PNW Range Handlebar & Loam Grip: Rider Review

Our "Rider Review" article series features honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

PNW Components has been on a roll lately, releasing new grips, bars, and other goodies that customers are absolutely loving. In fact, a good number of our staff are currently running something made by PNW on their bike! Our customer Josia decided to go all in and picked up a new set of PNW Range Bars and Loam Grip. Check out his review to learn more!

Overview

It was an interesting journey that led me to this product. For the last several months I had significant pain in both thumbs after riding my Vitus Sentier VR+ hardtail. So much so, that at times I could hardly move my thumbs and had trouble writing. This sparked a quest to determine the cause of the thumb pain, so I could hopefully stop it. I realized that my brake levers being angled down resulted in my thumb being the only thing that stopped my hand from sliding up over the grips when braking or descending. Angling my brake levers up, so the palms of my hand, rather than my thumb, pushed against the grips was helpful, but did not eliminate the thumb pain entirely. I also switched back to the bike's stock grips, the current grips were wider towards the inside, putting more pressure onto my thumb, while the narrower stock grips did this much less. This also helped, but did not stop the pain completely. It also hurt my hands and wrists because the narrower grip provided less support.

It was then that I stumbled across the PNW Range Handlebar KW Edition and Loam Grip kit. They immediately piqued my interest. The grips are narrower towards the inside with more support on the outside for your palm. The handlebars have more backsweep (10 degrees) than other bars, putting more of the grip under your palm than in front of your thumb, and the aluminum used, was picked for its compliance, allowing it to better absorb vibrations. Theoretically, this should solve my thumb problems. I ordered the kit.

Installation

The handlebar and grips were very straightforward to install, no surprises. I loved the look of the orange color on the handlebar and grip with the orange on the fox fork. Orange had otherwise been a little bit of a lonely color on the bike.

On The Trail

The grips and handlebar combination worked superbly. The theoretical solution to my thumb pain had become a reality. The Loam grips are very comfortable in my hand, both with and without gloves, with a very grippy compound. I have not had them long enough to comment on the durability of the grip compound, though it seems sturdy thus far. While riding, the compliance of the bar and support of the grips to my hands was certainly noticeable and the ride felt much smoother, quickly gaining the approval from my now much happier hands.

Final Thoughts

This handlebar and grip combo was a life-saver (or perhaps rather a thumb-saver). They do exactly what the company says they do. They were designed very thoughtfully, look great, are affordable, and are produced by an awesome company, and in the case of the KW edition of the handlebar, the event supports an excellent cause. I am very satisfied with this purchase and would highly recommend these grips and handlebar to anyone thinking about purchasing them, particularly if they have any thumb or wrist issues from riding.