ESI Grips Extra Chunky - Silicone MTB Grips - Ultimate Comfort and Control for Mountain Bike and E-Bike Riders, Durable Silicone Bicycle Handlebar Grips for a Smooth Ride

[3/30/25] 6 month review. I stand by everything posted below. After 100s of gravel / paved trail ride miles these are a godsend. I have no more heel-wrist fatigue. The wide foam helps to distribute the loading nicely without overtly being ergo grips. The foam compound has held up well too. I was worried it would compress or flatten out but that hasn't happened at all. Just for the heck of it, I loosened them with a wire zip tie and 90% isopropyl and rotated them around about 90 degrees. But that wasn't really needed just my bike OCD. I finally got around to installing these on my retro gary fisher straight bar. No problems at all with the installation. A little 70% isop alcohol and they slid right on. They are noticeably bigger and softer than my old trusty Oury #8. They are even a good inch longer (the actual grip surface) from end to end, which is nice since I can position my hands differently on the bar. The last ~1 inch of the Oury #8 is that little narrowed down, non-grip area that in my case was of no use. I ride with gel padded gloves, paired with these grips there is noticeably less shock and fatigue on my wrists. I actually did a warm weather ride without gloves and these grips were great. I could never do that with my Oury 8 grips because just a little sweat makes them slippery / slimy. They are not really "black", more of a dark gray. To be honest they look like someone cut / trimmed them with scissors in their garage... LOL This is purely cosmetic though, so no stars lost. I am a weekend, recreational rider only. My bike goes into hibernation during the winter rains. Not sure how these handle rain, wet, cold conditions. I also do not park my bike outside exposed, as in a school/work commute scenario. Not sure how well these handle being outside in the sun. Most soft materials don't handle that scenario well over the long term. Happy with my purchase.

This orange set of ESI Extra Chunky grips is actually my 2nd set. I bought a light blue pair of extra chunky grips several months ago and decided to get the orange ones for another bike. I had no issues at all with the blue ones, but for some reason the orange grips seemed more stiff, not as soft or compliant. Other than this subtle difference, I've had no issues. So, if you're looking for a super soft feel (like squishy gel), you might look at other options. These are great for durability and gripping ability, though. And the colors are awesome! Grips still get 5 stars because I believe my "softness" expectations were off, not the product itself.

Great grips overall, based on their price-point and function. I've went through probably 3-4 grips in the last 3 years. I was trying to find a pair that would decrease my forearm soreness/fatigue while riding. My grips previous to the Chunkys were the Ergon GA3 which had kind of a flat grip to help with ergonomics and comfort. They were "ok" but didnt really do much in terms of the fatigue I was frequently experiencing. I decided to jazz up my bike a bit Id get a different colour grip, and with that a differen brand. After researching for an hour or so on the web, I decided on the extra Chunkys based on pricepoint, reviews, colour and tring a style I havent yet tried. Im glad I did. I have noticed a sizable decrease in arm/hand fatigue since I bought them. I will prob stick with these going forward, as they are the most comfortable grips I've used to date. If it aint broke.... Of which, one note, they arent as durable as other grip materials like rubber or plastic. I had a decent wipeout a couple weeks back, and a small chunk near the end cap tore off. I wouldn't expect this type of material to be durable when it comes to crashes, but hey, thats the tradeoff for extreme comfort when bombing down the trails!

I have been running a different MTB grip for well over 10 years. I thought for sure they were the best possible grip for me. Then I tried ESI grips on a whim. At first I had some hand numbness and wasn’t sure I liked them. After 8-10 rides I got used to them and liked them a lot. I ride a hardtail and these grips do a lot to mitigate felt vibration. The dampening they provide is noticeable. I had red grips and had a red color scheme going on with my bike components. My frame ended up cracking a weld and the manufacturer warrantied it but sent a completely different color frame. The red ESI grips I had looked really stupid so I took them off (more on that at the end of this review) and replaced them with my old style grips. I was fairly certain from memory that my old grips were slightly superior to the ESI grips, so I changed them out with confidence back to my old grips. It only took ONE ride back on my old grips to make me miss the ESI grips. The ESI grips were in fact far superior to my old grips. I ordered a new pair right away and installed them as soon as they arrived. I had to order a new pair because I had to cut the old pair off. I tried for quite awhile to remove the first pair of ESI grips and they would not budge. I tried the air compressor method, I tried rolling, I tried everything I could think of and they would not come off. I had to slice them off. Fortunately they aren’t expensive so a new set was no big deal. Install of this second pair was as easy as the first. All you have to do is plug one end with a finger and pour a little bit of rubbing alcohol inside and they will slide right on with minimal wrangling. As for the end caps, just take some snips and snip off 3 tiny triangular sections evenly spaced around the first rib and the end caps will slide right on too. The only downside to these grips is that once they are installed they are on for good. As far as I can tell, they have to be cut off to be removed. But, they function as advertised and are a big improvement over all previous grips I have tried.

