Types of Hybrid Bike Grips | Buying Guide

Grips are an essential feature of any bikes. Same is the case for Hybrid Bike Grips. You can have an amazing handlebar, pedals, and other components, but if your grips are not up to the mark, you will get pretty disappointed by the comfort element.

This is the part where your hand rests for as long as your ride. So it only makes sense that it is of top quality.

If you own a hybrid bike, needless to say, you know you possess a bike that is the Jack of all trades. The last thing you want is t0 damage the comfort or performance of your amazing due to lack of a proper grip

Importance of Grips

Grips are THE “contact points” for your hands.

They play an essential role in giving better control and optimize comfort.

Grips are elemental in providing the right position that most racers want. They are essential for becoming aerodynamic so that the body can attain speed and efficiency.

Available in various sizes, colors, and shaped they are often meant for some specific use. Some may give you better control, others more comfort.

They are generally interchangeable; therefore, one grip can be used across many bikes.

Types of Hybrid Bike Grips

best hybrid bike grips

The hybrid bike grips; however, are not something out of the ordinary. In fact, this is one of the flexibilities that you have when you get any bike.

You can change the grips around to suit your needs. The question is, what kind of hybrid bike grips are out there?

The answer to this question depends on your needs.

Do you get a terrible hand sore while riding your hybrid bike? Have you noticed your hands go numb on a particularly long distance ride? Do you get the terrible hand cramps during the ride?

Of course, this can be very disappointing if you particularly opted for the hybrid bike because of the comfort it offers.

Most riders try using rubber grips for some temporary comfort during the ride and later complain that these rubber grips attain a bubblegum state of stickiness that lacks the grip.

People who have been cycling for quite some time understand that the grips on the bike make a great difference to the cyclist’s comfort during rides as they serve as the contact points.

Depending on the Bike, the Grips Would Defer

Depending on the type of bike that you get, the grip would also differ.

For example, if you get a BMX bike you would find rubber grips to be common.

Likewise, if you choose a cruiser bike, you would benefit from from the comfortable rubber, gel, or even leather grips.

For a hybrid bike, you can choose almost any grip out there that suits your needs.

With this in mind let us have a look at some of the types of grips for hybrid bikes.

Generally, the difference between a grip lies in the material of its construction.

Let’s look at the different types of grips that you can install on your hybrid bikes for improved comfort, durability, and control.

Grips Based on Different Materials

1. Rubber Grips

hybrid bike grips

Buy From Amazon

Comfort Lock-on Bike Handlebar Grip

rubber grips

Buy From Amazon

OUTERDO New Handlebar Grips

grip

Buy From Amazon

Pure Fix Rubber Handlebar Grip

They offer a light and a good grip for your hybrid bikes in all sorts of weather conditions.

The best part about installing such grips is that they prove to be excellent absorbers of any vibrations due to the bumps on the road.

This gives the cyclist a good grip on their bike no matter how rough the terrain goes.

They are quite easy to clean and are UV resistant so that they do not harden or lose color due to over exposure.

The only drawback that comes with rubber grips is that they are very easy to tear, but this can be easily countered by using bar ends.

2. Foam Grips

foam grip

Buy From Amazon

Sportouring Handlebar Grip Puppies Foam Grips

foam grip

Buy From Amazon

Sunlite MX II Foam Grips w/ Inner Sleeve

best foam grip

Buy From Amazon

Onedayshop FX-333

Foam grips loyally provided many bikers a very comfortable ride till silicon grips took over. That doesn’t mean they are not used today.

They are made out of durable foam which makes it light. Because of the material they prove to make a more comfortable ride than the rubber grips.

But again due to the property of the material, they are more easily damaged and torn and often lose their spring due to excessive sun exposure.

Rock solid foam grips often do not offer the very comfortable ride for the riders.

3. Leather Grips

Buy From Amazon

KINGOU Ergonomic Design Leather Handlebar

leather grips

Buy From Amazon

Brooks Leather Ring Grips

leather grips

Buy From Amazon

Velo Vinyl Leather Grips

One of the best looking grips that you can get for your hybrid bikes are the leather grips.

If you like to roll in style and want to make a statement about your style, then you will surely be interested in leather grips.

Although they are good looking, they are more expensive and less comfortable than other grip types.

4. Gel Grips

gel grip

Buy From Amazon

Schwinn Tri-Layer Gel Comfort Grip

best gel grip

Buy From Amazon

Sunlite Gel MTB Grips

gel grips

Buy From Amazon

Tour de France Ergo Gel Grips

Gel grips are also very common. They are usually found on modern bikes and are known to offer the most comfort of all the grips.

A gel solution is used with a rubber cover. Since this is quite inexpensive, many people prefer opting for them.

In terms of durability, they are more durable than rubber grips.

Primarily Material Defines the Grip

The material used is the primary differentiating factor between two grips.

