Here is an improved review, since the last time I posted a review on these,
I have used Esi grips since 11.2015 until January 2018, so I am very familiar with them. updated it march 2018. But now finally I revised the review, new pictures, improved text. July 2019 I added video and revised the text some more.
I put them thru its paces, I rode with them in -11c to summer heat, in most weather conditions.
I went from hard and too small diameter grips to Easton MTB grips, which was torture to ride with so I had to get something better, but ESI Grisp were just a temporary solution.
I went for the 34mm diameter grips, they fit me perfectly.
I have been using these grips since 2015, they definitely work, but not for long, So I had to swap them out for a fresh set after few weeks.
If used for longer I managed to put a lot more wear in them, and eventually they were spinning slightly, especially at the the ends.
Some pictures:
Flickr Album: https://flic.kr/s/aHskorWHoL
The Good:
- Shock absorbing
- Feels great without gloves
- 10 colour choices, I got green fits my fuel-ex perfectly.
- reduces hand numbness – fatigue- arm pump
- easy to clean with a hard brush
- not effected much by the subzero temperatures, they work in the summer heat and in the freezing winter.
- they can be used in the winter, I have ridden few days with -10 and more, with the grips, without any issues.
The Bad:
- Not as grippy as rubber grips but not bad.
- The end caps are junk, you can replace them with proper alloy end caps instead.
- but they only last me 4 weeks, they become too soft and lose the shock absorption, and at that point, they are torture to ride, so they are expensive in long term. In the In the winter I use 2.1 Suomi Gazza Extreme studded tyres with 4psi higher pressure than my summer setup with Maxxis 2.3 tyres, which becomes torture to ride with once the grips lose the shock absorption feature, first comes the loss of shock absorption then the grip becomes more fragile and gets ripped apart easier and easier, then they begin to spin slowly, but this happens over the course of many weeks, with higher volume tyres I could ride them for bit longer, but not with my current winter setup, it’s torture, so I had to swap to fresh grips every 4th week, which cost way too much. even though the too soft grip is not as noticeable with bigger tyre volume this is not acceptable for me.
- Birds can damage the grips like here, after riding with them more than a week after the bird attacking them there are holes so deep I can see the handlebar, so if you crash hard you will rip the grips part.
Verdict:
If all grips are still like this I can’t recommend these grips due to the issue with the grips getting too soft fast, but so far it seems like I am the only one mentioning this, maybe I got a bad batches these years, I’ve chatted with others, and none I chatted to or commented to had these issues, if you have other experience with them why not comment below. if they lasted longer this would be a cheap and great option I guess, but for me it did not work that great for long.
So when I saw RevGrips I bought them, and that’s what I have been using since, and probably will continue to do so.
http://www.esigrips.com/Silicone_Grips_Shock_Absorbing.htm
The end caps are junk, you can replace them with proper alloy end caps instead.
Putting them on & off:
The best way to install the grips is by using a compressor.
here are some great videos I found on YouTube:
I put the grip under running hot tap water to heat expand it or fill the sink up with hot tap water, but a using compressor instead is much easier.
What you should NOT do:
DON’T USE A SCREWDRIVER TO PUT THEM ON AND OFF!!! It will damage the grips on the inside and the grip can rip apart.
Don’t use hairspray, even if the bike mechanic tells you to, it might stink, and make the grip slipperier on the inside. it’s dangerous stuff to breathe in.
mtbboy1993 