Lock-on or slide-on
Lock-on grips clamp to the bar with a small collar and a bolt. They do not move, they do not twist in the wet, and they come off in seconds when you need to change a shifter. The clamp adds a little weight and a slightly harder feel under the palm. For mountain biking, they are the sensible default.
Slide-on grips have no clamp, so the rubber sits directly on the bar and feels softer and more damped. They need to be fitted properly — cleaned, and glued or wired — or they will rotate on you at the worst moment.
Foam grips are the lightest and most comfortable of all, and the least durable. Popular on cross-country race bikes where the weight and comfort matter more than how they look after a season.
Thickness, and hand size
Grip diameter matters more than people expect. Too thin and you grip harder than you need to, which fatigues your forearms. Too thick and you cannot get a secure hold at all, particularly with smaller hands.
If your hands ache after a long descent, grip diameter is worth changing before anything else.
XC or AM compound
Cross-country grips are firmer and thinner, for efficiency and feel on smoother ground. All-mountain grips are softer and thicker, to damp vibration on rough descents.
Neither is wrong, and the choice follows the riding rather than the bike. Tokai fire roads and Silvermine singletrack ask for different things.
They wear out
Grips are a wear item and most riders leave them far too long. When the pattern has gone smooth or the rubber has hardened, grip in the wet drops sharply. They are inexpensive to replace and a genuinely noticeable improvement.
For drop bars, see bar tape. If numbness is the problem rather than grip, gloves attack it from the other side — or come and talk it through at the bike shop in Hout Bay on Main Road.
