Since I've made my way into the world of track, there has been one seemingly endless source of frustration... getting those dang grips on "easily." Some people will always prefer just good old fashioned bar tape, but personally, I like the grip from Soyo's. (with gloves on... might be a little tough to handle if you ride gloveless) Well, the first time I *attempted* to install some, I absolutely ripped my hands to shreds. So bad in fact that I had to stop and wait a couple of days to finish while the skin healed back. That was after spending an hour or two online looking for the "easy" way to install them. Sure, a google search will find you a couple of threads and some YouTube video's, but nothing really helpful for installing the super tight NJS style grips. (Soyo, Yoshida Champs, StrongV, etc) so, using what little I picked up online, and a lot of trial/error, I've gotten really good at installing them, and I thought it'd be fun to put a resource out there that was a little more in depth. So lets get to it.
- Lubricant/glue -
The first thing to decide is what kind of lubricant you want to use. First, let's be clear, you want something that won't continue being slick after it dries. (When you're twisting from a start or in a sprint, you don't want the grips moving) That means oil/wd40/grease/etc isn't what you're looking for. From the things I've tried, it really comes down to 3 choices.
- Rubber Cement
- Hair Spray
- Windex (soapy water would be fine too)
All of them have positives and negatives, so I'll let you decide as to which one to use. I've tried all 3, and have my own thoughts on each.
Rubber cement is the "traditional" way if such a thing exists. The Keirin stars in Japan (or their mechanics) do this using rim cement (I used Elmer's rubber cement... but whatever) and once that sets, those grips aren't moving. EVER again. The good thing about that is you don't have to worry about anything slipping on you when you are really torquing on the bars. The downside is that you've basically bonded your grips to your bars, and getting them off is a matter of literally cutting them off. Once you've got them off there is also the matter of cleaning the dried glue off before you can move forward. That's not a huge deal on metal bars as any number of solvents will help you along, but on carbon it's a little more dodgy. There's also the fact that you will inevitably (or at least I did) make a hell of a mess installing them in the first place. Fortunately, it's a lot easier to clean up while everything is still wet, but still... it's not a lot of fun. I used this on my Nitto bars, but honestly... I think it's overkill.
Hair spray is the next step down in terms of hold vs. mess. This is what I consider the go-to method. You'll get a lot of hold, some lubrication while installing, and not a lot of mess either installing or after removing. This is what I've used on most of my carbon bars since it's a lot less difficult to clean the residue off if I ever want to replace the grips. I use good old aqua net (also what I use for my 3d printer build plate) because it's cheap, unscented and readily available. Some of the "spritzer" bottles might work a little better as they stay "wet" longer than the aerosol spray does, but I haven't had much problem. The main downside is the over spray, and that it's pretty fast drying so once you commit, you need to get the grip on asap. It's almost certainly not the same strength hold as glue is, but unless you're really putting a ton of torque into your drops, I can't imagine them budging. I've tried multiple times (using both hands) to move mine, and I can't do it. Although I'm not a pillar or upper body strength to compare to.
Windex is the go to for when you're having issues getting the #$@*& things on. (Soapy water is a fine substitute as well) Windex is really nice for installation because you can be LIBERAL with the application and not worry about it. It's quick drying, which is another nice bonus to using it. The downside is that you don't get any extra "stick" when it dries, so just the tightness of the grips is all that keeps it from moving. I can move the "centering line" of my Soyo's ever so slightly when I use this method under normal conditions, and I can twist it a bit if I really try. Not enough that it would be noticeable mid-sprint/start, but enough that you can see it afterwards. If you're a big stickler for things being perfect (I sort of am) then it might drive you crazy... but functionally it should be fine for the already super tight grips.
Other Options There are a bunch of folks (well, some anyways) that use other methods. One that's pretty popular is using an air compressor with a needle nose (search google/YouTube for installing a golf grip with an air compressor to get an idea how it's done.) to "slide" it on while consistently blowing air under it. I've tried it a couple of times, and I don't find it to be a great installation method. That said, it is great for removing the grips, and it can help you straighten things up if you got it twisted around somehow. Overall, I think it's meh, but to each their own. Another option some suggest is boiling the grips to make them more pliable. You could also heat them up with a hair dryer / heat gun (I'd be very careful with a heat gun that you don't burn them) I've actually heated the ends before to make them easier to slide over the tip of the bar when starting out... I don't know that'd I'd go so far as to boil them though.
Alright, so you've picked your poison. For the installation part I'm using the Windex method, mainly because I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep the short grips on or swap them for longer ones. I'm also putting these on Sphinx bars, which are so noodly that I'm likely not going to be using them for lots of sprinting/hard starts... so no need to glue them on.
Here's the steps I use to get them on "easy"
Secure the bars
This is probably the thing that made the biggest difference for me. Take the stem/bars off of the bike (or mount the stem to the bars if you haven't installed them yet) and remove the fork or use a spare fork/metal rod to attach the stem to. Then secure the fork/rod in a vice or your bike stand (so long as it's sturdy) with the end of the bar facing you. You're going to be tugging/twisting/pushing on this thing in anger pretty soon, so it needs to be well braced.
Lube it up
I start by spraying down the inside of the grip and the very end of the bar. I just want to get the grip slid over the lip of the barend to start with (and if you go crazy with the Windex at this point everything will be too slick to get a good grip on.
