Sam Hill needs no introduction. The Antipodean ripper has been a household name for well over a decade and has deftly turned his hand to any form of racing. Currently racing (and winning) EWS for the Chain Reaction Cycles team, his long time sponsor Nukeproof has now provided him with a full range of signature parts. The Nukeproof Sam Hill Series grip can be found alongside saddles, bars, stems, seatposts and pedals.

The best mountain bike grips

Diamonds are forever

Let’s get to nitty gritty, these are properly grippy grips. Sam has opted for a diamond knurl pattern for the main part of the grip (similar to the excellent Renthal Ultra Tacky). This is also backed up with a half-waffle section on the underside, for improved grip in really crappy weather. This gives your fingers something to really curl around and the raised sections almost lock your fingers in place. Combine this with a super soft rubber compound and it can often feel like the grip wants to rip your skin off, such is the holding ability.

Diamond knurl pattern and Sam Hill’s signature characterise the top of the grip.

Tried and tested dimensions

The design keeps to a pretty standard formula of length (136mm) and diameter (31.5mm) that works well with my medium sized hands without taking up too much space on the handlebar. I would have preferred a slight flange or raised section at the ends to let me know when I was at the end of the grip, but this is a personal preference.

Half-waffle pattern on the underside.

The Sam Hill personalized alloy locking collars still use the smaller 2.5mm hardwear as opposed to the increasingly popular 3mm. However, I had no real issues with getting the bolts tight enough to keep the grip in place, but a couple of times it felt like the hex key was gouging the bolt out a tad.

Watch Sam Hill smash it

Metal bar ends designed by Mr Hill.

Buy Now: £15.99 at Chain Reaction Cycles