riding the Stairs

http://dirtwire.tv/2014/11/cam-ride/ 


Cam 1st at Supercross CX - UCI C2

Cameron and the Dodge family showing an amazing devotion towards getting to the podium! Great pics and commitment! Cam won in the final straight after unleashing a his sprint.

















Awesome Autumn Weather for Mtb

Great fall riding weather this past week in perfect trail conditions and temperatures here on the East Coast. Second week of November and still riding in Vie 13 Kustom Apparel shorts and jersey without need for any arm or leg coverage.




Cam 3rd at the Derby Cup in Louisville

A great day #2 in Louisville! Cam Dodge gritted out a 3rd place in Louisville to continue his momentum towards Nationals.







Riding with Dylan at Pisgah

Dylan met up with the guys from Pure Energy Cycling & Java House and took them out to Pisgah for a great autumn ride in the mountains.  He took it "easy" on them during the first hour long climb...


Dylan Earns his Second Set of Stars and Stripes

Congratulations to Dylan and his Brevard College teammates on winning the 2014 D2 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championship!

Dylan in the front/center