TMR Designs Premium Imprint Grips 2016
Reviews / Grips
216
At A Glance
Hailing from the darkest corner of the North of England, TMR have come up with one of those 'why didn't I think of that?' ideas and produced the first mouldable mountain bike grips. Just submerge the grips in boiling water for two minutes, quench in cold water, then squeeze into your preferred shape (hand-shaped advised), before cooling them down to set. The waffle pattern is achieved with a mesh which is put in place during the moulding process before being removed to reveal your finished grip. The premium versions include a one piece aluminium grip sleeve and a single lock ring with titanium bolt. Overall length is 132mm and they weigh in at 135g.
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On The Trail
It took me a couple of goes to get the moulding process right, but the beauty of the system is that they can be re-formed as many times as you like to get the perfect fit. I found I needed to have them mounted on the bars to get the best shape, but once achieved they felt great. These grips don't have much give or padding as the material is quite firm, but this is counteracted by shape-fitting your hand and distributing the load evenly. Being a fan of more narrow diameter grips I found them to be slightly on the chunky side, but of course that's entirely personal preference, and this is compensated with a glove-like fit.
The idea behind the custom shape is that complete hand contact with the grip should give even pressure, thereby reducing arm pump and giving better control. They've been given a decent amount of testing over various length rides and the custom fit is certainly comfortable and gives a good feeling of being well-connected to the bike. Durability has been as good as any other grips I have used, and they are still going strong after a few months of pretty heavy use.
Overall
A great innovation providing a real custom fit for your hands with easy-to-follow instructions and install process. The slightly large diameter might not suit all riders, but as mentioned, the glove-like fit and even pressure connection with the bike more than make up for that.
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By Ewen Turner
Ewen Turner is a self-confessed bike geek from Kendal in the Lake District of England. He runs a coaching and guiding business up there and has a plethora of knowledge about bikes with an analytical approach to testing. His passion for bicycles is infectious, and he’s a ripper on the trails who prefers to fit his working life around his time on the bike.
