ODI Vanquish Lock-On Grips

If you’ve been in the sport for a while, chances are pretty good you’ve ridden your fair share of ODI grips over the years. ODI was first to market with the lock-on design, and their Ruffian and Rogue grips were close to standard issue for anybody looking for a grip upgrade back when they were first introduced. The market never stands still though, and there are plenty of players in this space today, with more being added regularly as well. ODI has not rested on their laurels, and they teamed up with D3O last year to bring something novel to the table in terms of comfort and vibration damping. With new colors catching our eye at Sea Otter recently, we decided it was time to give the Vanquish a spin and see what’s up.

ODI Vanquish 2.1 Highlights

• D3O® GRIP material enhances vibration damping
• V2.1 lock-on single clamp system provides more useable grip space
• Newly designed double reinforced durable ends
• Unique waffle traction pattern
• Medium 32.75mm diameter
• Multi-layered padded top grip section for excellent shock absorption
• Micro-flange for added protection
• Now available in 7 different color combinations
• MSRP: $44.95 USD

Initial Impressions

Let’s start with the science part. D3O is well-known for the orange, visco-elastic pads found in all kinds of body armor since quite a few years now already. Leveraging the naturally vibration-absorbent qualities of these types of compounds, they’ve also more recently developed D3O GRIP, specifically formulated for use in different kinds of…you guessed it, grips. D3O claims that the GRIP compound can provide up to two times more vibration damping than traditional grip rubbers.

ODI developed a new grip pattern for the Vanquish, based on a series of triangle and hexagon shapes. Different thicknesses are used in different parts of the grip to provide further comfort under your palms. The grip is built around a single, inboard lockring, with the outer edge being reinforced internally and protected externally by the compound wrapping fully around the edge. There is a small flange on the inside which marks the end of the grip and shields the lockring from the hand. The grip measures 32.75 mm in thickness, which ODI calls “medium” thickness. We’d say that classification makes sense in light of the typical spread of sizes found in grips today. As for the overall length, the Vanquish measures in at 135 mm, leaving plenty of room to place your hands as per your preferences.

On The Trail

Not everybody likes a “busy” design for their grips, as more pronounced ridges and shapes can feel a bit unwelcoming at times for some riders. Whilst this tester for example has a preference for smoother grips in general, the Vanquish quickly proved itself to be very comfortable in action. The patterns are less deep under the palm and more aggressively shaped around the back to provide more purchase for the fingers, which makes perfect sense and feels natural when you grip it. The compound is quite soft and very tacky to the initial touch, without being overly squishy, and our hands adapted to their new home very quickly. The diameter will work for those who like a slightly thicker grip than “average”, without going all the way to a Deity Supracush (34 mm), Megattack (36 mm) or a Sensus Meaty Paws (35 mm) for example.

On the trail, the initial feeling of comfort has stayed with us for a handful of rides so far. The Vanquish provides a high level of control, because as we mentioned previously, there is no real squishiness that could translate to vagueness. The level of grip is also excellent, as tested with 2 different glove options (one thinner and one slightly thicker). Whether it’s down to the special properties of the D3O compound or just the design of the grip is hard to tell, but we really like how the grip reacts under the hand and we’ve not experienced any harshness whatsoever. We rode a few fast and rocky trails during this initial testing and we were very pleased with how the Vanquish performed there, and it also put in a good showing during longer days out.

What’s The Bottom Line?

In a world full of grip options, it can be hard to see the forest for the trees sometimes. Add to that the fact that personal preference plays a huge role in finding a grip that works well for you, and you’ll quickly realize that you should take any grip review with a grain of salt. Having said that, the ODI Vanquish has quite a lot to offer, including the D3O GRIP compound specifically formulated for this very application. The slightly-thicker-than-average diameter and the sculpted patterns work well together provide a grip that is both comfortable and very tacky. The price tag is on the high side, but the construction is robust and word on the street is that this compound should last you a long time, which helps take the sting out of the trip to the cash register. We’ll keep testing to make sure!

More information at: www.odigrips.com.

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 52 // Years Riding MTB: 20 // Weight: 196-pounds (89 kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)

Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Photos by Johan Hjord and Ingrid Hjord (thanks mom!)