The handlebar grips are manufactured from many different materials; most common are common rubber, gel, plastic, leather, cork, and alloy.

Rubber and gel are among the most inexpensive materials utilized for handlebar grips and can be used to make grips of a variety of colors.

Gel grips, because of the smooth tendency of the material, are a popular choice for certain grips because of the comfort they offer.

The great part about handlebar grips is that they are affordable and are very easy to install.

However, there are specialized grips that serve a special purpose as well. They are as follows:

Grips Based on Speciality

1. Ergonomic Grips

ergonomic grip

Buy From Amazon

Lefon New Arrive Protective Pair Bike Handlebar Grips

best hybrid bike grips

Buy From Amazon

Weanas 2X New Generation Gel Inserts Shock Resistance

bike grip

Buy From Amazon

Vit Bike Grip Comfortable Wide Contour Bike Handlebar Grip

They are very easily identifiable because of their rounded or “winged” appearance.

These ergonomic grips are rounded to support your wrists on a particularly long commute around town.

They help prevent arm ache and helps you maintain a proper posture while riding.

These winged grips stick out to prevent continued enervation of your arms and to keep your wrists in an ergonomic position that is best for long rides.

A comfortable position of the hands inevitably improves the bikes performance.

They are available in kind of materials.

2. Lock-on Grips

lock on grips

Buy From Amazon

OUTERDO Double Lock on Locking Aluminum Grips

lock on grip

Buy From Amazon

RelaxtimeDouble Lock on Bike Bicycle Handlebar Grip

Some cyclists prefer the lock-on grips for their mountain bikes and BMX bikes.

But it varies from user to user because there are a lot of hybrid bikers out there that use lock-on grips.

Lock on grips come with great ease: they have aluminum or alloy tube placed in their center that is attached to the handlebars without any further installation or use of adhesives.

When they are successfully tightened these lock-on handlebars grips assures the cyclists a stable and secure grip that is unbeatable.

3. Contoured Grip

Buy From Amazon

Pro Bike Grips

bike grip

Buy From Amazon

Kingshida Rubber Grips with Anti-slip Contoured Design

The contoured grips possess a contoured design that is manufactured to precisely fit the shape of the cyclist’s hand/fingers.

Because of this features, contoured grips automatically diminish the chances of the cyclists’ hands from slipping off the grip.

They provide a natural feel and give more control to the cyclist while riding the bike.

A Note on Hybrid Bikes

The Greatest Selling Point of Hybrid Bikes

If you don’t know this already or if you are new to the idea of hybrid bikes, then you should know this:

The greatest selling point for hybrid bikes worldwide has been its general purpose and diverse use.

It can cater to all sorts of needs of various people and can be a constant companion on the paved and unpaved road.

Another selling point for this widely acclaimed breed of bicycles is the comfort that they offer to the cyclists.

Hybrid Bikes

How to Distinguish a Hybrid Bike?

Anyone who cycles and possesses even some very amateur knowledge about bicycles can easily single out a hybrid bike from other types of bike.

It is important to know that when we talk about grips, they are different from handlebars.

The handlebars on hybrid bikes are unique, they are flat and straight and have the upright seating position that is very similar to that of a mountain bike.

Other distinguishable feature includes the tires and the wheels. But the role that the grips and handlebars play in making hybrid truly hybrid is unavoidable.

This feature stands out the most. The grips are specifically designed to help the cyclist attain comfort and maintain speed throughout the ride.

For a bike that is geometrically designed to keep an ergonomic body posture for the rider to avoid strain and easy enervation; placing the right grips on this bike is crucial.

Bar Ends for Grips – What are The Benefits?

bike bar end

Buy From Amazon

Profile Design Boxer Bar End

bar ends

Buy From Amazon

Lixada Carbon Fiber MTB Handlebar Bar

bar ends

Buy From Amazon

XLC BarEnds BE-01 SB-Plus

Why might you need a pair of bar ends?

Installing bar ends on your grips have been known to improve your cycling experience a lot.

They happen to make an extra position for the cyclist’s hands to rest on. It urges the use of different muscles, allowing the tired hand nerves a little relaxation.

This seemingly little contribution works a great deal for most cyclists who say that this boosts their performance on the road a lot.

Another reason why you might consider using bar ends over the grips of your hybrid is they provide protection to silicone or foam grips from the damage and hardiness due to exposure to the sun.

Perhaps the primary function of bar ends provides a combination of hand positions to help the cyclist alleviate pressure.

Bar ends also help the cyclists in moving about and tilting their hands diagonally, depending on the shape of the bar ends. They can enhance the performance by turning the hands nearly 90 degrees to helping with the possibility of hand numb extremities.

Among the most common and popular features are lock-on mechanisms, comfort padding, and contoured grips.

Leave a Comment