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Ari is by far the least cool brand right now.
Like a ~2010 Diamondback.
Not sure how that's going to work. I broke a lot of those old knucklebox Diamondbacks (almost every single one) because all of the shock force is channeled through the center of the downtube at a 90 degree angle where the link mounts. Tubes are great in tension and a little bit less great in axial compression (along their length), but really really bad when you put a welded stress riser in the middle of a tube and push perpendicular to it.
They rode great though, because they had a nice rampy leverage curve at a time when most trail bike leverage curves were flat like Florida [editor's note: or really weirdly shaped like a hammock].
Bottom of the new Lyrik
If what I'm seeing is a valve that would mean dual chamber airspring or just a piggy?
Ari new slogan: “ARI sure this will work?”
breeden's get a grip bar ends are for sale - https://www.axessunltd.com/product-page/get-a-grip-bar-ends - full or half circle.
When Fezzari/Ari first showed up at Sea Otter, they were hyping their new DH bike that basically had XC geometry. Kinda like that one batch of SWDs. And this was back before the great slackening.
I'm actually super curious about those. I've heard and observed that most of your grip strength while riding actually comes from your pinky finger at the outside of the grip. If these bar ends allow your pinky to hold on while using less grip strength, it seems like that would be super beneficial for not only fatigue, but also being able to ride loose and smooth.
Counterpoint: no one else in the World Cup seems to be rushing out to use them, or in Moto where hand and arm fatigue is even more brutal.
I was thinking about the moto comparison too. Maybe it could help in that arena but hasn't been tried yet? One challenge that comes to mind is how the bar end would play with a twist throttle. Seems like it'd rub the heck out of your throttle hand and/or create a pinch point that could cause the throttle tube to stick (scary AF).
For moto, there are some bar end finger protectors out there. I suppose these aren't all that much different than Breeden's creation:
https://www.bendz.ca/shop-1/z8xknn8s4wsay3hui61bc5s304n5gr
https://beduro.com/products/hooked-bar-end-caps
I'm curious as well since I've always struggled with hand/arm fatigue. Even if they do look a little crude/goofy (IMO), I'd still like to know if they actually help. I also think it'd be interesting to see if they do allow you to weight the bike more precisely in turns/off cambers.
Not to take away from their launch today, but I was just looking at posts from Charlie Murray, and he's using Loam Lab Counterpunch bar ends (I think a few other enduro riders were using them this season). The goal is more for pinky protection, but it kinda looks like they'd offer some of the benefits to what Joe has created by keeping your hand from sliding off the bar, and giving you a little bumper to lean against.
the grand parents of ergon and bar ends - oakley 3
I think Eddie Masters was using something like that to protect his fingers/hand after messing 'em up last year, too.
He seems pretty accessible and responsive to folks. I bet a Youtube comment or DM (or official media request) would get a response with some of his impressions.
believe he was running something like this from LoamLab.
https://www.loamlab.bike/products/counterpunch?variant=34531605741734
I ran those on my Mongoose BMX bike and they were pretty good grips
Perhaps my sarcasm detector is not calibrated properly but this smells like cold-pressed extra virgin snake oil:
- The half circle is smaller in area, reducing air resistance. This is the variation the IFR team uses, because in elite racing, every millisecond counts.
That said, Rev grips have a bulge at the ends that actually helps with the grip of the pinkie and that makes my hands sit a little in-board, which I believe helped prevent injuries during my numerous tree strikes.
ripped for her/his pleasure
Rev grips also whipped up a version for Reece Wilson to try recently. But I can’t seem to find the video clip of it now.
The original Oakley products were grips, right? I remember pining after those in the late 70s/early 80s! My parent thought I was ridiculous.
Had these back in the day
Yes, from what I recall Oakley's 1st product was grips. I really liked the B-1B's, there was a replaceable foam ring on the inside and you could change the white part of the grip in the photo when it wore out. It was a thin sleeve that goes over the grip
Named after the coolest looking strategic bomber too. The Rockwell B-1B lancer.
I wonder what the torsional stiffness of it was like. All the pivots are arranged basically on a horizontal line.
A Brit (I assume) picking the B-1B over the Avro Vulcan?! Fish falling from the sky, dogs and cats living together etc. etc.
Trust me when I say the Vulcan is a close second, I just have a particular soft spot for the B-1b.
No doubt about all the pressure on the pinky fingers. All my grips are worn down to the plastic underneath (meaty paws) on the pinky ends. Doesn’t help I overlap my pinky fingers over the ends of the grips. Always been my comfort spot but it’s weird. I’d be curious how this would feel since I wouldn’t be able to overlap but would def give me more area to pressure with how I grip. Hmm
Interesting points. I love deathgrips because they are wider under my thumb than under my pinky, and I feel like that narrower pinky end lets me grip tighter there. I wasn’t that interested in these kinds of products for mere protection but now that the control element has been brought up I’m really considering trying to get some on my bars…
Looks like an octopus tentacle. At least your hands wont come off
I stay away from products like this because I grip the bars the same way, pinky at the edge of the bar and outside of my palm slightly hanging off the edge. It doesn't matter how wide the bars are, I end up gripping the outside edge.