Solution for old sticky, gummy handlebar grips?
 

I just bought an old 2009 Electra Townie 3i, and I love it. A little rust here and there but generally in good shape with new tires and chain. The handlebar grips are sticky and feel kind of gummy or something. Don't know if it's age or exposure to something or what. If I could just pop online and buy a replacement pair I would, but I haven't had much luck with that. The twister grip where you change gears is shorter than the other grip, and it's a little hard to find just the right thing to replace them.
Is handlebar tape a solution? That would mean a smaller circumference I guess, which might not feel optimal under my hands. Tape on top of the grips? If I bought a pair of regular equal length grips, could I cut one to size?
Any input or ideas are greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

What's wrong with grips made for twist shifters?

There's plenty of jargon involved here, and the Google God prefers that you know your magic words: "mtb grip shift grips"

Some 91% rubbing alcohol also cleans the grips of that residue. Just a caveat, some mtb grips are supposed to feel tacky, and cleaning them off crud buildup can make them tackier.

Selection of grip-shifter grips is tiny and lackluster. An alternative is to buy a set of normal grips with a design that allows you to cut them shorter to fit your bike.

Silicone grips like these work well for cutting down: https://www.jensonusa.com/Wolf-Tooth-Razer-Grips.

FWIW, I always cut my new grips to be longer than stock. The default size of grip-shifter grips is too short for my tastes.

Jenson USA has some Ergon-branded grip-shift grips in stock if you just want to buy something off the shelf. I run Ergon GA2 grip-shift grips on my commuter bikes. Here's a link to what Jenson has on offer: https://www.jensonusa.com/search?q=twist+shift+grips

Somebody posted a similar question on a bike website and the quick and easy answer to eliminate the sticky mess was to take an old tube of the proper diameter and cut a section out of it the same length as the grip. Stretch it over the grip and your problem is gone until you can find the right size replacement. They even said it doesn't look bad.

If the shifter part of the grip is also tacky, it is probably toast. In that case, I would replace the grip shifter with a trigger shifter (with the same actuation ratio) which would make most any grips suitable.

I don't think I'm ready to replace with a trigger shifter. The present shifter seems to work fine, and that is not some thing I feel able to do myself. But thanks for the input.

I just buy grips for grip shift bicycles on eBay or Amazon. A 3-speed obviously needs a mismatched pair due to only one grip shifter.

Some examples:

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I was screaming this from the start, until i reached your post.

What that bike wants is a nice pair of ergo grips, and a trigger shifter with display window. I'd be inclined to replace the cables on a used bike anyway, no knowing their history.

What about sticky bar tape on a road bike? Any solution for getting rid of that stickiness?

Replace the tape?

Orange Clean works so great at removing sticky.

https://ergonbike.myshopify.com/products/gp2

treat yourself, order the grip shifts

Tip-----------dont get sun screen on the grips, it attacks the rubber and make it sticky.

You can also get Electra branded grips from Trek

I've been tempted to try that flex seal spray. Anyone use this?