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HAND GRIP TIPS

Some of the following tips were gleaned from various sources, while some are of my own invention.

  1. Removing old hand grips.
    Have you ever had difficulty removing old style rubber or plastic hand grips? The job can be very difficult if you want to save them undamaged. Before we go any further though, if the grips are rubber and petrified from age, forget the following, you will have to cut them off in all probability. If however, they are somewhat flexible read on. Removing grips is a lot easier if you use compressed air. You will need a supply of compressed air, an air gun or nozzle, and grips with small holes in the end. Press the air nozzle against the hole in one grip while plugging the hole in the other grip with your thumb. Hold onto that grip and blast away with the air nozzle. Make sure you have a good hold on the grip to be removed or it may rocket off and do damage to something or somebody. Now comes the tricky part which is to remove the remaining grip.

    Replace the grip you removed by pushing it onto the bar an inch or two. Press the air nozzle against the hole in this grip while plugging the hole in the other grip. The trick is to hold the loose grip in place and operate the nozzle with the same hand. It can be done with a little practice. After you have everything under control, blast away again. If the grip doesn't come off the first time try again. It helps sometimes to slip a thin blade under the stubborn grip to help loosen it before using the air nozzle. You may also want to warm the grips in the sun or with a hair dryer before attempting removal.

  2. Installing hand grips.
    Hand grips, especially the foam type, are sometimes hard to slide all the way on the bar ends. I use ordinary hair spray as a lubricant. Water will also work but it could promote rust under the grip before it dries. I apply a couple of squirts of hair spray on the inside of the grip and immediately push and twist it all the way on. Once the grip is on you have time to adjust and rotate the grip before the hair spray dries.

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    Last revised 01/02/00
    E-mail me at: fredhaj@aol.com