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How to Remove Bike Grips – 7 Best Methods to Try!

How to Remove Bike Grips
Written by James Jordan
Last Update: August 16, 2023

If you’re not comfortable with your grips, it’s time to change them. This may seem like a simple task but there are some things to know so you don’t make a mess that may later impact your riding experience.

Check out our guide and see which method suits you best!

Things You Need to Remove Bike Grips

  • Water
  • Dish soap
  • Air compressor
  • WD-40
  • Silicone spray
  • Hairspray
  • Alcohol
  • kitchen skewer
  • Screwdriver

How to Remove Bike Grips

How to Remove Bike Grips

1. Dish soap or water

Place a narrow screwdriver under the hand grips to put some dishwasher soap or water and keep them spinning.

Pull out when grips are slippery. A great advantage about the technique is that you don’t need to think about leftovers.

2. Air compressor

Compressed air is a new method to remove grips that you can try instead of using lubricants.

A tire or ball pump with a nozzle on the mouth does the same job but the technique doesn’t work on rubber covers with holes or leaks.

You need to place the nozzle under the grips and push the compressor inside.

Make space for the nozzle with a flathead screwdriver. Take the rubbers off after you inflate them slowly.

You can use a blower instead for the process.

3. WD-40

Lift the rubber with a flat headed screw driver before you spray the WD-40 and rotate the grip.

You will realize when grips become slippery so you can pull off rubbers from the handlebar.

The only issue is that there will be some oil residue left at the handlebar that you need to wipe out with alcohol.

4. Silicone spray

Silicone spray evaporates fast but doesn’t leave anything on the handlebars.

The spray comes with a straw extender that you need to stick in the grip to spray.

The elements of the spray are safe on metal and rubber and grips come right off with it.

5. Try hairspray

Use a tire wedge or small screwdriver to lift grips at both ends but make sure the lift isn’t too high.

Spray a generous amount of hairspray underneath the grip. Start twisting immediately and pull out towards the edge of the handlebar.

Hairspray gets sticky when it dries out so clean your grips after you remove them.

6. Rubbing alcohol

Pour in rubbing alcohol after you lift both ends of bike grips with a screwdriver. Start twisting to get them off the handlebar.

Use as much alcohol as you want to loosen the grip but do it quickly so it doesn’t evaporate.

The advantage of this method is that you don’t have to think about leftover residue or damage.

7. Kitchen skewer

If none of the tools are available to yourself, then lift up the grip with the skewer that you use to check meat or cake and squirt the water in.

How to Remove Bike Grips That Are Glued?

Removing glued grips isn’t different from removing grips that have no adhesives.

Bicycle repair tools have basic apparatus like Allen keys and screwdrivers that help doing the job. Compressed hair also comes in handy to remove glued grips.

Some have good experience with soapy water while others prefer pressurized air.

What technique you should follow to pull out glued grips is upto your choice but none of them requires you to cut the rubbers.

How Not to Damage Bike Grips When You Remove Them?

  • Don’t scratch your grips or handlebars

The risk of damage or scratch is high when you wedge and spray roughly. Your grips may not cover handlebars if they are scratched enough.

Chances of scratches from metal tools are higher so use a premium plastic tire wedge instead.

It’s not that hard or sharp to damage grips but sturdy enough to tolerate a substantial amount of force.

  • Don’t use oil

Oil damages the actual bike grip material so the grippy quality drops.

The grips may never stay securely to handlebards again if you use chemicals with excessive oil.

  • Don’t pull them out hard

Pulling or twisting too hard can rip off the grips or make them become too loose.

The challenge is to use enough lubricant to pull the rubbers out of handlebars with no damage.

Is reusing Bike Grips possible?

Yes, it’s possible. However, it depends on the condition of the grip after its removal. If it in a good condition, you may use it again. Keep in mind that, rough handling while removing can damage the grip to an extent that it can’t be reused at all.

However, this is only applicable for push-on grips. The Lock-on grips are always reusable as they contain a locking mechanism, making it easy to lock and unlock the grip.

In case of reused grip, be cautious when doing hard biking (mountain biking) as it may fail to provide enough support, forcing you to face an unwanted problem.

Tips for Bike Grips

  • Be cautious about new grips

Don’t push or spin new grips into the handlebars or they may get damaged and create leaks on the material.

  • Glue them on handlebars

Use super glue or grip glue to lock the grips on handlebars for a long time.

Avoid using excessive amounts or you will have a hard time removing them after a certain period.

Make sure the hot water doesn’t get in contact with handlebars when you clean the bike so the glue doesn’t come off.

  • Wipe regularly

Wipe out any dirt, water, sweat from the grips after a ride to keep them clean.

FAQs

Q. How long do BMX grips last?

Ans: On average a grip lasts for 2 – 12 months. However, It depends on the quality of the grip, the usage pattern and frequency.

Q. Why do bike grips get sticky?

Ans: If the grip contains high percentages of rubber compounds, it is normal for that grip to age with use and time. Moreover, a resin-type layer gets formed on the grip when road grime and dust mix with your sweat. All these reasons work together to make the grip sticky.

Q. Are all BMX grips the same size?

Ans: No, there are different sizes of grips available. Professional mountain bike grips have different diameters. However, the most commonly found sizes are 30mm and 32mm.

About the author

James Jordan

As a kid I inherited the love for mountain bikes from my father who used to ride for weeks through the Colorado trail in the city of Denver. He had his gang, and I followed pretty much the same track.

Later on, my interest in biking grew more after joining the Enduro race back in 2013. My buddies and I also participated in the Downhill racing for the third consecutive year, and it’s been an amazing experience.

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