DMR DEATHGRIP 2 RACE GRIPS REVIEW

May 2, 2025

The DMR Deathgrip has enjoyed great success for the last eight years, and can be found on bikes of all shapes and sizes. Whether it was the marketing power of Mr Deathgrip himself – Brendan Fairclough – or simply the performance of the original grips, they enjoyed quite some success.

Not ones to rest on their laurels, DMR and Brendan set about updating their grip to take on all the feedback they’d amassed – enter the DMR Deathgrip 2. With standard and race options, two thicknesses, and many color and style choices, DMR Continues to offer riders the ability to tune the Deathgrips to their exacting preferences.

We’ve been putting the miles on a set of the Deathgrip 2 Race grips since their launch, and it’s time to share our thoughts on how the updates perform.

ABOUT THE DMR DEATHGRIP 2 RACE

For the Deathgrip 2, DMR bikes set about making updates throughout the grip to boost its performance further than ever. The general pattern of the grip is retained, with a knurled surface for the majority of the grip; a mushroom section wrapping around the inside to boost comfort, and a waffle pattern underneath where the fingertips lie for increased traction. The spacing of these has been tweaked slightly, and the knurl pattern has been made coarser for increased traction.

The Deathgrip 2 continues to use a tapered core, which requires a tap on the barend to seat it properly on the bar. This allows DMR to use a single inboard collar, which has been slimmed down to reduce the real estate it uses on the bar. This collar locks in place with a M4 bolt. On the end of the core, the rubber has been removed to reduce the chances of damage.

DMR continues to offer the Deathgrip 2 in a choice of thin or thick diameters, sitting at 29.8mm and 31.3mm respectively. There are also the choice of flanged or flangeless, as well as standard with a 20A rubber compound or Race with 15A. Further boosting the options are a wide range of colors in the standard version, to match or stand out with your rig.

The standard DMR Deathgrip 2’s retail for $27 / £24 / €25, whereas the DMR Deathgrip 2 Race grips tested retail for $30 / £27 / €28.

THE DIRT

In my time, I’ve burned through quite a few sets of the original DMR Deathgrip in the Race compound and thin diameter. I loved their tackiness and the great bar feel, and was happy to accept the reduction in padding for the boost in control. While my hands were never the most comfortable on them by the end of a day’s riding, up until a few years ago they would be my go-to grips. However in the last few years, I’ve managed to increase the time spent in the saddle, and so grip comfort has become more important to me, so the Deathgrip fell out of favor.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised by the fact that the DMR Deathgrip 2 Race grips don’t suddenly offer groundbreaking comfort. After all, the core is similar, and the diameter remains unchanged. The pattern is slightly modified, with a fatter knurl and small tweaks throughout, but this served to create more discomfort when gloveless if anything. The coarser knurl fairly leaves an imprint on your hands when you’re gripping on tight.

I get the impression that the core has to be relatively thick in order to offer the strength for the tapered design, and so the thin diameter doesn’t have a huge amount of rubber on the knurled section where your hands rest. Great for control and feel, but not so good for comfort. The thick grips are unsurprisingly going to boost comfort, but my chunky palms love a thinner grip.

What is still retained is some excellent bar feel and traction for your hands. The thin Deathgrip 2’s represent some of the most connected feeling grips on the market, so if you’re a rider looking for ultimate control, then they may be exactly what you’re looking for. The Race compound is soft and relatively sticky, giving good bar traction whether gloveless or gloved. The updates to the grip have added refinement, but some may complain about the new bar end design which reduces comfort slightly if you’re a rider who likes to hang over the edge of the grip. If you’re not in that camp, then the new bar end is going to stand up to the test of time better.

I wasn’t able to create any notable wear on the DMR Deathgrip 2 Race grips in the time I tested them, so the Race moniker should not put you off from opting for the softer compound unless you’re looking for a set of grips to last for a very long time. As one of the key touch points on the bike, I’d always opt for the softer and stickier compound to improve performance, accepting that they’ll wear out faster.

The Wolf’s Last Word

If you’re looking for a quality grip with high levels of riding precision, then the DMR Deathgrip 2 Race Thin is likely to suit your needs. They’re a quality pair of grips, but the minimal rubber thickness can create discomfort in the thin size if you’re a rider looking to log a lot of saddle time.

Price: $27 / £24 / €25 (Deathgrip 2) – $30 / £27 / €28 (Deathgrip 2 Race)
Website: DMRbikes.com

ABOUT THE WOLF

Robert’s habitat is the Tweed Valley, Scotland, which is renowned for its root-littered enduro mountain bike trails. Robert has been developing his bike handling skills for the last 16 years. Since he was a pup, he’s been riding everything from BMX through to enduro and downhill bikes. Combining a playful style with occasional speed-focused aggression, he favors supportive bikes, and does his best to push them hard.

Rank: European Tech Editor
Size: 6’2” / 189cm | 220lbs / 100kg
Social: @robert_johnston

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