Ritchey WCS Truegrip HD grips deliver a natural feel [Review]

A few months ago I started with a question: Why do some of us like perfectly round mountain bike grips, while others prefer more ergonomic grip shapes? After a few interviews, I still don’t have a great answer, though surely some of what I’ve learned will make it into an article eventually.

While rummaging through my parts bin I came across a set of Ritchey mountain bike grips from my first mountain bike ever, a Bridgestone MB-5. I remember loving those grips, and what’s interesting is that they aren’t round at all, with a blocky, tapered shape. I snapped a quick pic and sent it to Fergus Tanaka at Ritchey, and he replied, “Gosh those are old. We haven’t done those in over a decade.”

Browsing the website, the Ritchey WCS Truegrip HD grips aren’t exactly the same, but there’s a clear resemblance. I decided to give them a try and quickly remembered why I loved my Ritchey grips all those years ago.

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Ritchey WCS Truegrip HD key specs

• Weight: 103.5g including end caps, pair
• Available in seven colors
• Lock-on and slip-on versions available
• Price: $32.95 (lock-on)
• Buy from Ritchey

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The Ritchey WCS Truegrip HD lock-on grips feature clamps on both ends and are made with a firm, foam-like material. The grips come with bar caps which fit snugly inside the ends of my Deity handlebars.

Gripping the WCS Truegrip HDs reminds me of squeezing a handful of Play Doh, with a shape that feels uniquely molded to the hand. Designed by Tom Ritchey, the grip narrows to about 29mm where thumb and pointer finger wrap. There’s a bulge right about where the middle finger sits, and the grip tapers to flat for the ringer and pinky fingers.

In addition to the tapered shape, these Ritchey grips have a unique hexagonal profile with six flat sides instead of a continuously round shape.

I asked some friends to put their hands around the grips, and they all seemed pleasantly surprised. It’s a weird-looking shape for sure, and wrapping your fingers around a set of grips once is not an accurate predictor for long-term ride comfort.

After riding with the Ritchey WCS Truegrip HD grips for a while now on a couple of different trail bikes, I can say they work really well for me. Switching to new grips can be a risky proposition, and I expected a period of adaptation before I felt completely comfortable. Yet these had a natural feel from the start.

I ride without gloves whenever possible, and gloveless the Ritchey WCS Truegrip HDs have proven slip-free, even on sweaty days. With gloves, they aren’t as grippy as a set of rubber or silicon grips, though that’s also true for foam grips in general. My orange grips are definitely showing signs of wear and dirt stains following some pretty hard rides, though most of the damage appears to be purely cosmetic.

The fat bulge at the middle finger ensures a bit of extra surface area wrap, and I’ve found every little bit counts when riding aggressively. More surface area provides better grip, which allows the hands to relax and prevents fatigue. I have large hands and these grips fit me just right. However, riders with smaller hands may find the 34mm diameter at the widest part of the grip is too large for comfort.

The hexagonal shape provides a nice, shelf-like platform that’s supportive for pedaling and descending. One of the bikes I’m testing, a Trek Fuel EX, has really low bars which has me leaning farther down and forward than I’m used to, and the Ritchey WCS Truegrip HD grips feel good in this more aggressive position.

In spite of their high-density foam material, the Ritchey WCS Truegrip HD lock-on grips aren’t all that lightweight, with a 103.5g weight for the pair that places them squarely in the middle of the pack among the lock-on grips Singletracks has tested over the years. There is a slip-on version that weighs just 43g (not inlcluding plugs) if you don’t mind the hassle associated with installation.

Pros and cons of Ritchey WCS Truegrip HD

Pros

• Good surface for gloveless riding
• Quality construction and materials
• Plenty of color choices

Cons

• May not be a good fit for smaller hands
• Not easy to clean and lighter colors show dirt quickly
• Not everyone will get along with the unusual shape

Bottom line

The Ritchey WCS Truegrip HD grips feel even better than the grips I used to love thanks to the lock-on design, firm yet squishy foam, and ergonomic shape.