The Deity Lockjaw grips are a modern grip design meant for any riding style. I had these grips on my bike for ~200 miles before I replaced them. How did they perform? Read more to find out.
Features
Below are some noteworthy features of the Deity lockjaw Grips. At a high level, these grips work for any riding style, have a multi-pattern design, are moderately cushioned, and come in 12 different colors.
- Pattern: These grips have a split pattern. The palm and thumb grab onto a diamond pattern and the fingers “lock” onto a recessed half waffle pattern.
- Material: They use Deity’s propriety “TRC+” rubber compound and 6061 aluminium.
- Diameter: 32mm
- Lock-On Style: Single Bolt Lock-On
- Tapered inner sleeve (most modern grips seem to be doing this)
- 12 color options
- Deity states these grips are suitable for any riding style
Performance
I loved these grips. The diamond pattern was perfect for feeling out of the way. I didn’t really notice it was there and could just focus on riding my bike instead. I definitely noticed that recessed half waffle design, but it didn’t bother me. I did feel like it helped lock my fingers into a part of the grip that is otherwise prone to slipping. Some people are bothered by a multi-pattern grip design. If you’re one of those people, I would find another grip.
One thing that really aids in the grip of these is the rubber compound deity uses. To my feel, it’s a very soft rubber compounds that will move with your hand. For example, if you try to rev the grip like a motorcycle, the grip will move with you a bit before finally giving out. This leads to the grips feeling grippier than most.
Regarding cushioning, I think these grips found a sweet spot. They definitely have some cushion to them. The cushion is focused where you need it: In the diamond pattern on your palm. It has a little bit of give to it before it gets hard at the core. Do note that the harder you press on these, the more the soft rubber material scrunches up and is able to move with your hand, resulting in better grip.
These grips felt pretty good at managing arm pump. The first time I rode them, I noticed arm pump but I hadn’t ridden in a while. For subsequent rides, I didn’t notice any arm pump, including some pretty big bike park days and races.
Durability
I’ve been singing praises for these grips, so why did I take them off at around 200 miles? Durability. These grips are more akin to an F1 Soft Compound Race Tire than an everyday commuter highway tire. They offer great performance, but they degrade quickly.
The first spot to go is the bar ends. Since these grips don’t have locking bar ends, once they’re broken they’re done. I had one pretty slow-speed crash around a corner that absolutely shredded shredded one of my bar ends. It still stayed on the bike, but it was halfway-dangling off. In case you don’t know, bar ends are crucial for making sure you don’t get stabbed in a crash. They’re a necessary part of a mountain bike grip.
The next item to go was the diamond pattern. The protruded diamonds wore down over time, leading to less grip and less cushion. I do wonder if the local dirt had anything to do with these. Dirt in Colorado is gritty and abrasive, and it can be pretty tough on grips compared to dirt in the Midwest or the East Coast.
I consider grips a wear item, so I plan to replace them at least once a year. 200 miles of Colorado riding with ~60 park miles really isn’t awful durability, but these are the worst durability grip of any that I’ve tried so far. The tradeoff for these grips is their performance. I love having these on race day and consider a fresh set of grips a race-day luxury that I try to do if I can.
Just as a durability comparison, my PNW Loam grips wear significantly less than the Deity Lockjaw. They don’t grip and cushion as well though. It’s all about tradeoffs.
Miscellaneous
These grips are priced fairly well, costing $27.99 at the time of writing this. They also frequently go on sale and can be found cheaper.
The 12 color options are nice, and they have multiple loud & rare colors like purple if you want to get all matchy-matchy with your bike. Some manufacturers “offer” 12 colors but they’re all different shades of earth tones. Those aren’t going to match your sweet new orange pedals, are they?
I like that these grips are a single-clamp design. I’ve never had issues with single-clamp grips slipping, so why add more clamps? It’s just an extra thing to tighten at that point.
Are These Grips for You?
Want a high-performance grip that you should plan on replacing at least once a season? Look no further. Want a grip that’s going to be on your bike for the next 3 years? I’d look elsewhere. In short, these grips are the Formula One grip of mountain biking. They offer incredible performance, but don’t count on them to last forever.