ODI TINKER JUAREZ DREAD LOCK GRIPS

Tinker Juarez is someone who needs no introduction unless you were born in the YouTube generation of big air and sick whips. Before sending it and enduro racing became our sport’s popular image, the ’90s was an era of bar-banging cross-country racing. Tinker could be seen competing alongside such legends as Ned Overend and John Tomac. Now in his late 50s, Tinker continues to rack up the miles and can be seen competing in long-distance endurance races. ODI, a longtime partner of Tinker’s, decided to launch an all-new grip specifically designed for marathon racing. The grip, named after Tinker’s famous dreadlocks, builds off ODI’s F-1 Grip Series. This month we installed these grips on one of our bikes to see if we could channel our inner Tinker and go the extra mile. 

Tech features: ODI constructs these grips from its exclusive A.I.R.E. compound seen on other F-1 Series grips, but these grips offer a thicker diameter due to the lock ring and inner sleeve. The Dread Locks feature finger cutouts for an ergonomic fit and have an offset design with additional padding at the palm. A textured surface was added to increase tackiness, and the grips use single lock rings to ensure they won’t rotate. ODI offers the Dread Locks in five colors and sells them for $33. 

Field test results: After installing our new grips, we noticed a small arrow on the outer end that’s designed to help align the grips in the proper position. When the grips were properly aligned, it tucked the lock-ring bolt nicely under the bar for a more professional look. We quickly noticed the finger cutouts and appreciated their placements. The added padding at the palm was also a welcome feature. These grips aren’t exactly thick compared to other lock-on styles, but they are quite a bit thicker than other silicone, foam-style grips we’ve ridden with. 

We gave the Dread Locks a shakedown without our gloves and then introduced our favorite pair of gloves later in our testing. Without gloves, the Dread Locks offered a soft feel that was easy on our hands but became slippery once our hands got sweaty. Placing a little dirt in our hands quickly resolved this issue. We then put on riding gloves and found these grips not only offered a tacky surface but also seemed to damp vibrations when compared to a traditional grip. Riders planing all-day epics or racing marathons will appreciate this feature. Overall, the grips held up to our testing well and gave our riders all-day comfort. If a silicone foam grip with the security of a lock ring is in your future, look no further than ODI’s Tinker Juarez Dread Locks.

Hits

• Comfort for long rides

• Plenty of color options

• Shock-absorbing properties

Misses

• None

5 out of 5 stars