Jahanzaib The brand new grip of the 2010 World Marathon Champion Alban Lakata. Developed as a specific marathon grip, the GS1 has become the racer’s grip of choice.
The grip’s unique internal construction supports the hand using two internal supports individually tuned for perfect rebound and control. The lightweight leichtbau Direct Control rubber ensure ultimate feel and feedback. Available in two sizes. The GS Series has won: World Marathon Championship 2010 – Alban Lakata European and British 24hr Championship 2011.
Ergon Gs1 Review:
As always I started using my new grips by watching the Race Face Ergon grips review on Youtube, those guys know their stuff.
Ride 1:
My first outing was on the Upstart 100 race, an event designed to start the season off with a few beers, challenging trails and friendly faces. My 450 wasn’t really sorted yet, and it took me a few too many pedal strokes to get to the front of the start line. I spent the first half of the race trying to find my legs, and the second half trying to hold on to them. I have already learned so much from this race, having the new grip reminded me of just how mountain biking should feel.
Ride 2:
I didn’t get a chance to use the new grip till a few days after the Upstart, the second ride is sort of a useful test in how easy the grips are to get on or off and how quickly a new grip can have you running again. I don’t have any grippers at my local trail centre, so I was keen to see just how easy they were to get off the bars without using any grip unravellers. Straight out of the box I was surprised how easy they were to fit, the provided grip oil took a bit of persuasion to get on, but when I got it on the grips fitted onto my bars well with a nice audible click. The grip oil really helped the soft compound rubber give a bit of extra grip for the first few rides. Within a couple of rides I can now undo the grip withouth using the grip oil, the ‘click’ has become less noticeable, so it isn’t too tight that you struggle to remove them but isn’t too loose that you have to pull with all your might to take them off.
Ride 3:
Ride three was actually a very wet ride. Halfway through I was happy I had fitted the grip onto the bars. I didn’t like the feel of my hand slipping around so much on the bars and gripped harder to hold on. When I got back to the car I realised that I had no control of the brakes or steering because I had a death grip on the bars. I will definitely be using these grips on wet condition race days.
Ride 4:
I tricked myself into thinking I had a toy bike on the fourth ride. I aim for a smooth rhythm on long climbs and try to maintain it for as long as I can, if I can maintain the rhythm I can really fly on the downhill.
The new grip performed well and the best bit is the grip can be aligned with the way I hold the bike. My hands start a little further down the grip than a standard grip, so I can now sit more forward on the bike. I also felt the bike was more stable, which means I can ride the trails so I feel more upright.
Ride 5:
Things definitely turned south on the fifth ride. The trails were covered in ball finch and the grips were starting to make their presence known. I took the grip apart, cleaned it, reapplied the grip oil and reinstalled it.
Ride 6 (today):
I’ve rolled in a good hour of riding, the bike definitely feels like its been set up right this week. It feels like the bike is working on all cylinders and like I’m riding the front instead of muscling it around like a truck.
Ergon Gs1 Review:
The Ergon GS1 has definitely made me feel more comfortable on my bike, they are rock solid! It seems like a new bike because they have removed that feeling when you’re just hanging on for dear life.
The new grip definitely brings a new level to how my bike feels. This brings added comfort and stability which helps carry speed into and through the corners. This is perfect for the poor weather conditions we’ve been experiencing and is definitely the best grip for all types of riding.
One of the things that is so impressive about Ergon grips is that you can use these grips in any weather and it doesn’t matter if its wet or dry. You can ride the bike in any condition and know that you will be comfortable and have the confidence to push yourself to the limit.
Ergon Grip Features:
Straight up comfort – Ergonomic design and material composition greatly reduces vibration and hand fatigue through the day.
Alignment – The revolutionary internal support system maintains excellent control and comfort and ensures you’re in the perfect position.
Dry and wet – Even in wet conditions the Dual-Compound Rubber positively sticks to the handle bars to ensure an optimum grip in any condition.
This is the 2nd clip on grips I have bought from ergon. It’s great to have the original ones as well because they are orange and I have now got different bars in red and blue. Making it easier to match not to mention they all have the same feel. It’s a huge bonus to have the lube as well it makes getting them on and off that much easier.
I got the ergon grips for two reasons. I am a long lasting rider, and I do lots of drop offs and drops. The ergon grips work very well with long lasting riding, and does’t affect my grip even though I am gripping through a lot of cornering and drops. Not many products would be able to get through a day of riding and still give me an outstanding grip. An added bonus is that I get a nice efficient grip. The ergon grips are very easy to hold, and are nice and soft to the touch. I like the feel of the grips and when I get to that hard braking zone I feel confident with them in my hands.
