Best mountain bike grips for UK trail and enduro riders

Grips are the cheapest contact point on a mountain bike and the part most riders leave unchanged for years. That is a false economy. Worn grips cost you control on rough ground, and the wrong shape puts pressure exactly where your hands complain after two hours in the saddle.

This shortlist sticks to grips that are easy to find in UK shops, fit standard mountain bike bars and suit the riding most people actually do: trail centres, natural bridleways, the occasional enduro and a lot of mud.

• Best overall: Ergon GE1 Evo — a shaped grip that supports the outside of the hand.
• Best all-round lock-on: ODI Elite Flow — round, tough and quick to swap.
• Best for wet, muddy riding: Renthal Traction Lock-On — soft rubber, raised tread.
• Best for comfort: ESI Grips Chunky — silicone, with no hard core under the palm.
• Best value: DMR DeathGrip — a huge choice of thickness and compound for very little money.

The DMR DeathGrip is left out of the table only because it exists in so many combinations of thickness, compound and flange that a single column would misrepresent it. Treat it as the value option that can be configured to suit — and the one to pick if you like to change grips with the seasons rather than keep a pair for years.

Start with your hands, not the bike. Grip diameter is the most common mismatch. Riders with smaller hands often find a thick grip forces the fingers open, which is uncomfortable and costs control, while riders with large hands or a habit of riding without gloves usually prefer more volume. If you are between sizes, go thinner.

Decide lock-on or push-on. Lock-on grips clamp to the bar and can be swapped with one Allen key; push-on grips rely on friction and a snug fit. Push-ons have no hard core under the palm and cost less, but they take longer to fit and can move if fitted badly.

Match the compound to the weather. Soft, tacky rubber is brilliant in the wet and cold and wears out quickly. Firmer compounds last longer and give less damping. In the UK, most riders are best served by something in the middle, plus a softer pair for winter.

Think about shape and pattern. A round grip with a shallow pattern suits most riders most of the time. A shaped or ergonomic grip can transform comfort if you get pressure points or numb fingers, but it is a personal fit rather than a guaranteed upgrade.

Check the length. Grip length has to leave room for your shifter and dropper lever. Measure your current grips before ordering, and remember that a lock-on collar adds a few millimetres at each end.

Clean the grip area of the bar with isopropyl alcohol and check for burrs or old residue, especially if you are replacing a push-on grip that was hairsprayed on.

For lock-on grips, slide the grip on, set the rotation, then tighten the collar bolts evenly to the torque printed on the collar. If nothing is printed, snug them up with a small torque wrench rather than leaning on an Allen key.

For push-on grips, use isopropyl alcohol or hairspray inside the grip, push it on quickly and fully, and leave the bike overnight. Never use grease or oil — the grip will never stay put.

Once everything is fitted, sit on the bike and check your wrists. If your brake levers sit high, your hands roll forward and no grip will fix the ache.