SCOLETRAIN

My Favorite Bike Parts

Ergon GX2 Leichtbau Carbon Grip


Friends call my Ergon's "Old Man" grips regularly, but these grips are why at 46 years of age and in my 21st racing season that I'm still pounding out long miles and able to be competitive be it training or racing. Since my introduction to these grips while reading Jeff Kerkove's blog back in late 2005 or early 2006, I've have used no other brand of grip on my mtb bikes for xc or endurance racing . Any bike that isn't set up with Ergon's feels foreign and awkward after 5 years of riding on the GX1's, GX2's, GP1's and GP2's.

The reason for this post is due to the fact that without my Ergon GX2's over the last 4 weekends, racing and/or riding probably would have been very painful and limited to just recreational trails. At the Lake Geneva WORS race I went down hard and sprained my right wrist enough that it was tough to even grip a coffee cup let alone ride technical or rough singletrack in the following days. Less than a week later and two days before the Chequamegon Fat Tire 40 I had been seriously concerned about holding on to my handlebars. That day I decided to change from the GX1's(no bar ends) to my Team Ergon Green GX2's with carbon bar ends. With some advice from my orthopedic PA I lightly taped my wrist and with the ergonomic shape of the Ergon GX2's plus bar ends I was able to ride more comfortably yet have one of my best Fat Tire 40's since 1998. This set-up didn't completely take away the discomfort that I was experiencing before the race, but made it possible because of the design to focus on having a safe and great race experience. "Old Man" grips do have their benefits! Try a pair of Ergon's sometime if you get a chance or find me at a race and I'll help to get you set-up. Pedal on...