Exclusive | Renthal’s New Ultra Tacky Lock-On Grip Review
In a world of small incremental changes, occasionally a product comes along that takes a huge step forward. When Ian Collins from Renthal informed us that they had spent a year and a half developing a new compound, it was easy to think, “OK, just another nice grip.” How wrong could we have been!
Ian Collins went on to explain “We have had this grip in development and testing for 18 months and we are very excited by the performance benefits. Think nearly tree sap sticky, but on your grips. There’s nothing like it out there, as this compound is exclusive to Renthal. The new and unique Ultra Tacky compound constantly produces and renews a sticky surface coating. The resulting adhesive grip surface massively increases control and reduces fatigue.”
The new grips are not on the market yet, but we received a sample to test. Unboxing the grips, the sticky new coating was immediately apparent! The grips feel soft and incredibly tacky to the touch, as if someone has rolled them in adhesive, it’s a wild feeling that’s hard to put into words. The grips cling to the hand and provide phenomenal grip, with far more tenacity than other compounds on the market.
The mounting hardware and twin clamp design is the same as the existing Renthal grip range, and the grip will be priced the same as Renthals kevlar grip at £24.95 or €32.95 in Europe.
We have used these grips for over 20 rides now, from big mountain epics in the alps, to grimy home trails in Scotland and have found them a revelation. The tackiness is especially noticeable in wet conditions where other grips can feel like you are trying to hang onto a greased weasel. On long rides, the extra tackiness means you expend less energy hanging onto the grips and we found on big mountain rides we could really relax our hands and keep in complete control.
After about 10 rides the grips seemed to lose their awesome tackiness, but on recommendation from Renthal we scrubbed the grips in some clean water and found that the stickiness returned almost as new. It’s too early to report on longevity yet, but we still have some Renthal Kevlars on long term test that are still going strong after over 2000 km, so we hope for good things. If you like your grips firm for maximum accuracy then you may find the Ultra Tacky’s a little soft, but we found the slim grips superb on the trail. Renthal will still be offering a full range of compounds, but this is now our new favourite, and if you like sticky grips – these are a game changer
The Renthal Ultra Tacky Lock-On Grips will be available from October the 14th and will be priced at at £24.95 or €32.95 in Europe.
Words and photos: Trev Worsey
Did you enjoy this article? If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. By becoming a supporter of ENDURO, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality mountain bike journalism. Click here to learn more.
