Improving rigid MTB comfort

Have you got any pictures or videos of you sat on the bike? Might give folk a better idea on how to help you.

Going to leave it like this for a while now, but I want to try a winged grip at some point. Ergon GS1 or SQlab 710. I wonder if the shape and wing would make up for going back to a lock-on.

Finally got round to trying a winged grip (SQlab 710) and I think they’re even better than the Wolf Tooth Karv silicons.

They were noticeably more comfortable over broken and root-cracked tarmac. Rather than get a spike through your hand it feels like you get some pressure and then you feel the front tyre deforming taking the brunt of the hit. On slightly rough stoned bridleways and farm tracks it might be that the damping of the silicons is more effective than the weight distribution of the wing.

I chose that grip over the Ergon GS1 Evo as the more sculpted shape looked like it’d be more effective. Pretty difficult to fit as the inner bore was undersized by 0.5mm with the lockring attached, took a lot of prising with a screwdriver. They add 2cm to the bar width overall. The wing angle is indeed important, too high up and your palms can’t brace against the rear of the grip. I wouldn’t try them on a MTB for steep terrain as depending on body position and slope angle you could find the wing impeding your ability to hold the bar.

Having switched from silicon push-on grips to the the Ergon GS1 Evo on my Ritchey Kyote bars, I wish I’d done it years ago. The difference is phenomenal

Thanks for this, I was happy enough with the silicons but this convinced me to try winged.

They’re pretty hard to find now but Crank Bros did a demented 780mm xc bar called the Cobalt, it bends like it’s made of rubber but it literally took me on one rigid bike from “having problems with control after 30 seconds of descending” to “doing a 7 hour race without a twinge”. It’s hilarious and terrifying to watch but it really works, way more so than more modern soft bars ime.

But not easy to find.

An interesting thread

My rigid bike is a drop bar gravel bike. It does seem that tiny adjustments in position hugely effect comfort. I changed to hydraulic brakes and to a different seat post. I thought the riding position was the same. But i went from being 10 hours in the saddle pain free to getting annoyed after an hour. Saddle 10mm back transformed it.

Tyre pressure is hard to compare because of track pump gauge issues. But i think i run 22psi in 50mm tyres. I’m 100kg

Just fitted some PNW carbon Loam bars in 31.8 on my Rigid. Really impressed- talk about smooth !