joejeweler

I haven't seen this info posted before, but the thought came to me a few weeks ago while i was struggling to get a pair of rubber grips off a Mongoose i wanted to change a shifter and break lever set on. (i wanted to save the grips for re-use)

Having done the job using water with a bit of dish soap, or alcohol, the problem with"removing" a grip set (and wishing to re-use them) seems to be getting the stuff inside the grip where it needs to go to lube it a bit.

So.....the thought came to me to try a few zip ties to work in the area between the handlebar and inside rubber part of the grip. My first attempt was with a too thin and light zip tie, and it bent too easily before i could work it in.

However, my 2nd attempt was using a heavier 3-M version of zip ties. I found 3 or 4 did the job nicely, and the grips (had been on for years!) slid right off quite easily with NO lube required. No fuss, and they went back ON just as easily, again without any use of a lubricating liquid! (so no drying time needed:-)

I did find it best to use the following tips to work the heavier zip ties in.

(1): Use a pair of pliers to feed the zip tie. I used a 1/2" wide pair of flat end pliers to gain leverage on the end of the zip tie, and pressed in just about 1/2" at a time. This kept the zip ties from bending, and it fed quite readily up the length of the grip. Use 3 or 4 ties, and spread them around a bit to release more of the grip against the bar. I pushed the pliers with my right hand, and guided/controlled the pliers from contacting the alloy handlebar with my left hand.

(2): Make sure the smooth edge of the zip tie faces against the rubber. This puts the ridges of the tie against the handlebar, where they will not add any friction that facing the ridges against the rubber would.

(3) When using zip ties to re-install rubber grips, be sure to place the smooth side of the ties facing the rubber to ease removal once the grip has been slid on. I placed 3 ties within the entire grip length, and they allowed the grips to slide on with a bit of twisting motion. I used pliers to pull the ties out once the grips were placed on the handlebar, as they can be tight to pull out with just fingers.

Basically, the nylon like material of the zip-ties pushes just enough of the tacky rubber away from gripping the handlebar to allow the rubber grips to slide off or on without straining or damage to the grips if you want to reuse them. No more cursing at the grips needed either! :-)

Picture to follow:

joejeweler

Here's a picture to show the zip ties in place, and just a light twisting and pull motion was requred to slide these suckers off for reuse later. (and i couldn't get them to budge even 1mm before the zip-tie use!)

cny-bikeman

I've always used a spoke, threaded end flattened with a hammer, head bent sideways until it forms a loop. Much stiffer than ties, can be put right in - then just shoot whatever you use underneath. A long, narrow-blade flat screwdriver accomplishes the same thing. I always used a household multisurface cleaner like Fantastic or 409 - leaves no soapy residue. In most cases once you get some underneath one can twist and squeeze the grip to distribute the liquid and remove the grip.

joejeweler

The only problem with both of the things you mention is that scratches to the handlebar are going to occur, which cannot happen with the zip ties. Also, the use of 3 or 4 zip ties more evenly releases the grip of the rubber than a single screwdriver ever could. Using 3 or 4 screwdrivers to more evenly release the rubber gripping surface could very easily tear or stretch out the grips, if you plan on reusing them, since a screwdriver is much thicker. Flattened spokes are still steel against alloy, and the alloy always loses!

So no, i would NOT say it is quite the same thing. I don't wish to scratch up a alloy handlbar by use of any steel "probe" :-(

And as i mentioned, using multiple zip ties required NO application of any liquid, so you can ride right away with no drying time needed, and your newly applied grips won't twist.

adclark

There is a simpler solution than all of these: Lock On Grips

Then all you have to do is loosen the bolts and they slide right on and off. Plus, they don't accidentally rotate when you are twisting on the bars. These are some helpful tips for when you need to remove these types of grips though.

cny-bikeman

By definition the portion of the bar that might be scratched is covered by the grips, and I never had a problem with scratching, as I just kept the tool flat against the bars. I have never needed multiple spokes or screwdrivers. It's not the tool in this case that releases the grip of the rubber, but rather the liquid as it spreads underneath. The worst cases I had (and I was a mechanic for 20 years) might have required me to put liquid in 2 different places, but I just pulled the spoke out of the first area and put it in 180 degrees away, spraying the liquid in the gap each time. As for tearing or stretching the grips, perhaps that could happen, but it never did.

To each his own - I did not criticize your method, just offered an alternative. I did forget to mention that we usually used cheap hair spray (alcohol for the sliding, stickiness to hold them on) to reinstall grips - slips right on, no drying time required.

joejeweler

I use lock on Ergon GP1 small grips on 8 of my bikes already. But on this Mongoose i built up for winter use, i wanted to make use of the slide on grips to avoid shelling out another hunk-o-change for another set. This is a knock around aluminum frame bike, and i had already put on some nice parts i had laying around. (Shimano Deore FC-M730 tripple crankset, Thomson Elite 50mm stem, Shimano Deore XT SL-M730 thumb shifter set and same group brake levers, derailleurs and Bottom Bracket, and a nice backup Shimano FH-M730 hubbed wheelset with Araya RM-20 rims)

So i already pretty much upgraded most of componants to a solid and functional platform i am well familiar with using backup parts i already had. The original grips were one thing i could actually "live" with! :-)

joejeweler

I understood you were offering an alternative, and perhaps the grips would cover the area if scratched anyway. But on most builds i use a really nice Sunlite 3" riser alloy MTB style handlebar that i still find hard to believe sells for around $20! It's sturdy and well finished, and i tend to baby my bikes and wish to keep them in as nice as condition as possible. Just "knowing" i might have imparted some digs onto a new bar would bother me,...even if covered later :-)

BTW,....if anyone else has never used these bars before, i can highly recommend them. About the best value out there! I get mine from Niagara Cycle Works, usually a few at a time to combine shipping. Currently selling for $19.49 plus shipping. I believe they're made by "Sunlite" in Taiwan.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1