PNW Loam Grips: Good or Bad?

Tester: Xavier Lefebvre (Mechanic at Epic), weight: 77kg, height: 189cm,

Personal bike: Scott Genius 2022 in size XL

Favorite tracks: King Kong, LB2, Super G (Sentiers du Moulin), 1837, Tordue, Barbelée, Baptême (MSA).

When looking to improve the performance of our bike, we often talk about the main components such as suspensions, brakes or wheels. All these parts have a significant impact on the performance of a bike, but they are also very expensive. One component that is often underestimated is a good pair of grips. A good pair of grips will keep you comfortable throughout the ride, provide more grip and, in some cases, help absorb some high frequency vibrations that make their way to your hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders and sometimes even causing pain in the neck. PNW's Loam grips meet all of these criteria with flying colors and that's what makes them, in my opinion, the best grips on the market today. Here are more details.

With a very reasonable price of $33, PNW's Loam grips nevertheless manage to compete and even surpass much more expensive grips, such as the Ergon GE1 EVO. Offered in 10 different colors, all combinations are possible to match the splashes of color on your bike.

Loam grips are grips that tighten with a single screw, which provides more comfort for people like me who tend to ride with their hands at the end of the handlebars. The rubber used is very grippy and the little grooves in the grip help to shed water while absorbing some of those unwanted vibrations. Although the rubber is grippy, the durability is impressive; even after a few drops where the handlebars rubbed against the ground, the grips still look like new and show no signs of damage. I alternate between riding bare-handed and with gloves and either way I never feel like I'm lacking in grip, even in the rain. The handles are also offered in size XL for those who have bear paws.

However, what sets Loam handles apart from most other handles is the shape they have. Instead of being perfectly cylindrical, the grips are conical in shape, the thinnest point is towards the center of the handlebars while the further out you go the wider they get. This unconventional shape gives much more confidence, since the hands tend to "refocus". In addition, it puts the wrists and therefore the elbows in a more solid attacking position, since the elbows are a little more extended. It is much easier to just rest the palms of the hands in the handle instead of squeezing it with all the fingers, which helps with the level of fatigue in the forearms.

All in all, PNW Loam grips are exceptional quality grips at a competitive price. In addition to radically increasing the performance of your bike, your comfort and reducing fatigue, you also directly encourage a company that cares about the environment and sustainable development (they even sell refurbished warranty returns, come on see their website!).