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The Right Road Bike | Non-Slip Grips | Helmets
Non-Slip Grips
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Key Search Terms: tire mounting lubricant; Ru-Glyde; 3M sanding sponge; Oury MTB grips; Race Face Good Evil MTB grips.
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For safety and bike control, MTB grips must not slip. Lots of vendors offer locking grips. But what if your favorite grips aren't a locking type? Ourys (reviewed here) and Race Face Good `n' Evil grips come to mind. Is there a way to keep them from slipping?
Yes. Tire mounting lubricants provide lubrication when mounting grips but then dry to keep the grips firmly in place. One popular brand is Ru-Glyde. You'll find these products at true auto parts stores - which excludes Auto Zone and Advance Auto Parts, in my experience - and motorcycle shops. Tire lubes come in liquid or spray. I find the liquid less messy to use. They're inexpensive. A gallon of Ru-Glyde runs about $10 and the aerosols are typically under $10.
When installing grips, work on one end of the bar at a time. Start by lightly roughing up the surface of the bar with some fine emery cloth or 600 grit sandpaper. Wipe off the resulting dust. Apply tire lubricant with a cloth, dauber, or brush. Slide the grip into place while the lubricant is fresh. Position the grip where you want it; get it placed correctly now because you won't be moving it later. Then do the other side. Try to let everything set up for 24 hours before riding.
Although I don't know of any specific reason to not use tire lubricant on carbon bars, neither do I know for sure that it's safe to do so. Carbon is funny stuff and can be harmed by any number of chemicals. You should consult with the bar manufacturer before using tire lubricant on carbon bars.
Liquid Ru-Glyde is popular with tire and auto service shopsand is available at better auto supply houses. Motorcycle shops are more likely to stock other brands in aerosol cans.
Lightly sand the bars to roughen their surface. Any fine-grit abrasive material will work. I like 3M sanding sponges because they work well on curves and don't crack when they flex the way sandpaper does.