Review: The Sensus Black Grips

slip-ons by the sensus.
notice the cut guide line

Designed by Cameron Zink, he obviously knows what he wants in a pair of grips.

Simple, soft and tacky grips with flange. The pair looks long perhaps because there are no lockrings on either ends. Quite slim, too, and my fingers wrap around them nicely.

Installation is quite a job, and definitely not as easy as lock-ons. The inner diameter is designed to be smaller than the diameter of handlebar ends so that it would grip securely once installed. It has to be so because these are a pair of slip-ons. Don't worry, as the installation tips are included on the reverse of the packaging cardboard. Pretty good tip, I've never thought of using zipties to install slip-ons before this. Also, the rubber compound itself is tacky, adding to the grip.

Not much twisting after a couple of months' rides on my RTW Machine. Of course, there is some, and this could be remedied by employing zipties as a DIY lock-on at both ends.


ribbed for the sensation

These are a pair with flanges, with cut lines as a guide in case you'd want them off for clearing the thumbs to shift the gears. The wavy rib patterns are like old skool BMX grips, which I like very much. My thumbs are on a high rubbing on them while riding (!). Well, the real intention for that, I presume, is the grip (what else?) that it provides and, a bit of a squingy feel without being thick overall.

I used them on road, so far, with and without gloves, full and half fingers. I like them best with half finger gloves - for my thumbs, of course.

I removed them to install on my XC rig. Because of the tacky compound, it's quite hard to get them all. Impossible to slide out, but rolling them over (like condom), did the trick. Not to roll it completely though, for it would be impossible then to return it to the normal state. Just up until near the bar end, say 10 mm or so, and then slide them off.

Zink's 360 right after the Icon Sender

Check out the vid of Zink's winning run at Red Bull Rampage 2010.
He's got a pair of these assisting his grip on his 'bar (okay, that's a bit cheesy).

slip-ons installation - on the back of the cardboard

Also, a vid from pinkbike.com for grips installation.