What are Gropes?
Gropes are our unique leather handlebar grips. They offer the bike customisiation enthusiast an individual and eye-catching alternative to the usual handlebar coverings.
The idea was inspired by original leather-wrap grips, but recreated with a twist. Gropes are hand-made from high quality leather with pre-punched holes and come
with extra-long laces. They are available in two sizes and many colour combinations. And if you know how to tie a shoelace, you know how to fit Gropes.
Specifications
Sizes
The leather strips are 75mm wide. The intentional gap this creates, makes for a more pronounced lacing effect. It's a better look and a better grip.
Yellow Short Gropes
Cobalt Long Gropes
Gropes leather
We use a high-quality vegetable tanned cowhide from Italy, personally selected for us by Alison Lloyd, the Founder of Ally Capellino. It is a leather thats stays flexible and moulds to its job. Gropes leathers are supplied with pre-punched holes and heavy-duty double-sided tape on the reverse.
Available in six colours: black, brown, natural, honey, red and yellow and cobalt.
Gropes laces
Our laces are made from 100% Polyester. This makes for a harder-wearing product.
Because Gropes laces work just like shoelaces, discovering your own preferred lacing style is all part of the fun of customisation. Visit this great website that boasts it will show you 35 different ways to lace shoes: www.fieggen.com/shoelace
We have laces in six colours: white, grey, red, beige, brown and black.
Gropes bar end plugs
Our bar end plugs are made in the UK and are coated to prevent water damage.
Both plugs feature a screen printed Gropes monogram.
Fitting instructions
Basic
1. Peel the backing off the double-sided tape and carefully attach to the handlebar.
2. Lace them up tightly. Repeat the same process on the other side.
3. Put the excess laces inside the bar and close the end with bar end plug.*1
For drop brake levers
1. Neatly trim the leather pieces to the correct length for your handlebar.
2. Attach the brakes to the handlebar in the position you find most comfortable.
3. Remove the brake levers but leave the ring clamps in position.
4. Loosely attach the leather to the handlebar and accurately mark the position of the ring clamps.
5. Remove the leather, and using your markings as a guide, cut neat holes*¹ for the brake lever clamps.
6. Peel the backing off the double-sided tape*² and carefully attach to the handlebar.
7. Loosely attach the leather pieces once more and then feed the brake cables underneath them and out of the new holes.
8. Attach the brake levers to the clamps.
9. Lace up the leather grips tightly. Repeat the same process on the other side.
10. Put the excess laces inside the bar and close a end with bar end plug.*1
*1 The diameter of our end plugs are 19mm. You may need to trim the cork if the diameter of your handlebar is too small.
*2 We recommend that you cut the holes slightly smaller to begin with, the leather may stretch to the correct size.
*3 Alternatively, you can apply hairspray or hair wax to achieve an extra solid bond with the handlebar.