gkamieneski

Anyone have any ideas/experience for installing grips on a Scott AT-3, bullhorn bar? As the grips will need to travel around an 180 degree turn during installation and be open ended at both ends, I wonder if there are any recommendations.

Andrew R Stewart 

Back in that day a thin "plastic" grip/tube were often slid over these bars. Origin8 has a couple of versions (ask your LBS to check out JBI, a supplier). There are likely other versions including the decades old long length foam sleeves that beach cruisers have popularized too. Then there's always road bike bar tape... Andy

gkamieneski

Thanks, Andrew, but I was thinking more of standard mountain bike flat bar grips. I have used some Scott grips on another AT-3 bar before. I guess I was looking for some regular old mountain bike grips that have a better chance of making the curve without too much difficulty.

Maybe there are some tips for getting the grips around the curves.

veganbikes

I might try some ESI grips and some patience and alcohol and compressed air gun. I put some on the "horns" of my Koga Denham bar and they are working great. A little bit of faff to install but not so bad they did have a curve a touch and the bar is wider than standard 22.2 mountain bike but will probably be easier on your bar which has more curve but less width.

Leisesturm

Tape them, like God intended.

nomadmax 

That right there ^. I used old inner tubes.

gkamieneski

Yes, taping the extension parts of the bars makes sense, however on the flats under the brake levers there were always mountain bike grips and that's what is needed to ride the flat bars like the mountain bike it is. I'm just looking for best mountain bike grips the negotiate the curve of the bars.

Leisesturm

there aren't any. Those bars are cut down drop handlebars and they're meant to be taped along their whole length. If you want to do something different you need to fabricate grips that don't need to approach the flat section through the curve. Tennis racquet grip?

gkamieneski

Wrong. These Scott AT-3 bars were sourced on two(2) Schwinn Sierra MTBs. They came with foam grips on the flats were you would expect mountain bike grips to be. Subsequently, on on of the bikes, years ago I replaced the foam grips with some genuine Scott firm rubber mountain bike grips. Now I am looking to do the same for the other bicycle and will be looking for comfortable grips that are open on both ends that I will be able to work on and around the curves to the position where they'll be replacing the OEM foam grips.

If I was able to do this before (recall having to use hairspray), I'm sure I will be able to do this again with the other bicycle. I'm just looking to narrow down my search, looking for comfortable, tactile grips that are also malleable.

Leisesturm

You said you had 'bullhorn' bars. I shouldn't have to second guess that. My answer was correct for 'bullhorn' handlebars. You've got these. So ... buy some grips. Any grips. As long as they aren't 'Lock-on' types which have a hard plastic inner sleeve that will NOT follow the curve of the bent section, ANY grips will work. Emphasis on any because you don't have a whole lot of choice right now. I was looking for some grips for my wifes bike and everything was out of stock. I ended up having to spend way more money than planned and bought some nice grips from Portland Design Works. But they are lock-on, the only kind I go near. I usually don't spend more than $10.00 for a pair of grips and anything you find will do just fine. You don't need recommendations because the days of OEM branded grips are over. It's all crap from China now and it's all perfectly fine.

gkamieneski

Thanks. I said Scott AT-3 bars, bullhorn on a MTB That's because some people call the AT-3 a bullhorn and I realize the difference. Thanks for your input. When I visited one LBS there were a whole wall of MTB grips so that's why I was trying to narrow my choice. Yes, they have to be totally "bendable" without a hard inner sleeve and holes on both ends.

RGMN

I use WTB grips on my Scott AT-2 bars. You will need to cut the end cap off (there is a groove in them to show where to cut) but they slide on easily thorough the bends with a little hairspray.

cyccommute 

Here’s how I did it. These aren’t Scott (they are Brahma) but same concept. The grips are ESI Chunky and the end of the bar is covered in Lizard Skin bar end grips.

The ESI grips are a bear to get on but they are comfy. Use lots and lots and lots of White Rain hairspray.

The Lizard Skins go on fairly easily. They aren’t super cushy but they do give a bit of texture to hang onto.

klasse

Wrap them in cork tape like you would a road handlebar. Works really well, I had these bars.

cjenrick

OT: does anybody know what kind of grips they used on the 84 stumpjumper with the bullmoose handlebars? they were these nice cushy foam things with a little rise up on the insides.

Leisesturm

Not sure, but there was a brand of grip popular at the time called "Grab On". Fits the description you gave. I don't think they are around anymore which has been kind of like a theme in this thread ...

cjenrick

Grab On sounds familiar, thanks for that!

They might also be Tomaselli foam grips, these from an 83 Stumpjumper.

I had some Bullmoose alloy bars on my bike, they were recalled for cracked welds, mine were cracking but i had a guy re-weld them, fantastic bars and almost non-existant on evilbay. The brake cable stop built into the bars was cool.

Tomaselli Stumpjumper grips, only problem was they would saturate during a rain storm>




oh wow, Grab Ons!

https://grabongrips.com/bicycle-grips

cyccommute 

I don’t think they were necessarily “Grab ONs”. It’s hard to tell from ad copy from the time, although Grab Ons would have been available at that time (they have been in business since1973). Grab Ons are certainly still available. I think ESIs and Wolftooth are a bit better…and I’ve used and liked Grab Ons or decades.

gkamieneski

A bit of time has passed, but I found some Blackburn Ergonomic grips with both ends open that should work. Thanks to RGMN and Cyccomute for their explanations. If they can negotiate the AT2 or similar bar, I should be able to get them all away around the 180 degree bends of the AT3. Just have to remember how I did it with hairspray on the other bike with the AT3 bars.