Cork Grips in 2025: Learn Me

[Nick Shoemaker]

Getting ready to build my wife's soon-to-be-here-omg-cant-stand-the-wait Platypus! We decided to try the Meisha's cork grips from Blue Lug. I know that the standard Riv installation used to be gluing them on with Permetex and coating with a couple of coats of shellac for protection.

1) what happens if we don't shellac them (bike unlikely to be ridden/left in the rain)

2) are there any less permanent installations options that still work? (hairspray?)

Thanks in advance!

Nick

[aeroperf]

Somewhere to start:

https://groups.google.com/g/rbw-owners-bunch/c/S_wfx3exgt8/m/dkYntljnBgAJ

[aeroperf]

Here are a couple of pix with varnish.  2 coats new on a Platypus, 2 coats 10 years old on a Sam.
As varnish ages it darkens and wears.  Beausage.
Without varnish, cork will become whatever color you happen to have on your hands (or gloves).
For other cork treatments, try to find info from fly fishermen about their grips.

[J J]

Nick, the cork grips are great—comfortable and aesthetically lovely. I had a set on my Hunqapillar. Riv applied shellac during the initial build, and I added more later. Even so, over time the cork began to crumble, and eventually a big chunk broke off the right grip. This was in about two years of riding. My bike was stored indoors, but I did ride in wet conditions. That experience showed me that while cork grips have many virtues, they’re essentially a consumable item. 

 I would not feel comfortable installing cork grips without glue, as I'd be concerned about untimely and potentially dangerous slippage. I used chunky ESI grips in place of the cork ones and they've been fine, though they're not beautiful.

I see aeroperf had a much longer-lasting experience with cork grips, so all the usual caveats apply from my experience, and ymmv.

[Ginz]

Many times I've used the "Household" flavor of Hogar cement. Never came loose and when it came time to replace, I had to chip away the grip in small pieces.  So, it held perfectly.

You can buy Shellac in a spray can if that's more convenient.  I've done that before as well as used canned and even mixed my own and brushed it on.  It all seemed to work.

[aeroperf]

J J is absolutely right.  Whether or not they crumble or lose a chunk, the bike could fall over, or you might want to get the bars out of a 1-bolt stem someday.  If this is her forever bike, do yourself a big favor and buy 3 grips.

I used clear shellac.  I highly suggest you use something like shellac, as it also protects the cork.
Leaving them plain increases the chance of deterioration.  Also, while she may not ride in the rain, the rain may have other ideas (“We can beat it home…drat”).  And palms sweat.

I put ours on with Permatex #1 Form-A-Gasket.  Someone in the thread referenced above implied that by using this they could be removed without damage, but that’s not the way to bet.  See above - 3 grips.

The hemp twine does not help to hold the grip on - it holds the bar-end shifter cable in the channel on the underside of the grip.  If you’re using shifters other than bar-ends, you really don’t need it.  But it looks nice.

Good luck!  They look and feel great, even after 10 years and 10,000 miles.

[Michael Baquerizo]

they get dirty when you don't shellac. 

i have had good experience on nitto bars, using tubeless tape wrapped the long way where the grips will go. ie its not wrapped around the bars in small circles, rather a large strip that goes from top of where grip would go, around to the end, and back to the top in a straightish line. iirc one grip did better with this than the other. for the one with more room to spare, i threw on a piece of canvas bar tape where i felt it was a bit loose and it worked like charm. you end up with an interference fit that has little to no give while riding, but with some effort you can remove them (and you will, when your bike falls and the grips crack, unfortunately)

[Thomas Lynn Skean]

I’ve never deployed un-shellac-ed cork grips, so I can’t speak to the relative merits of coated vs uncoated. Just seeing/feeling real cork grips makes me think they *need* coating.

I don’t know about the merits of varnish vs shellac.

I’ve used shellac, two good coats applied an hour apart, with very good results. Spray vs brush has made no detectable difference. Good results meaning the grips are reasonably grippy, not slippery, and they’ve put up with 100s (1000s maybe?) of miles without coming apart. Freezing cold, hot storms. And they’ve survived a few minor scrapings, draggings, bumpings by showing scratches or even a small gouge without completely self-destructing. (I put another coat of shellac on after the gouging.) They aren’t intended as armor, so I wouldn’t expect them to withstand abuse well.

I prefer and use clear shellac though I don’t know why amber wouldn’t work just as well.

When I glue the grips on I use 3m’s 90 adhesive spray. Both inside the grips and on the bars. Expect to want to clean the bars with acetone or something similar afterward. Let them cure 24 hours. The 3m 77 did not adhere well enough. The 90 has been rock solid.

I was able to re-use one pair of grips glued on with 90, with ocd-level efforts to remove them, involving alcohol, acetone, and probably the shortening of my life through chemical absorption and stress. Once. Never again. Generally, I consider glued-on cork grips as single-use only. Want to change grips later? Start with a knife.

Yours,

Thomas Lynn Skean

On Aug 5, 2025, at 9:18 PM, Michael Baquerizo <mbaqu...@gmail.com> wrote:

they get dirty when you don't shellac. 

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[Pam Bikes]

I tried to not glue them and they would slide off.  Yes, cork may break off but I've glued it back or just left it off.  Mine have been more durable than I thought.  I ride daily and have only had to replace them once over 15 years (due to a piece broken off).  I keep them shellacked.  It needs to be re shellacked after a heavy rain.