****INSTALLATION TIPS: The first one I raw dogged and I highly recommend you do not install them this way. Clean your bar first with alcohol like the instructions say, pop the esi rubber end cap in first, then fill some alcohol in the grip, covering both ends with your fingers and swish it back and forth. then quickly slam it up into the handlebar as fast as your can. From there you're going to work BOTH ENDS during install. pull it up and then smack it from the other side on the end cap where you just installed the rubber esi bump stop cap. this is SO EASY THIS WAY!!! the second grip went on literally in 2 seconds. after that you just wait for the alchol underneath to dry which will take a few hours and you're good to go. air compressor is not needed only alcohol from a drug store. 4 Stars instead of 5 because the "black" is actually "grey," which is a bummer but I'm hoping that they darken over time naturally with use. These are much more comfy over my stock Trek FX2 grips however! those were super uncomfortable on longer rides with the fins on them digging into your palms.

Great XC grips. Had ergon's before but these are better even while being more simple looking. Great small bump shock absorption.

I have always ridden grips with minimal cushion and gloves with little padding. I recently developed some issues on my palm that made me decide to go thicker grips. I ordered the "Chunky" and thought "Hey, these are perfect. Then I saw "EXTRA Chunky" and thought "Hey, these must be better! They are. They make your grip area a little large, so if you have smallish hands, you might try the "chunky" instead. These grips are installed on my single speed adventure /gravel bike and they really help smooth out the vibrations on gravel roads. When riding singletrack they provide excellent grip and don't get slippery when wet. Installation was a snap with a little alcohol (isopropyl for the grips, and beer for me). Follow the instructions and you'll be fine. I am not sure if they can be removed easily or not for maintenance EDIT: I had to remove them for some maintenance and squirted some alcohol under the grip with a syringe and they slid off with minimal effort. Reinstalled as above. BOOM!

I have tried at least a dozen different brands, styles and designs over the last two years and these are by far the best grips I've had to date. If you are concerned about durability I wouldn't be. I've gone through three pairs of silicon lock on grips in the last year and these are as strong and resilient if not better, than all of them(Santa Cruz, one up, fifty fifty, specialized, etc.). The vibration falling from these is great as well. I wear a large glove that is usually really tight if your wondering about sizing. I use the extra chunky and they are perfect.

Buenos puños, más cómodos que los Ride Fly sin duda. El acabado chunky es mucho más confortable y no se duermen las manos en descensos prolongados y abruptos como me pasaba antes. En cuanto a la durabilidad, habrá que ver cómo envejecen...

Je les ai installés sur un vtc car mes poignées commençaient à se désagréger. Une petite astuce pour l'installation est de vaporiser du nettoyant à vitres sur le guidon et à l'intérieur des poignées ;-) Ainsi l'installation se fait rapidement, les poignées glissent assez facilement et le nettoyant à vitres s'évapore rapidement. Il existe plusieurs versions des poignées en fonction de l'épaisseur, les racer's edge, chunky et extra chunky.

Tip: Use dishwashing liquid soap to install these grips. For detailed instructions see the YouTube video that describes installing the ESI Chunky grips the easy way. I used a recycled tall-ish yogurt container to hold a soapy/sudsy mix then added more liquid soap directly into the grips. Getting the grips started onto the bar is the hardest part and the soapy/sudsy mix you've applied on the bar itself may dry up during that interval. Simply add more once you get the grip started and it's all easy from there. The stuff dries up quickly and holds firm from then on (but you'll have a few minutes to adjust the final position before it does). I didn't actually use the Chunkys as standard bar end grips -- I ran them up front of the brakes and shifters onto the curved part of an alt bar (swept back Surly Open Bar but anything similar would also work) as a forward "aero" grip when encountering wind or just to give another place to rest my hands. Ergon Biokork GC1s were my pick for the main grip Ergon GC1 BioKork Grips, Regular . I had another single Extra Chunky that I had to cut off to change out the bars so I cut it in half and added it to both sides using electrcians tape to hold it in place.To extend that padding toward the stem, I then wrapped some inner tube on and then covered the whole works -- the tubing and grips -- with handlebar tape. Bingo! A very nice and comfy forward grip zone.

These fit and feel great. You just need to read the instructions and buy some rubbish alcohol to fit them.

Le meilleur pour moi.