Product Full Name | Renthal Traction Lock On handlebar grip

Retail Price | £21.95 – £24.95

Available From | Ison Distribution 

Renthal Traction grips – for ultimate traction in steep and wet conditions

Following on from the success of the phenomenal Ultra Tacky Lock On  grips, Renthal has been working with development riders and professional riders to come up with a grip that is designed specifically for extreme conditions.

When they say extreme, they mean steep terrain and foul conditions.

And they have come up with this brilliant grip.

Renthal Traction lock on grips. Note the ridges on the grip – they are direction specific.

The Details

Using the same lock on design as other Renthal grips, the Renthal Traction grips incorporate end caps and use stainless steel bolts. Unlike the popular ODI Lock On design, the collars are permenantly part of the grip – which means buying a whole new grip when they wear out. As opposed to just the centre section and re-using the collars.

The Renthal Traction Grips are right and left specific to ensure your hands get the optimum grip.

This new grip is left and right specific, and has forward facing finger ridges, and back ward facing palm ridges.

The idea of the ridges, is that your fingers have something to pull back against – when pulling on the bars. Your palms get traction from the rearward facing ridges – which means you can reduce hand pressure to avoid your hands rolling forwards on the grip.

Previously, the only grip we’ve used that has a similar concept is the Troy Lee Designs ODI Lock On grip – though the ridges only go one way. This was popular for 4X riders that wanted maximum pull grip for gate starts, and DH riders who would run them the opposite direction to help keep their hands on the bars. But the Renthal has the ridges going both directions for a specific purpose.

There is also a nice flat spot between the ridges, which is where your callouses sit nicely.

The material under the palm is increased for cushioning on the palm and heel of the hand, whilst the material under the fingers is thinner to offset thicker side.

The ridges on the Ultra Tacky Renthal Traction grip are very soft and comfortable – but offer an immense amount of grip. Seriously impressive.

One particularly cool thing about the grips, is the fact that feedback from professional riders indicated that one of the major issues in racing is falling off – and getting both gloves and grips covered in mud. If you’ve done this then you will know you are left with zero grip – and it effectively ruins your run.

The Renthal Traction grip has the ridges end to end, and they can be ‘squeegeed’ with thumb and fore finger to get the worst off. The ridges then allow for an amount of grip that you simply won’t get on a traditional diamond file style grip. Smart thinking boys.

There are 4 compounds available in the Renthal Traction grip – Ultra Tacky (as we tested); Kevlar; Soft and Medium. . We love the feel of the ultra soft, but for wet weather we’d actually recommend a harder compound to maximise on the squeegee effect.

Out on the Trail

OK, so we thought the regular Ultra Tacky grips were grippy – but combined with the ridge pattern these things are utterly bonkers! There is so much traction that you can dramatically reduce your grip on the bars – it will make a huge difference in Alpine environments and when descending steep and rough terrain.

Built in bar end plugs mean no core samples.

Out on the trail though – gloves or bare hands – they are simply astonishing.

The Ultra Tacky compound do tear up a bit though – due to the nature of the thin ridges. Choosing a firmer compound will help this – though we love them as they are are are settled on Ultra Tacky for most the year, and would swap to a firmer compound for those sloshy winter rides.

The four different compound Renthal Traction grips – Kevlar; Ultra Tacky; Medium and Soft.

We Say

Renthal have played a blinder with the Traction grip. The concept makes sense, and they feel amazing in the flesh.

Bare hand riders will absolutely love the Ultra Tacky grips – even the sweatiest of hands get full traction at all times, and the ridges are soft and comfortable. For the firmer compounds, gloves maximise the comfort and grip levels.

Whilst the £21.95 cost of the Medium and Soft compounds is reasonable, and the £24.95 of the exceptionally hard wearing Kevlar compound understandable – we think the Ultra Tacky grips could do with being cheaper. Purely based on the fact that you will wear through them faster than the standard Ultra Tacky Lock On grips which are also priced £24.95.

They are excellent grips though, all the same – and genuinely well though out. 

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