Grips are an easy way to refresh the look and feel of your MTB. At $20, the Loam Grip from PNW Components is a good-looking option for riders looking to spruce up their ride.
Features
- Width: 133.5mm
- Durometer: 25A
- Listed weight 90g
- Single clamp design
- Ergonomic pattern designed to support palms and relieve fatigue caused by trail chatter
- Rubber compound formulated to balance comfort and reliable grip
- Available in a wide range of colors for customizing your ride
The packaging
We haven’t always included images of the packaging in reviews, but I think that’s something we may to change. We make an effort in our daily lives to recycle and minimize our carbon footprint, (even if our cities and infrastructure is letting us down in this regard) and prefer to support brands that also feel the same.
While there’s only so much you can do in terms of reuse/ upcycling for the product itself, it’s nice the packaging is fully recyclable. I also like the graphic design elements in play here as well.
The cutout window lets you still see and feel the texture of the grip — which is nice for retail display purposes; though I honestly can’t remember the last time I was inside of a bike shop now…
On the trail
The PNW Loam Grip features a small inner flange, which got me excited to test them on my dirt jumper. I’ve been running a 1x drive train to facilitate the hill climb at our neighborhood bike park and the small flange-like lip plays well with shift levers.
However, the grip features a bit of flex, which I didn’t find to be a benefit in a freestyle application. The small movement of the grip was unnerving for aggressive moves on the pump track and street. It is called the “loam grip” though so, I can’t hold that against it as it was designed for trail riding.
It was a great match installed on my Kona Honzo Carbon hardtail. Pairing it with a matching PNW Components handlebar looked to be a viable solution for proving a bit of hand and shoulder relief on long, multi-surface terrain rides from the house.
The Loam Grip is indeed a comfortable option. That bit of flex found on paved pump tracks is unnoticeable on the trail, and the benefits in terms of vibration damping are pronounced. It features a slight taper which adds to a great feel and provides ample grip in both wet and dry conditions. Though I haven’t tried it in gravity applications yet, (IE, my enduro bike) the small bit of flex was greatly appreciated in rough terrain, and even more so on my lightweight hardtail. In terms of durability, so far they have held up well.
For the last few seasons, we’ve been finding we prefer single clamp grips as that small bit of additional surface area. Having the option to rest one’s palms on the outer edge of the grip on long climbs is quite nice. I’ve also been riding with and without gloves a bit more and found the grips were comfortable in both applications.
Overall, we found the Loam Grip to be a great option for riders looking for a comfortable grip for their trail bike. At $20, they’re affordable with an ample range of colors.
Check them out at PNWComponents.com or support the site by shopping for PNW Components gear at retail partner CompetitiveCyclist.com
