TOGS Thumbgrips are intended to enhance comfort on long rides by facilitating an additional hand position on flat and riders bars. Yeah, bar ends on the inside of the bars seem weird, but with their small size (and cost) we decided to give them a shot.
When we were exploring options for additional hand positions on flat and riser bars on long-distance XC/gravel/adventure rides, the interesting looking thumb grips came across our radar. After returning home from a long mixed surface urban to dirt ride in east Portland, where my arms and shoulders were feeling it, I elected to give them a try and installed a set on my Kona Honzo Carbon XC hardtail setup.
Features
- Rubber tips for comfort and shock absorption
- Fits standard flat and riser bars
- 17° Tog rotation for ergonomics
- Raised hood for compatibility with all grips
- Flex legs for easy install
- Made in the USA
Do they work? On the trail
TOGS stands for Thumbs Over Grips System. The idea behind TOGS is that they’re basically a spot to hook your thumbs on while riding with your palms on the top of the bars while climbing or on those long stretches of spinning. If you find yourself on resting your palms thumbs up while spinning on smooth terrain, TOGS were created to add a bit of security for your hands. In practice, the mini thumb grips work, providing a location to hook your thumbs.
They’re easy to install, light, and not very noticeable — that’s a bonus. If you like the resting position, it is nice to have the option and they don’t add much in terms of weight. As they’re plastic, they don’t seem to cause issues on my carbon bars. They’re designed to be run someone loose so you can adjust the position on the fly with a bit of a tug, and after a few months with them mounting up, I’m not seeing any telltale scoring or damage to the bars.
That said, I’m still not sure how much I like them; though they’re nowhere as visually offensive as bar-ends or inner bar ends, for long gravel and pavement stretches, I felt like I wanted to take the alternative hand position concept a bit further.
I’m planning to try an alternative with more to grip on, (aesthetics be damned) to then come back to them to see if I’ll keep them on for the long haul.
That said, with a retail price of $25, they’re inexpensive enough to try without feeling like it’s a major commitment, and they don’t affect the handling of the bike in any way, so you could even run them on your trail bike.
For more info visit TOGS.com or shop for Togs Thumbgrips on Amazon.com.