What’s new about these? Still dual compound (15a/30a) but there’s now a cutaway in the inner plastic sleeve.
- Brand: Peaty’s
- Product: Monarch Pro Mushroom Thick Grip
- From: Peaty’s
- Price: £29.99
- Tested by: Jim Clarkson for 3 months
Pros
- Damn comfy
- Durable
- A valid updated grip
Cons
- Erm.
- £30 grips may be ‘normal’ but still…
Our rating
The new Monarch Pro Grip from Peaty’s offer a refinement and noticeable improvement on an already excellent grip. They have excellent bar feel, comfort and retain a decent life span. I’ve run the originals on both my bikes, and the Monarch Pro is now one of my all-time favourite grips.
Constructed on a 80% recycled ocean plastic core that claims to dampen impact, its covered in a 15A Durometer soft rubber for the upper surface, with a 30a Duralite compound on the bar ends and where your fingers grip. So soft for palms, firmer for higher wear places. Clever.
The top of the grip I tested is mushroom style, aimed for Trail comfort – with the Knurl style for ‘race performance’, I think more depending on what you prefer for riding, but essentially mushroom grips are softer, and the knurl style is firmer with perhaps a more direct bar feel.
Underneath are lines of blocks that help secure your finger tips, giving an edge to hold to. I liked the feel of security this provides – both versions use it.
The 130mm grip area is plenty big enough, without being overkill, and is clamped with an 8mm locking clamp made of alloy, it’s effective and slimline, and doesn’t interfere with the actually grip. The end is fully covered and has happily shrugged off various knocks and crashes. There are two diameters offered, 30-32mm (Thin) and 32-34mm (Thick) – we tested the thick. Preference here comes down to the rider, and having fairly large hands the Thick felt good, but then again I also liked the direct feel of the Thin on the previous versions!
Riding a lot of mainly rocky trails, the Monarch Pros have been superb – the core cut out definitely improves comfort, with larger hits feeling minimised, and hands felt less tired. It’s marginal, but directly compared to the older Monarchs, they are better. I rode with gloves and bare hand. Bar grip remained good in wet or dry conditions, and only bare hands in the wet felt less secure.
There is little else to mention about them – comfy, loads of colours (six in all), two options on grip style, and price wise, good for performance and longevity. There is a lot to like here, and actual improvement on an already decent grip. It does feel more ‘Pro’ – if that means refined and noticeably more comfortable when riding. If you’re not a fan of the Mint colour above there’s also: Sage, Brick Red, Plum Purple, Storm Blue or Black. Recommended.
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I loved the grip and comfort of the originals, but found that even when tightened to the correct torque there was a tiny amount of rotational play at the very ends of the grips. I would have just cranked them up tighter but I use carbon bars.
Is that something you’ve noticed with these?
There was a company yonks ago made their grips out of kraton rubber. This stuff is actually sticky, so grip was incredible.
I can only feel flex at the very end of the bars if I grip them very firmly and twist.These are on carbon bars, torqued correctly. Never felt rotation or flex riding.
Got some of these. Find them too thick – they come up big I think. I like the grip though so will get the thinner version.
I felt it most when giving it beans up a steep climb so I’d probably notice it on these ones too, which is a shame. I’ll stick with my PNW Loam XLs.
Yes! I thought it was just me, Ive got the same carbon bars and grips on two different bikes and they both have this issue.
The grip collar end seems solid, it’s the bar end side which moves. I fixed mine by removing the grips and wrapping a small amount of electrical tape around the very end of the bars and pushing the grips back on the make sure they’re snug.
(Don’t wrap too much tape around the bar and try to force the grip on as it can crack the plastic inside the grip (don’t ask how I know this!), just keep adding a thin layer until the movement stops)