I was having some hand pain on particularly difficult, technical rides, mainly I think from death gripping as I came into an obstacle and then having to muscle the front end around, and then from landing the bike again after a drop or jump or whatever the trail had just thrown at me. So I went to my local bike shop looking for a more padded grip, and they had the ODI F1 Dread Lock mountain bike grips, which are Tinker Juarez’s signature grip.
I love Tinker, so I went ahead and plopped down the $35.50 and put those things on my bike. They went on with the twist of a hex key, and in less than two minutes I was shred-ready, which is not to say shreddy. The cute neologisms have to stop.
Cut to my very next ride, and no hand pain. I was slightly concerned that the F1’s smoother surface would compromise my grip once I was sweating, but nope, solid. The F1 Dread Locks are cushy without being squishy. They give you a little, but they’re not just a pair of rubbery tubes in your mitts either. I find a lot of the BMX/MTB grips to be that way, just a soft pile of mush.
There are some indentations on one side of the F1s, where your fingers might naturally rest, and the opposite side has a bit more padding. I think that gives the overall effect of being firm enough to keep you in control and soft enough to give you some relief. I have found them very acceptable.
They come in six colors; one is Rasta. According to my nature, I got the graphite (pictured above), because I like gray things, and frankly, I don’t get our culture’s preoccupation with pop-Rastafarianism. That’s me though. Get whatever color you like. Don’t let me rain on your Rasta parade.
