Ergon previews new DH GD1 grips and SMD2 saddle
The new GD1 grips are the first ergonomic we can think of that are built specifically for DH (click to enlarge).
Ergon has carved a niche for itself by developing ergonomic products. It started in 2004 with their winged grip. Their range has since expanded to include saddles, bags, seatposts and more.
In the past few years, they’ve began to develop products for more aggressive off-road applications such as enduro with the help of greats like 3x DH world champion Fabien Barel. Their most recent collaboration resulted in a line of downhill specific products.
The GD1 will be available in orange or black (click to enlarge).
First up is the GD1 grip, which is Ergon’s first gravity oriented MTB grip to feature a tapered profile. The innermost portion of the grip that abuts the lock-on collar has a slim profile, which gradually expands outward. This contoured profile provides good purchase for the palm of your hand at the outer edge of the bar and a nice contact patch for your thumb. The grip itself is made from a specially formulated rubber that is manufactured in Germany. It’s claimed to offer both adhesive and rebound properties that help minimize arm pump.
Do you have tiny Donald Trump sized hands? Luckily the GD1 grips come in two different sizes (click to enlarge)
The new GD1 grips will be available in standard and slim diameters. This allows riders to pick their grips based on either hand size or desire for less or more damping. They’ll be available in orange of black.
The latest from Ergon may look quirky, but it’s designed with purpose (click to enlarge)
Ergon is also introducing the new SMD2 saddle. Like many of Ergon’s products, it doesn’t look like anything else in the segment, and that’s because they’ve really thought things through. Most downhill riders don’t spend much time in the saddle, instead preferring to hover over the back or push against the nose when cornering.
The large spacing between the seat rails at the rear allows for impressive tire clearance at bottom out (click to enlarge).
To help improve the feel when cornering, Ergon has padded the entire outside edge of the SMD2. They’ve also removed sharp corners to help prevent you from getting hung up. At the rear, there’s a large vertical cutout that gives the widest possible amount of tire clearance.
Moving onto the exterior cover, there’s a low friction coating around the edges, but a flat depressed portion towards the tale. This flat spot is the seating surface and is coated with an anti-slip material.
Interested? The saddle will be available with either cromo or ti rails.
For more info, visit www.ergon-bike.com.
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