Installation
The grips are left and right specific, and have a default orientation marked on the inner side of the grip, although it can be tweaked as desired for personal requirements. I left them in their default position, since I found it fit my hands the best. They slid onto the handlebars with a snug fit, and a simple tap with the palm of my hand settled them into place. I let the clamp sit out slightly from the bar end to help protect them from damage, and I tightened them down using a 3mm hex.

Impressions
The first thing you notice is how well they fit your hand. They are really comfortable and just have this proper tactile feel, becoming one with the hand. When you start riding you don’t have to grip the bars as tight, and you can use a bit looser grip on the handlebar, which saves a good deal of energy when you’re not battling to hold on. On longer rides this loose grip gives considerably less numbness in the hands, along with decreased hand, arm and upper body fatigue. They have an excellent grippiness, and no matter what the conditions were like, neither rain, snow, mud nor desert heat, kept them from being tacky and grippy. They are not the softest grips on the market, and they don’t have any fancy nor weird tread pattern, but they more than made up for it. Where they shine is the way your hand wraps around the grip, and is held in a proper ergonomic manner, and it just feels right, pleasant and comforting. I found that the shape allowed me to lever off them in a more profound manner since my hand was held properly, sort of like having a mini pry bar, and it was highly useful in technical terrain, on steep climbs and rock gardens. The end of the lock-on clamp has a tear drop shape, and I found that it helped to keep my hand on the grips, and in addition I could use it as a tiny lever arm to make minute changes on the bars. The grips have been very durable with everything I have tossed at them, and the only wear area has been the textured area on the upper outside edge, and the lettering on the clamp. The aluminum clamp has been very beneficial in saving the carbon bars from my regular crashes, fall overs and tree encounters, and they never loosened up on me during my test period.

Bottom Line
The Ergon GA1 is just about a perfect grip, and they provide a highly beneficial synergistic design for All Mountain riders. Their ergonomic design gives less fatigue to the hands and upper body, allowing for longer rides, less cramping and numbness, greater strength and comfort, and performance. The rubber compound provides excellent grip in any conditions, but still provides excellent durability, although they can sometimes feel a bit firm. One of my x-country racer friends swears by these grips, which really says a lot, since these are designed around All Mountain and Freeride type of riding. The tactile feel and proper hand placement allow an immense amount of power to be applied to the front end of the bike when desired, making for excellent climbing, steering and maneuvering.

Strengths

• Durability
• Excellent Grip
• Ergonomically correct
• Decreased hand and upper body fatigue
• Increased atheltic performance

Weaknesses

• Heavy
• Not the softest padding

Overall Rating: 4.5 Flamin’ Chili Peppers