Headed by Steve Peat, Peaty's has made a name for providing top-notch, minty-smelling bike care goods. With a portfolio that includes tubeless setup solutions, the brand has now expanded its reach into the touch point market with the new Monarch grips.

• Bike check: Sam Pilgrim's Canyon Torque:ON CF 9
• Best MTB grips 2024 - options to improve your comfort and handling
• South African MTB brands you should know

With its Monarch grips, Peaty's hasn't done things by halves. Coming in two textures, both have benefitted from a focus on comfort as they're constructed of 20A rubber chosen to provide damping and durability. Their cores are then tapered and offset, with the former being created to form a tighter internal diameter than standard handlebars to work in tandem with the 8mm clamp to achieve a more even clamping force on the bar. Compared to conventional grips that use an 11mm clamp, a narrower alternative results in more surface to hold onto.

The offset core is combined with a tapered rubber body to blend the vibration damping of a thicker grip at the palm, with the control and bar feel of a tinner grip around the bottom, or finger portion of the grips. Something to note which is rather cool is that the cores are made from 80 per cent recycled plastic that's been scooped from the ocean.

2024 peatys monarch knurl.jpg, by Liam Mercer

There are two textures to choose from, Mushroom and Knurl, that utilise familiar patterns: the Mushroom grip is directed more towards comfort, whereas Knurl is for control. Both grips share a similar design in that there are zones, including the comfort thumb pad. This area of the grip has been increased as the thumb puts up with a lot of vibration and feedback on the rear. There's also a lot of movement in this small area under cornering so a zig-zag pattern has been added at the thumb area for comfort and cushioning.

Peaty's has cut-in high-grip finger bars which the brand claims are 'optimically placed for different hand sizes and finger lengths'. The result, says Peaty's, is a solid and more positive bar feel when pulling on the bar.

2024 peatys monarch mush.jpg, by Liam Mercer

A lot of effort has gone into the shape of the Monarch grips and they're finished with a half flange inboard of the grip, and a pinky ramp outboard. The small flange has been added as an internal bump-stop to provide a soft cover over the hard clamp. The pinky ramp then adds comfort for anyone who rides with their hands off the edges of the bar and it lends a hand in keeping your hands where they're supposed to be.

There are also two sizes of each grip on offer. The thin grip gets a 130mm width but importantly it tapers from 30 to 32mm in diameter. The thick is 2mm thicker starting at 32mm and tapering up to 34mm.

The lockrings can be bought separately and are available in 12 colours. Peaty's Monarch grips are available in five colours and cost £25. The lockrings are £12 a pair.

• peatys.co.uk

You might also like:

• off.road.cc adventures: Elan Valley bikepacking bothy trip
• Schrader vs Presta – which valve standard is best for you?
• Opinion: We need to be more specific about what 'gravel' is