Burgtec Grips Review: What You Need To Know Before You Buy

Burgtec is a well-known and highly respected brand in the mountain biking world, and for good reason. They are known for creating high-quality components and accessories that are designed to squeeze every bit of performance from each product.

One of the most popular products they produce is their grips, which are designed for comfort, grip and performance, no matter the trail or style of riding you do. Ridden by the likes of Greg Minnaar, Danny Hart, Nina Hoffman and Angel Suarez, it’s safe to say you’re in good hands! But what is the difference between each grip?

In this blog, we will take a good look at each grip Burgtec have to offer and their differences, evaluating performance, comfort and durability. Whether you are a seasoned pro or a beginner looking for your first set of grips, this review will help you find the best option for your needs.

What Type Of Grips Do Burgtec Offer?

Burgtec offers a variety of grips, all with different features and benefits. Here is a brief overview of the different types available and their pros and cons:

The Bartender with its diamond shape grip design

1. The Bartender Grip

This was Burgtec’s first grip design. Featuring a slightly smaller outer diameter of 30mm (smack bang in the middle of DMR Deathgrip’s slim at 29.8mm and Diety slimfit at 30.5mm) and the same single inbound lock-on clamp as seen on all Burgtec grips.

An ultra-thin tapered core takes centre stage meaning only one clamp is needed, easing pressure across the palm and through the Median and Ulnar nerve, relieving some causes of hand pain and numbness.

9 stunning colour options and a knurled low-profile grip pattern.

These grips are great for someone that desires a long-lasting grip but isn’t too bothered about being ultra grippy and taking the sting out of the trail. I’m not saying these aren’t grippy by any stretch, but they are the least grippy of the bunch.

IDEAL FOR: Freeride, Dirt Jump or weekend trail warriors alike.

PRICE: £15.99 

Greg Minnaar's Bartender Pro in Race Red

2. The Bartender Pro Grip

Table header 0	Bartender Pro
Pros	- Vibration damping - Fantastic grip in all weathers - Great choice of colours inc. 3 Limited edition colours - Single lock-on
Cons	- Not quite as hard-wearing as the original bartender

The G.O.A.T’s grip! Designed in collaboration with Greg Minnaar himself. Don’t know much about Greg? Well…he has the most individual World Cup wins EVER, with 23 victories to his name! He has won 4 overall World Championships, which is the second most, among all currently active racers. This guy can chuck a bike downhill for sure and he trusts these grips on the ends of his handlebars.

With a slightly thicker outer diameter of 31.5mm (again this sits between the DMR Deathgrip’s thick at 31.3mm and Deity’s most popular grip the Knuckleduster at 32mm) using the same ultra-thin tapered core as the Bartender, they have all the good qualities of the Bartender with a few extra superpowers.

The Bartender Pro features a 30A rubber compound, which on the ‘Shore Hardness Chart’ is classed as a soft rubber, equivalent to a pencil eraser but almost into rubber band territory! With their heavily ribbed outer, these are grippy as hell, even in the most adverse of weather conditions.

Although as you would expect with the softer rubber the longevity is reduced slightly. But expect these to last as long as any other grip on the market.

What does this mean for you? Great vibration damping on the trail, fantastic grip and slightly wider for a comfortable handle on the bars.

Comes in 9 colour options with 3 limited edition mixed colours on top!

IDEAL FOR: every discipline that wants a firm grip on the bars and some damping qualities. From Freeride to Downhill this grip doesn’t discriminate.

PRICE: £19.99



The super soft version is identical in looks to the bartender pro, but with a little extra supleness.

3. The Bartender Pro Super Soft Grip

Table header 0	Bartender Pro Super Soft
Pros	- Even better vibration damping - Fantastic grip in all weathers - Single lock-on
Cons	- Softer compound equals a shorter lifespan - Only come in black

Another of Greg Minnaar’s signature grips, the internals are the same as the much-loved Bartender Pro with a subtle but game-changing difference on the surface.

This grip utilizes a 25A rubber compound, which on the ‘Shore Hardness Chart’ is right on the cusp of rubber band softness. This still sits in the soft area of the chart, but when comparing them to the Bartender Pro they feel much softer.

These grips are stickier than a crusty lid on a marmite jar.

This isn’t a feel that everyone desires, but it goes a long way for people that suffer from arm pump and numbness at the bottom of the trail.

Unfortunately at the time of writing they only come in one colour, black. So all the colourful riders may be upset.

IDEAL FOR: Anyone who suffers with arm pump/numbness or just likes the feel of a soft grip.

PRICE: £21.99

The Bartender Pro on the left vs The Bartender on the right. you can see the grip is very similar apart from what can only be described as magical grip enhancing Minnaar fins.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Burgtec offer a curated range of high-quality grips to suit most people and their riding styles.

The Bartender grip is a great value hardwearing grip, suitable for people with smaller hands or if you like the feel of a narrower grip.

The Bartender pro editions are ridden by some of the biggest names in MTB, great for long days in the saddle and all weather riding due to their grippy compound.

Then there’s the super soft grips, which are even stickier than the standard pro edition and feature an ultra soft surface to reduce trail vibration and some causes of pain/numbness in the arms and hands.

All the grips share similar features including the single lock on clamp, meaning you can hang those hands off the edge of the bars with comfort.

My favourite grip is the Bartender Pro, I have ridden this grip personally for the last 4/5 years and feel it’s a great all round grip. It can be ridden bare handed or with gloves no problem. Wet weather riding has never been an issue, although I have only ridden in gloves in the wet. The thickness of the grip is perfect for me and although I am from Yorkshire, my hands are not like shovels.

Grips are a fantastic upgrade to any bike and make a real difference to comfort and performance, but there are so many essential mountain bike upgrades you can make! Most of them can be fairly budget conscious and so are a great way of upgrading your bike for less.

These are my personal grips.

They have only just been removed from the bars after 4 years of hammer. Yes they are worn, but in my opinion its £20 well spent! 

But.. one of Greg's criteria was durability and they sure delivered with that.

Installation tip

As all Burgtec grips feature a tapered core, just sliding them on isn’t always enough.

To make sure they are fully seated, hit the end of the grip with the palm of your hand, this should be enough pressure to get the grip fully on.

If you are still struggling to get them on you can spray some Isopropyl Alcohol onto the handlebars.

Don’t use washing up liquid or anything that doesn’t evaporate. Make sure to tighten the single lock on clamp to the correct spec. Don’t over tighten especially on carbon handlebars.

Take a watch of this video to hear Greg's own words about the bartender pro grips