Every race comes with its own unique physical aches and pains but for a year or two I've had an ongoing problem on the mountain bike with numbness in my hands and wrists. I've tried various combination's of handle bar grips, bike adjustments and gloves without satisfactory results.

I was volunteering at the North American Handmade bike trade show in Indianapolis this past winter when I spotted a display for the Ergon ergonomics bike grips and instantly knew I need to give these a try. The summer went by quickly (does anyone ever think it goes by to slow?) but I finally ordered a pair of the Ergon GP1 Leichtbau grips in time to put them on my bike before the October 11 Brown County Breakdown mountain bike ride. I did this ride two years ago and after about half way into my 60 mile trail ride my hands and wrists were so numb, I could barely hold into the handle bars. I think bar grips are an often overlooked piece of the puzzle in dealing with rider fit and comfort. So this year I was really looking forward to this ride and trying out my new grips!

The installation is very easy and straightforward. It takes about 10 minutes following the well written instructions.

I was intrigued by these grips because a few years ago I had a similar numbness issue from riding my road bike that went away when I replaced my standard round tube handle bars with the variety that are more oval shaped. The theory being the larger surface area on the bar grip will spread out the contact pressure on your palms . It sure looked like these grips could be the cure.

The instructions recommend an install angle that in effect creates a platform where you can "rest" your palms. It naturally reduces or removes any angle between your hand and forearms. Sitting on the bike in my garage I could immediately see that these grips would reduce the contact pressure that was likely causing my wrist numbness. However I had a suspicion that the wider platform would reduce your ability to effectively "grip" around the entire bar thereby resulting in less steering control. So would it be a fair trade off to have less hand numbness and less control? Six hours of riding on Indiana's best single track would be the perfect test.

It was a bit concerning that I was starting a rather lengthy trail ride with brand new gear . I did not even ride up and down the street to see how they felt, the first time these were used was on dirt. Worries aside, it took about a mile or two of riding before I realized that these grips felt very natural! The wide platform is just what I have been looking for.

Over 500 riders started the Breakdown. Even starting in 4 waves, the trail traffic the first hour or so is heavy. I spent most of that time dealing with this traffic and not so much thinking about the new grips. One wrong move and a crash might be followed up with riders piling into (and over) you. 10 miles into the ride, the trail arrives at the Hesitation Point SAG. It was at this time that I realized that my hands and wrists felt great. The feel of the grips was very natural and I noticed no difference in bike handling. The grips are (simply) shaped so that the grip's "platform" just doesn't interfere with your ability to hold on to the bars.

I completed the ride in just over six hours with exactly zero of the numbness I had been experiencing with regular round grips. No doubt my entire upper body could feel the effect of the ride, but the hand numbness was gone!

The Ergon grips are more expensive than regular grips. A quick internet search had prices from $18 to $90+ depending on the model and grip material, etc. The GP1 Leichtbau model retails around $35. Let me tell you, their worth every penny and I would recommend them to anyone wanting to increase their riding comfort, which would be just about everyone! Right?