Product Review: A'ME Ergo Tri Heated MTB Grips

On winter bike rides hands are usually the first to get cold.  Cold fingers reduce dexterity for shifting and braking and can cause a cyclist to cut a ride short.  There are many ways to avoid this fate through the use of gloves, lobster mitts, pogies and chemical hand warmers, but the most effective method I found is by using heated handlebar grips.  In combination with gloves, mitts or pogies, heated handlebar grips can keep your hands warm for hours in the coldest of weather.  With the below average temperatures we have been having in Minnesota this winter, I was glad to have the opportunity to test a set of A'ME Ergo Tri Heated MTB Grips so I could stay out longer and not have to deal with numb fingers.

A'ME Ergo Tri Heated MTB Grips are made with a special Vulcathane™ rubber compound with a triangle pattern that provides a comfortable and tacky grip and long wear durabilty.  These grips feature bluPulse™ ‘Adaptive Thermal Regulation’ technology with six different temperature settings that can be selected by pushing a button.  They are powered by a rechargeable 11.1 volt Lithium-Ion Polymer Battery Pack that can be mounted to a frame tube or handlebar stem and have watertight connectors.  The clamp-on design of the grips makes installation easy and keeps them securely in place without any slipping. 

Each grip has its own temperature control that is adjusted by pushing the button near the clamp.  Six settings provide a temperature range of  from 90º to 130º depending on the need of the rider.  Push the button once to turn on the grip and the blue light will flash one time (lowest setting), push more and the blue light will flash accordingly to indicate the setting all the way up to the sixth (highest).  When the button is pushed on level six, it will return the setting to level one.  With each setting the blue light will pulse from bright to dim until that setting temperature is achieved where it will stop pulsating and remain dimly lit.  For best performance, the manufacturer recommends carbon fiber bars, aluminum bars tend to be a heat sink and draw the heat out of the grips into the bar making the battery work harder to maintain the setting temperature.

I tested the A'ME Ergo Tri Heated MTB Grips in a variety of conditions, with different gloves and with/without the use of a set of pogies.  In warmer conditions (high 20's to low 40's F), I rode without pogies using the grips in combination with a pair of fingerless gloves I usually use in the summertime.  Only the two lowest settings were needed to keep my hands warm, anything higher than this was too hot.  The battery easily kept the grips heated on these low settings for my rides lasting up to three hours. 

During cold temperatures (teens to twenties ºF) I would wear a pair of full finger Louis Garneau Roubaix gloves with the heated grips and this was more than enough to keep my hands warm.  The lowest three settings were all that was needed depending on the temperature outside.

For single digits to subzero temperatures ºF I would wear the Roubaix gloves with a set of pogies.  This was the ultimate set up for the bitter cold.  The pogies cut the wind and provided some extra insulation in addition to the gloves.  Once again, only the three lowest settings of the A'ME grips were needed, anything higher and my hands would get too hot and begin to sweat.  I never had to use heat settings four through six during any of my rides, the lower settings sufficiently kept my hands warm.  I suppose the higher settings could be used with thicker insulated gloves when outdoor temperatures reach -10 to -40º F and doing so would shorten battery life.

The A'ME Ergo Tri Heated MTB Grips had enough battery life to keep my hands warm on my rides which usually lasted up to three hours.  The outside temperature and choice of gloves and/or pogies will determine what heat setting will work best.  I always used the lowest setting where my hands were comfortable and didn't sweat too much.  Doing this would give me the longest battery life possible.  Recharging the battery will take several hours, so make sure you have it fully charged in advance.

 

If your hands get cold easily while biking in the winter or you would like to extend your ride time by having the option to warm your hands while you ride, then you will definitely like the Ergo Tri Heated MTB Grips from A'ME.  They have a tacky grip that works well with all types of gloves and will allow you to stay out longer in the cold with better finger dexterity for shifting and braking. 

 The A'ME Ergo Tri Heated MTB Grips complete kit is available on the A'ME website for $199.00 and includes the grips, battery pack, battery charger and mounting system.  The grips come in two colors, black and grey.  A'ME provides a 6 month grip replacement for manufacturer defects and a 2-year half-price replacement warranty on the grips for damage due to fall or excessive wear.

 Disclosure:  Gripos, LLC provided the review sample for this article, but offered no other form of compensation for this review.