off-road.cc

Ergon's GD1 grips are a far cry from the brand's usually heavily sculpted ergonomic offerings, with a relatively simple flanged design pitched at the gravity crowd but that works well for trail and enduro riders too. They've got some nice details but they're fairly expensive. 

• Who makes Micro Spline wheelsets for Shimano's 12-speed mountain bike groups?
• Your complete guide to SRAM MTB drivetrains, from AXS and XX1 Eagle to NX 
• Buyer's guide to mountain bike grips - how to choose the best ones for you

While they appear to be fairly simple, they're packed with small details. They're available in two different thicknesses, for smaller or larger hands and on both the thickness along the length of the grip is tapered from thinner to fatter at the end of the bar.

That's said to give you a little bit more cushioning where you need it while minimising overall bulk - I can't say I noticed any huge difference over a straight grip to be honest. These are the more basic grips which use Ergon's 'GravityControl' rubber compound but for an extra £5, there's a 'Factory' version that uses an even softer and gripper compound. I'd be tempted to plump for those as the thin ones I tested are pretty direct feeling - though there's also the fatter versions.

The grips are right and left-handed, with highly detailed texturing that includes ridging on the underside. I found it worked well to maximise grip and seemed to bite through any mud on your gloves without feeling uncomfortable the rest of the time.

Ridged detailing helps your hands stick to them

There's a single lock-on clamp on the grip, with a nice broad clamp that really holds them securely and leaves the end of the grip without any uncomfortable hard bits. The small flange helps locate your hand but I mostly liked it for the old-school BMX vibes - Ergon makes a range of enduro-specific non-flanged versions if you want to do without.

At 128g, they're pretty much the same as most other lock-on grips, though the asking price is a bit higher than more basic designs. Wear rates have been very impressive and they seem pretty tough too, which does make them seem slightly better value.

• ergonbike.com

You might also like:

• The best mountain bike handlebar grips you can buy - tried and tested
• The best mountain bikes you can buy for under £1,500 - full sus and hardtails