LET THEM REIGN, OVER YOUR TERRAIN.
Forged from years of descending. Monarch grips are the holy grail of precision and comfort.
"Trail Comfort" Mushroom Texture
The mushroom texture gets its title by looking like the classic fins on the underside of a mushroom. Used for decades on bmx grips for its ability to absorb impacts. Each fin of a mushroom texture is evenly spaced with a gap the same width as the fin. This is important so that the fin can be compressed by the hand and flex into the space next to it. This provides a much more comfortable, compliant, shock absorbing texture compared to a knurl texture. The user of this grip could be anyone from a trail cruiser looking for maximum comfort through to big hitters looking to take the sting out of hideous rock gardens and flat landings.
Thin vs Thick
People come in all shapes and sizes - and so do their hands - so having a one size fits all approach to grip diameter is almost as crazy as offering a one size fits all glove. Our thin grip has 30mm diameter on the inside and 32mm on the outside and thick grip 32mm on the inside, 34mm outside. This not only makes the thick grip an ideal diameter for people with larger hands but also an extra 2mm of impact damping rubber compared to the thin.
Your ideal grip size depends on your riding style, trail conditions. Hand size, and whether you wear gloves or not so it can be as much personal preference as a science when selecting which is right for you. As a general rule people with bigger hands (xl glove size upwards) should opt for a thicker grip however, some aggressive riders (even ones with massive hands) may prefer a thin grip to achieve better bar feel and precise control. Conversely people with smaller hands, who might otherwise be best suited to a thinner grip, may prefer the comfort and fatigue reduction of thick grips over ultimate contro
Tapered Diameter
A tapered grip means that its diameter increases from the inside to the outside of the grip. Our thin grip has 30mm diameter on the inside and 32mm on the outside, and the thick grip has 32mm on the inside, 34mm outside.
This taper helps to create a more natural gripping angle by supporting your palm and reducing pressure on long rides. The taper in the rubber also results in a thinner section of rubber on the inside of the grip (for more bar feel) and a thicker section of rubber on the outside of the grip (for more impact cushioning). This taper also works with the offset core to further increase the thickness of rubber on the top surface, increasing impact cushioning even further!
Comfort Thumb Pad
Your thumb is the only part of your hand that grips the rear side of the grip. This means every rock, drop, root or rail can result in a small impact and rub between your thumb and grip, and can lead to hot spots and blisters on the inside of your thumb (particularly the metacarpal bone / knuckle). Our comfort thumb pad extends further out from the grip diameter to provide more support and cushioning to your thumb, and help to reduce the risk of blisters. Its shape has been finely tuned to find a sweet spot in size and location to cater optimally for small hands, shovel hands and riders who prefer to either position their hands on the inside or outside of the grip while riding.
Cornering forces naturally cause your thumb to shift left and right which causes the straight fins of a mushroom texture to collapse side to side. This can not only create a distracting 'clicking' feeling under your thumb, but also compromises the level of cushioning and blister protection - enter the zigzag! Like corrugation in a tin roof, adding corners to a mushroom fin creates additional support - the tighter the zigzag, the more solid the thumb pad becomes. Rest assured we've agonised over the angles and measurements of our thumbpad texture to give you the best thumb support and cushioning possible.
Offset Core
Our core has also been offset vertically downwards within the rubber of the grip, creating thicker rubber on the top of the grip than the bottom. This, combined with the tapered rubber body and finger bars cut into the underside give our grip the maximum comfort on the top surface with maximum grip and feel on the underside!