Fabric Silicone Grip

Fabric Silicone Grips are a simple, low density design available in a choice of five colours. They provide good purchase and protection, but are better suited to flat-bar road-biased builds  than mountain bikes.

The kit comprises two sleeves and two end plugs. Silicone rubbers have a good reputation for tactile, leach-like purchase that gets better the wetter conditions become. Rather than taking the slick route, Fabric has employed a criss-cross 'tread' pattern for additional purchase.

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Ergonomic – one of those words bandied about so frequently its meaning can be lost – in this instance refers to a subtle, ovalised profile, which supposedly rests more naturally in the hand, lessening fatigue over longer distances. At 13.5cm, there's plenty of length for most cockpits, although users of bar ends or traffic jammers who cut down theirs to squeeze through tighter gaps will need to trim a bit off.

Otherwise, getting them aboard the bar proved easier than their profiles suggested. A liberal blast of hairspray provides a bit of lubricant and also prevents them rotating later on, especially in torrential rain. Pop in those end plugs and you're away.

Formative bare-handed, five-mile commutes suggested Fabric has got the mix right; the profiles felt natural to hold, the density didn't detract from a sleek look and provided excellent insulation from low-level vibration, man hole covers, washboard tarmac – the stuff synonymous with town centre streets. Grip is perfect for split-second flicking round holes and other hazards.

Five miles or so is pretty much my limit without gloves/mitts, and my palms were showing early signs of branding/fatigue, though no worse than with other decent quality foam/composite types.

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Otherwise, I've been able to cruise along open roads in complete comfort and control, the damping and grip coming into its own. They're pretty good in mixed terrain contexts too. That said, more aggressive, full-blooded trail hammering calls for thicker density gloves and even with the hairspray, white knuckle rides along swooping singletrack saw them rotate very slightly.

Everyday brushes against brickwork and rendered surfaces, when parking up, say, have made negligible impression on their integrity so far. However, in keeping with most silicone coverings I've tested recently, the red has cultivated a grimy patina, the sort that develops following a few roadside mechanicals. Personally, I'd go for the black but they're scrubbing up pretty well, given a quick blast of bike wash and tickled with a medium stiff brush.

A locking clamp would extend their horizons to mountain biking, but otherwise, these seem a decent set of grips for general riding and at a decent price.

Verdict

Nice grips offering excellent purchase and control; a better option for touring and commuting than trail riding