Review: ODI/Troy Lee Designs Lock On Grips
28 June 2012 | By billy1979Collaborations within the industry isn't anything new, but when Troy Lee Designs decided to team up with long time grip manufacturer ODI, producers of some of the most popular grips in MTB to produce a new grip, it was worth getting excited about.
There are plenty of options when it comes to buying a pair of grips and while they may not determine how your bike handles, finding the right grip can make a big difference to a days riding. Finding the the right grip is much down to personal choice and is worth experimenting with. With my old grips causing me problems on several wet and muddy uplift days, I was keen to get these new grips fitted.
The benefits of the partnership between ODI and Troy Lee Designs are quickly clear to see and feel. Between them they have created an all new innovative grip, that features the quality of ODI yet the style and design of Troy Lee Designs.
While fitting these grips can be a bit of mission to set up right, as you need to pay attention to the helpful left and right markers on the inside end of the grips due to unique unidirectional feature of these grips before you press the clamps on.
Taking the time to set up these grips correctly is very important to fully benefit the two main design features which make these grips so unique and effective. There's the custom shaped flange and the unidirectional grip surface.
So how do they perform? It was inevitable that my first outing would be a wet and muddy one with my new grips, but it is where these grips really excel. The unique undercut pads provide a comfortable feel with plenty of grip, but the grooved channels do an excellent job of preventing water and mud building up. Perfect for UK conditions! The grip itself does feel a little thicker than most grips I have tried before, but this is really down to personal preference and it is worth trying before you invest in these grips.
While the custom flanged feature is designed to help provide additional hand support, I don't feel I really felt these benefits and were prone to damage. After only a couple of months riding these were quickly looking a bit worse for wear.
Laser etched reference marks on the inside clamp is a nice touch and useful when trying to line up your grips. The outside clamp is finished off with a laser etched Troy Lee Designs logo which completes the pro look!
Troy Lee Designs and ODI have produced a great looking lock on grip that really performs no matter how bad the weather gets at a great price!
Colours: Black, Orange, Red, White and Yellow
RRP: £24.99
Available from: ison-distribution.com
For more information check out www.troyleedesigns.com
