These All Mountain Style lock-on grips are designed in Spain by Cero Designs. Cero is a design team led by top ex-World Cup downhiller Cesar Rojo, a man who’s responsible for some major MTB innovations including Mondraker’s revolutionary Forward Geometry concept and, more recently, the sculpted carbon Unno superbikes.

These grips aren’t quite so revolutionary, but there’s attention to detail in the design, with dual grip zones and dual-density rubber. A knurled pattern offers friction against palms and the ball of the hand, while a ridged waffle pattern underneath helps secure fingers. The section where the thumb and first finger loop around the grip also uses a longer-lasting, tougher rubber with protruding AM graphics.

The compound here is super sticky and tacky without gloves on, but there’s less grip and an overly smooth and shiny feel in the thumb loop zone. There’s also a lack of depth and definition in the knurled rubber pattern that brings an overall sense of less padding and comfort compared to grips I regularly use. The 30mm diameter is typical, but these Cero grips feel slimmer than most too.

Damping and shock absorption is also underwhelming, resulting in my hands feeling sore after just a few hours riding. These skinny-feeling Cero grips transmit more trail feedback and buzz than my favourite grips and come over more like a budget component fitted to a complete bike, rather than an expensive aftermarket upgrade. 

Check out our guide to the best mountain bike grips for some alternatives. For more budget-friendly upgrades, how about improving comfort with the best mountain bike saddle or best MTB handlebars.