As you can see, the grip has to stretch a pretty significant amount to fit over the bars. Again, if windex is proving to be a little tricky getting the grip over the end, you can gently heat it up and you shouldn't have any problem clearing it. Now that you've got it started, it's time to get a bit more liberal with the Windex. I coat the rest of the bar, and spray a little more into the end of the grip for good measure at this point.
Test your grip strength
At this point it's all about how tough your hands are and your technique. Personally, I've got delicate hand model'ish hands, so it's here that I pull out my trusty leather work gloves (whose real purpose is relieving stress in spokes on wheels I build, and occasional yard work... very occasional) and spare myself the blisters that I'm sure to incur without them. If you're more of the "manly" type, then by all means forgo the gloves.
The best method I've found is to take your other hand and brace the bars (pushing back against the bend in the drop) as you both push and slightly twist the grips up the bar. You don't want to go crazy with the twisting, as you want the grip to line up straight when it's all the way on, but twisting will help it climb up the bar. Once you get about halfway up, it'll become much more difficult. At this point it's best to go back down to the start of the bar and start pushing/twisting again. Once the grip moves up in that area, go back to the top of the grip and pull it further up. It's a little tough to describe, but you'll get more grip on the bar by working in these two steps.
When you get close to finished you need to check and make sure that the end of the grip is firmly against the end of the bar, it can be a little hard to tell. Once it's on, check and see if it's lined up correctly. (Most grips have a seam that runs straight up the grip... I always line that up dead center) You want to do this now, because after the Windex dries up it'll get much more difficult to make adjustments.
And that's how that is done. I'm still not 100% sure if I'll keep the short ones or get some long one's... I really only use the back of the drops on these bars (check out that super short stem on these Sphinx's to keep them legal) so I don't really need any more surface area, but then again it might look slightly better with the longer grips. If I do, maybe I'll update this with pictures using another style.
Well, thanks for reading, hopefully this saved somebody from some frustration and blisters!
- Christopher Morelock
Other Options There are a bunch of folks (well, some anyways) that use other methods. One that's pretty popular is using an air compressor with a needle nose (search google/YouTube for installing a golf grip with an air compressor to get an idea how it's done.) to "slide" it on while consistently blowing air under it. I've tried it a couple of times, and I don't find it to be a great installation method. That said, it is great for removing the grips, and it can help you straighten things up if you got it twisted around somehow. Overall, I think it's meh, but to each their own. Another option some suggest is boiling the grips to make them more pliable. You could also heat them up with a hair dryer / heat gun (I'd be very careful with a heat gun that you don't burn them) I've actually heated the ends before to make them easier to slide over the tip of the bar when starting out... I don't know that'd I'd go so far as to boil them though.
Alright, so you've picked your poison. For the installation part I'm using the Windex method, mainly because I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep the short grips on or swap them for longer ones. I'm also putting these on Sphinx bars, which are so noodly that I'm likely not going to be using them for lots of sprinting/hard starts... so no need to glue them on.
Here's the steps I use to get them on "easy"
Secure the bars
This is probably the thing that made the biggest difference for me. Take the stem/bars off of the bike (or mount the stem to the bars if you haven't installed them yet) and remove the fork or use a spare fork/metal rod to attach the stem to. Then secure the fork/rod in a vice or your bike stand (so long as it's sturdy) with the end of the bar facing you. You're going to be tugging/twisting/pushing on this thing in anger pretty soon, so it needs to be well braced.
Lube it up
I start by spraying down the inside of the grip and the very end of the bar. I just want to get the grip slid over the lip of the barend to start with (and if you go crazy with the Windex at this point everything will be too slick to get a good grip on.
 |
| Windex to the rescue |
As you can see, the grip has to stretch a pretty significant amount to fit over the bars. Again, if windex is proving to be a little tricky getting the grip over the end, you can gently heat it up and you shouldn't have any problem clearing it. Now that you've got it started, it's time to get a bit more liberal with the Windex. I coat the rest of the bar, and spray a little more into the end of the grip for good measure at this point.
Test your grip strength
At this point it's all about how tough your hands are and your technique. Personally, I've got delicate hand model'ish hands, so it's here that I pull out my trusty leather work gloves (whose real purpose is relieving stress in spokes on wheels I build, and occasional yard work... very occasional) and spare myself the blisters that I'm sure to incur without them. If you're more of the "manly" type, then by all means forgo the gloves.
The best method I've found is to take your other hand and brace the bars (pushing back against the bend in the drop) as you both push and slightly twist the grips up the bar. You don't want to go crazy with the twisting, as you want the grip to line up straight when it's all the way on, but twisting will help it climb up the bar. Once you get about halfway up, it'll become much more difficult. At this point it's best to go back down to the start of the bar and start pushing/twisting again. Once the grip moves up in that area, go back to the top of the grip and pull it further up. It's a little tough to describe, but you'll get more grip on the bar by working in these two steps.
 |
| Go back and make sure it's all the way on |
When you get close to finished you need to check and make sure that the end of the grip is firmly against the end of the bar, it can be a little hard to tell. Once it's on, check and see if it's lined up correctly. (Most grips have a seam that runs straight up the grip... I always line that up dead center) You want to do this now, because after the Windex dries up it'll get much more difficult to make adjustments.
And that's how that is done. I'm still not 100% sure if I'll keep the short ones or get some long one's... I really only use the back of the drops on these bars (check out that super short stem on these Sphinx's to keep them legal) so I don't really need any more surface area, but then again it might look slightly better with the longer grips. If I do, maybe I'll update this with pictures using another style.
Well, thanks for reading, hopefully this saved somebody from some frustration and blisters!
- Christopher Morelock
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