Peaty’s all-new Monarch grips come in two different designs and five different colours with both tread patterns selling for under £25. There’s both a knurled option with diamond shaped file-like tread and this Mushroom version using BMX-style, concentric ribs on the upper part and the same waffle-style finger box underneath as you’ll find on the Knurl model.

Subtle tapering along the length of the Monarch means it’s widest at your pinky

It’s obvious the brand has done a pretty deep dive with this new product, like the best mountain bike grips there are plenty details to delve into in terms of materials used, sophisticated shaping and even environmental concerns.

Design and specifications

The basic Monarch shape is tapered, spreading out from the inside to grow 2mm by the time it becomes the outer edge. In the Thin varient it comes up at 30-32mm diameter, while the Thick is 32-34mm. The taper idea is there to offers more bar feel on the inside, where your thumb and index finer overlap, and more cushioning and impact damping on the outside under the three outer knuckles.

The rubber itself is 20a durometer, which the brand says strikes the best balance between soft and grippy, and durable. The rubber itself is also offset around the plastic slide-on core (it’s still round on the outside part you hold), with more squish under your palm and less underneath where your fingers grip. It makes sense to me, this lower side should require less damping and absorption and more finger feel.

The chevron pattern under your thumb is ideal for preventing chaffing

There is also a zig-zag thumb pad section under the point where your thumb and forefinger wrap over, and flex the grip while steering or chucking the bike from side-to-side. This section has chevrons very like Whyte’s in-house grips I really rate, it’s designed to offer more stability and resist the inward collapse some concentric mushroom-style ridges suffer from, which gives a vague feeling. One look at your own hands should tell you just how much friction and movement actually gets generated right here, with your callouses telling the tale.

Reducing the clamp size means more of the Monarch’s length can be devoted to grippy rubber, and less to unyielding aluminium

Like most modern grips, Peaty’s inner clamp part is thinner (8mm) to eat into less bar real estate and leave a 130mm piece of rubber to grip onto. The edge bump stop is also rubber with no uncomfortable metal edges to dig in and, like the opposite inner side, has a slightly raised bump or flange to help you sense where your hand is.

The Monarch also uses inner plastic sleeve cores made from 80% recycled ocean plastics and come retailed on recycled cardboard with paper-pulp plugs rather than plastic ones. It’s a nod to sustainability that’s not to be sniffed at.

Performance

The Thin Monarchs feel slightly fatter than many ‘thin’ grips I test – likely in part due to the tapered design that sees a 30mm grip inner width grow 2mm wider closer to the edge bump stop. The combination of ribbed concentric ridges and the grippy finger bars underneath works well and there’s good stability and a solid locked-on feel. I’m also a fan of how the tapered design, like Ergon’s GE1 Evo Factory grip, places my hands and wrists in a very natural stance.

Josh Bryceland’s signature Burgtecs are the epitome of lock-on grips for me, thanks to their superb damping and comfort

When testing these grips, a mate and me were swapping between test bikes at Dyfi, where the longer runs can really pummel your hands and highlight any differences in comfort and preference. One test bike has these new Monarch grips in Thin size and the other the latest Burgtec Bryceland Bartender signature grips in 31mm with Super Soft rubber.

Between the two, the differences were numerous. Most importantly, the Burgtec Bartender uses a more basic tread pattern, has softer durometer rubber (15a vs 20a here) and a partially cut away core. This last part is really important because it means more actual rubber is in contact with the bar, instead of the basic plastic sleeve that acts as an extra insulating layer.

Ride feel is not night and day different between the pair, and might also be something to do with the extra float in Burgtec’s tread pattern around the thumb, but we both agreed on a favourite. Bryceland’s new grip was much softer and just felt better somehow in terms of comfort and damping.

The Race Face Chester grip is so squidgy it’ll look after your hands even on really rough tracks

Even with the ribbed design, this Monarch can feel a bit solid and unyielding in your hand compared to some super squidgy grips (like Race Face’s Chester) and is definitely more at the positive and precise end of the spectrum than the floaty and mushy end. Some people will prefer the more direct sensation of control and feedback of course, but I like it squishy.

In terms of rubbing out bumps and jarring impacts, I also have other grips I prefer in this department, like Ergon’s GDH Team grips with their thicker waffle under the palm. Ergon’s rubber somehow seems to be better at dulling and absorbing impacts and vibrations than the Monarch too. I feel like I’m being harsh on the Monarchs as I agree with all of Peaty’s design logic here, but grips are always a very individual choice and, personally, I just prefer some other brand’s designs.

Peaty’s Monarch is really well thought out and designed, but a touch too firm for me