Ergon GE1 Factory Evo Grips [Rider Review]

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Contact points on the bike are important and shouldn't be overlooked. Ergon knows this, and their products are designed make you more comfortable on the bike because the more comfortable you are, the longer you ride and the better you ride. See what our customer thinks about the Ergon GE1 EVO Grips.

Overview

Installing these couldn’t be any easier and is the same as any other lock on grip. The only point to note is on the lock rings, there are a couple of “UP” indicators that help you orient them at a baseline suggested point. There are also small markings around the lock rings to help make sure both left and right grip are lined up with each other. I really appreciate this as I am a little obsessive over how my bike is set up.

Appearance

I have the moss green color and it is really slick. They are a bit translucent but not over the top. There is also a translucent black that I really like. I have also tried the standard GE1 grips that are solid black, red, blue, etc…they all look good but I prefer the look of the translucent grips.

Grip/Feeling:

I have always been fairly content with whatever stock grips came on my bike until I tried Ergon GE1 grips on a demo bike about 5 years ago. These felt so immediately comfortable in hand that I quickly went home and bought a set for my personal bike. What stood out to me most was the way they seemed to disappear in hand, but also gave a very solid connection to the handlebars. In years past, I had tried using various foam-style grips in an effort to provide some damping to minimize vibration and hand fatigue on long rides. While that did seem to help, I hated the “mushy” feeling they came with and felt like I lost some connection to the bars.

Enter Ergon - these seem to give me the best of both worlds. I love the connection to the bars and the ergonomic shape provides plenty of comfort for the longest rides. I have since added these GE1 grips to all my bikes with no plans to switch it up any time soon.

On my Guerrilla Gravity (RIP) Trail Pistol, the feeling of direct connection with the handlebars is excellent on fast descents. On my singlespeed, I love how solid the grips feel when standing and really pulling on the bars to try to make it up and over the last big climb (I particularly disliked foam grips in this scenario).

Most notably, on my bikepacking setup these same grips have proven themselves on a couple of very long trips in the backcountry, including some 16+ hour riding days, with no numbness or pain in my hands - this has probably been the biggest selling point for me!

Durability/Value

In terms of durability, I have not had to replace any of my GE1 grips yet. The set on my bikepacking bike are getting close, though, as they are starting to tear a bit at the bar ends. This bike/grip setup has about 3500 miles on it. The grips will probably last for a while longer, but I will most likely replace them before next season and move these to my commuter bike. Based on how long they last, I think the value is excellent and worth spending maybe a little bit more than some of the other lower priced options, especially considering how important contact points are.

Final Thoughts

Finding the right grips for you is worth the time and investment. Personally, I highly recommend these grips and I will continue to use them on all my bikes for the foreseeable future. The comfort and connection they provide me is excellent and they seem to last forever, providing good value over time.