Peaty's Monarch PRO Knurl Grip

Peaty’s launched their first grip, the Monarch, almost two years ago now. We were well impressed with it at the time, to the point that one of our testers has been running it on his trail bike ever since. Not ones to rest on their laurels however, Peaty’s thought they could make some further improvements, and the result is before you here today. Meet the all-new Monarch PRO.

Peaty’s Monarch PRO Highlights

• 130mm grip body length
• Made from two different compounds:
  • Upper half and inner flange: 15A durometer rubber 
  • Lower half and bar end: 30A Duralite compound
• Texture options:
  • Knurl (Race control)
  • Mushroom (Trail comfort)
• Design features a cut-out in core for increased comfort and vibration damping in the top part of the grip
• Single lockring, 3mm bolt
• Half-flange on the inside, “pinky ramp” on the outside
• Grip color options (all come with matching Chris King-colored lockrings): Black / Brick Red / Storm / Blue / Mint Green / Sage / Plum Purple
• Two sizes: Thin (30-32mm) / Thick (32-34mm)
• Weight: 130 grams (Thick, verified) / 108 grams (Thin, verified)
• MSRP: $34.99 USD / €34.99 EUR / £29.99 GBP

Initial Impressions

When Peaty’s designed the original Monarch grip, they settled on a compound compromise, picking a 20A durometer rubber that would provide a good mix of comfort and durability. For the new PRO version, they went the dual-compound route instead, with a 15A durometer rubber along the top part of the grip as well as for the thumbpad, mated to a 30A “Duralite” material for the ribbed area under the grip as well as the end-cap. Peaty’s says this places the right material in the right place, optimizing the mix of comfort, feel, and durability.

To further increase comfort, Peaty’s modified the core of the grip. It now features a cut-out up top, which allows the rubber to be thicker in that area. The core retains its lightly tapered shape, a bit thinner on the inside and thicker towards the end of the bar. For the rest, they retained the other features of the original grip – there are two patterns to chose from, the ribbed “mushroom” design for the highest level of comfort, or the race-inspired “knurl” pattern said to maximize control.

There’s a half-flange on the inside edge, with a “pinky ramp” providing a little bump on the outside to let you feel where the end of the grip is at all times. There’s a single lockring that is equipped with a 3mm bolt and comes in a color that matches the grip (there are 6 grip colors to choose from). There are 12 color options for the lockring in total, all made to match existing Chris King colors.

On The Trail

We think Peaty’s pretty much nailed it with the original design, as far as the different shapes and textures go, so we were pleased to see those carry over to the new PRO version. Everything feels like it’s in the right place, with the bars along the underside providing confidence-inspiring levels of grip for your fingers. The thumb pad also works well, adding a little extra comfort here with the z-shaped ribs.

For the top of the grip, you can choose between the ribbed mushroom pattern, or the diamond-shaped knurls. The testers involved in this article both prefer the knurled version, as it provides for a more direct connection without any vagueness. The ribs of the mushroom version can fold over on themselves relatively easily, which can lead to a “floating” sensation under your palms, although it should be noted that Peaty’s went with a low rib height here which mitigates this issue somewhat. Pick the one that suits your preferences the best.

What about the changes made to the PRO then? The difference isn’t night and day in action, but it is noticeable. The cut-out along the top of the grip provides for extra “squishiness” in this area, which translates to a feeling of comfort on the trail. We also like the very direct feedback provided by the harder underside of the grip, which is crucial when pulling hard on the handlebars (getting up and over obstacles for example). The difference between the original grip and the new one is the most obvious here, the little bars are a lot stiffer on the PRO version. If you like riding with your hands hanging onto the very edge of the grip, you’ll also appreciate that the harder rubber is now used in this area as well, as it provides for a much more solid feeling here.

In terms of longevity, we’ve been very impressed with the original grip. One of our testers has worn it down to a shiny finish after more than a year on the trail, but it’s still holding together and providing enough grip thanks to the finger bars. With the softer rubber up top, it’s possible that the PRO version might wear out a bit faster in this area, but it should also survive more abuse on the end-caps and along the underside of the grip, which should translate to a similarly impressive life span.

What’s The Bottom Line?

We hold the original Monarch grip in high regard, so we were pleased to see that the main design is still the same for the new PRO version. It’s a pleasant grip that also provides a lot of confidence when riding aggressively, and thanks to the new dual-compound construction, the PRO version serves up a little extra comfort and control. The original version will remain in the catalog as well, so you now have a choice of thickness, texture, and colors, in two different versions that both get the job done with high marks.

For more information head on over to peatys.com.

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 53 // Years Riding MTB: 21 // Weight: 190-pounds (87 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 Nils Hjord and Johan Hjord