taz777

I'm looking for recommendations for comfortable MTB grips that are good for smaller hands. Comfort and good grip in wet conditions would be a priority.

I was about to go for ODI Rogue grips which have very good reviews but some comments suggest that they have a larger diameter so are not suitable for smaller hands.

dabac

Tricky.
Most grips are basically cylindrical, so comfort is mainly down to tread and softness. As long as the inner diameter remains fixed, there’s a limit to how thin you can make the grip and still retain some cushioning.

There’s one manufacturer who does a WSD collection of parts incl thinner bars. Don’t remember which unfortunately.

Ryder1

ESI Racer's Edge are thin and super comfy. Good in the wet? Probably not. They'll probably get squishy and might tear. I'm in the (dry) desert, but too much sweat on them annoys me.

ODI Ruffian - many like these. Very secure lock-on. But lock-on + thin means not so comfy (like dabac said, no room left for cushioning). Any thin lock-on will probably not be too comfy. Lock-on Rogues are comfy, but they're definitely fat. Too fat for me.

Look for a 28-30mm diameter grip with good reviews. 32 is about "normal" and 34 is for big hands. Diameter isn't always listed (which is maddening).

taz777

Okay, thanks. I spent a bit of time this afternoon looking into this and I think I've found a good set of grips. They're the Ergon GA2 grips:

Ergon GA2 Grips | Chain Reaction Cycles

The price is reasonable and they get good reviews. I'll check out the ones you mentioned too.

Ryder1

Good stuff. I used the similar GE1 for awhile and liked them. Probably not as comfy as the GA2, but they do come in a small hand size.


The cool thing about the Ergon grips is instead of losing some bar width as you would with standard lock-ons, you actually *gain* a bit of width the Ergons.

Pendergast

A few fairly small grips:

Lizard Skins Peaty
Lizard Skins Bearclaw
Lizard Skins Danny MacAskill
ODI Ruffian
ESI Racer's Edge (I have ESI grips on a couple of my bikes and agree they aren't good when wet unless I'm wearing gloves)

Don't know how comfortable any of those are. (My ESI's are the Chunky grips)

bikeme

Red Monkey's Karv 5mm are what my wife and daughter use. I use the 6.5mm ones. Similar to ESI as they are a silicone grip, they have better wet grip (water or sweat if riding bare handed). They are also dual-density, a firmer inner to grab the bar and give stability and a softer outer density for comfort. Karv - 5mm Silicone

Kapusta

I have small hands and prefer thinner grips. ODI Ruffian has been my go-to for years for mountain biking. They are thinner than the Rogues.

They are also very firm grips. That is what I prefer for MTB, but it really comes down to preference whether you like firm of softer.

Leebo

Try some bar tape for road bikes. Can get thin stuff and pull it tight.