The Race Face Chester grips prove to be a comfortable and reliable companion which, thanks to the cleverly placed soft rubber, do a great job of taking the sting out of harsh handlebar feedback. Available in two diameters and a wide range of colourways, these grips should suit most people, and they have to be on the list to consider for your next set of grips.
Race Face Chester grips - Technical Details
The Chester grips are available in two diameters - 31mm and 34mm - to suit your preference and with a length of 136mm these grips should fit most hands.
Colourways feature a black grip with nine different clamp ring colours along with a tan coloured grip option. These grips use a single lock-on clamp on the inboard side which secures the grip to the bar with a single bolt.
The all-important rubber is super soft with a 20A durometer which provides plenty of cushion to the grip. There is a thicker pad of rubber under the palm to give some extra squish for improved ride comfort and reduced fatigue.
The pattern has a classic ribbed mushroom layout but features a taper towards the inboard side of the grip. It also uses ridges underneath for extra finger grip. The ridges are directional which is claimed to help wick moisture away from the grip for an improved feel when ridden without gloves.
Race Face Chester grips - Performance
My preference for grips lands on the fatter side so I opted for the 34mm diameter option. I don’t like my fingers to wrap too far around the bar and prefer the bonus of more rubber cushioning from a fatter grip. Fitting was a simple affair – a quick knock on the end of the grip to make sure it's on the bar and a single bolt fixes the grip securely.
The 34mm diameter Chester grip felt right straight from the off, the rubber feel is notably different to other grips I’ve used recently. There is plenty of cushioning under the palm which is noticeable without feeling squirmy or vague. While riding, this does help take some of the harshness out of feedback from the bars whether it be chattering over roots and rocks or casing a jump at the pump track.
The ridges underneath the grip are well-spaced to provide some tactile grip for the fingers and after a little adjusting to get them sitting right, they give a nice locked-in feel. Thanks to the mushroom pattern on top, the ridges for the fingers and the super soft 20A rubber, these grips never feel slippery even when sweaty or wet glove-less hands are involved.
Race Face Chester grips - Verdict
With a retail price of £25, these grips are just undercutting the top end of the market making them well-priced. Other options for similar money are the ODI Reflex grip which features similar design intentions and received high praise in our review. My go-to grip for years has been the Oury Single clamp lock on grip, I love its simplicity, diameter and cushioning. At £30 it's a little more expensive than the Chester and when wet it doesn’t feel as tactile but certainly worth considering nonetheless.
The Race Face Chester grips offer excellent cushioning which notably helps take the sting out of the trail. The increased palm thickness along with the mushroom and ridged pattern make for a comfortable place for bare or gloved hands. With plenty of style options and two diameters, these grips are hard to ignore.
