Ergon GE1 Evo Grip: Employee Review

Words by: Reamonn Ryan

Choosing a grip to ride in 2020 might be just as complicated as finding the next best series to binge on Netflix. There are far too many to choose from and not everyone has the time to try each and every option on the market. Luckily, you have people like us who go out and spend time on all these different options to review and help you choose before you waste your money on something you aren’t going to like.

I have always been into trying different grips. I am very particular in the grips I choose to run because they are my main source of contact with my bike. Not to mention the fact that I don’t wear gloves. This makes it important to not only find grips with a lot of grip, but also ones that are comfortable on my hands. This is why I decided to finally hop on some Ergon GE1 Evo Grips to see what all the hype was about. I had always heard that people either loved the grip or hated it completely, which made me hesitate on trying them. However, the good reviews outweighed the bad and I got me a fresh set of rubbers to try out for myself.

Initial Impressions:

Right off the bat, I thought the GE1 Grips looked weird and to be completely honest, I wasn’t sure as to how much I would enjoy riding them considering I have a deep love for BMX style mushroom grips but to my surprise, I really, really liked them. They didn’t feel incredibly hard or slick, especially when I started to sweat or got caught in the rain. Luckily the bipolar weather patterns in SoCal have given me the opportunity to really test these things out!

Aside from the solid grip and comfort I felt right off the bat, I did notice a slight change in my riding posture. The tapered diameter of the Ge1 grip allowed my elbows to stay up which ultimately helped me in corners. Something I personally always struggle with as my bad habits from riding BMX carried over to MTB. I was surprised considering the tapper is not drastically noticeable at first glance.

My Favorite Features:

Some of my favorite features about this grip include:

1. The Material

I don’t know exactly what material they are using for their grips but Ergon is killing with a comfortable and durable material that does an incredible job eliminating some of the extra vibrations coming through the handlebars. The fact that the grips last so long blows me away as well. I feel like some companies either accept a short grip life for a comfortable compound or vice versa. Ergon seems to have the perfect combination going right now.

2. The Tapered Diameter

It’s crazy to think that a grip can allow me to ride better just by slightly adjusting my hand placement.  Keeping my elbows up ultimate helps me corners and control the bike better than I had before and it helps me do it more consistently since your hands naturally sit in a way to make your body naturally move that way.

3. Thumb pad

I feel like most people don’t pay much attention to the thumbpad area of a grip and to me, that is one of the most important parts of a grip. Have a pad that is too small thin and your thumb will begin to fatigue and you lose grip of your bike faster. Have a thumbpad that is too big and you start blocking your thumb’s movement to the shifter or whatever other remotes you might have set up.

My Long-Term Thoughts:

Having ridden the grips for a couple of months over countless rides, every type of trail from long and smooth XC trails, to jump trails to rocky and chattery Enduro/DH trails, I can happily say these grips are something else. I never began to experience an immense amount of fatigue in my hands, wrists, or arms or even had a slip up at any point in riding them. For riders looking for a grip that will not only last them a long time but also a grip that will effortlessly help them become a better rider, I think Ergon hit the nail on the head with the GE1 Enduro.

Conclusion:

"As for where the GE1 sits on my list of favorite grips. I would say it sits very high, although not the very top and that is for many personal reasons and my strange preferences when it comes to my own bike setup. Keep in mind that every rider has a different setup that is determined from multiple factors from the bike itself, whether that be the category of riding style, or even the rider and their previous riding experience and body shape. I am by no means, a racer or an athlete when it comes to cycling, but merely an enthusiast that enjoys riding as much as my life lets me.

The Ergon GE1 Evo Grips are a great starting point for those people looking to have a better experience on their bike and as I mentioned above, Ergon hit the nail on the head making a product that genuinely helps riders better themselves and betters the overall riding experience no matter the weather or terrain. If you are looking to do that yourself, I would recommend looking into the GE1 Grips as an easy and cost-effective solution." - Reamonn

This article was written / authored by Reamonn Ryan. Reamonn has worked in the bicycle industry for 6 years now and currently runs our Instagram account along with testing products, editing video content, and writing blogs like this one you just read. Reamonn was a die hard BMX kid for over 10 years and once he started at Worldwide Cyclery made the switch to mountain bikes where he can send stuff better than most guys at the shop. If you like any of our Instagram posts or have gotten any responses from your DM's it was most likely from Reamonn, so give him a thanks. As with all of our employees, Reamonn is a key part of making Worldwide Cyclery the "Best Damn Bike Shop in the World".