Ergon

GS3 Grip - Leichtbau

Ergon's naming convention is pretty straightforward. In this case, the "GS" indicates the shape of the grip. The GS grips are a medium size and shape compared to their racy GX series and their uber-comfy GP series. This GS3 Leichtbau Grip falls right in-between, offering a shape that works to reduce pressure on your Ulnar nerves and to ease wrist strain like the GP1 while retaining the light weight characteristic of the GX1. The "3" in the name refers to the length of the integral bar end. In this case, it's longer than the GS2 bar end and is ample enough to wrap all four fingers around it.

We feel like this happy medium will quickly become a favorite for anyone looking to increase their hand comfort on their mountain bike. The wing shaped support is exactly where many glove makers are stitching on extra padding these days, and it provides more support for your hand. You'll perceive less pressure on your palm because of the increased surface area, and the soft kraton rubber gives just enough and allows supreme grip, even with sweat soaked gloves. You'll see a textured rubber insert on the top of the grips. Ergon uses a softer rubber compound here to help dissipate vibration and jolts on the trail.

The angle of the grip is important and worth the time to find the position that works best for you. The clamp is integral into the molded GFK Composite bar end and should be tightened to a maximum of 5 Nm in order to avoid handlebar damage once you find the right angle. Both the grip and the bar end are independently adjustable, and indexing marks make it easy to get the two grips to line up identically. Ergon has found that most people, except those who have huge mitts, go with the small size. The smaller diameter is lighter, a bit stiffer, and easy to grab. Those with big hands and those who spend long, long days in the saddle might want to lean towards large.

The Ergon GS3 Leichtbau Grip is available in two sizes -- Small and Large. The GS3 is 132mm wide, including the clamp assembly; and it's 54mm front to back at the wing. The set comes with bar plugs and installation instructions.

Choosing the correct grip (PDF)
Choosing the correct size (PDF)
Ergon weight comparison (PDF)