How to make the grip stick in its place on the handlebar?

Question

I have this unbelievably frustrating situation:

Basically, on the right side of the steering handle on my bicycle, the "soft" (not really) rubber thing that you grip with your hand keeps sliding slowly from its proper position down to this position, where it stops. As you can see, there's a big gap between the gear selector and the grip, which you can really feel while trying to bicycle around. It's extremely annoying. It ruins every trip because I keep thinking about it.

The red dashes on the photo indicate where the metallic part ends inside. It never seems to go further than that. If I use extreme efforts to slowly rotate it back into its correct location (that is, no visible metallic part), which only works sometimes depending on the weather, it soon goes back down again. So it's pointless.

Is this a common problem with an easy solution? The left side (which has no gear selector, obviously, if that matters) always stays in its right place.

Even if I use some kind of oil or grease or something to make it easily slide up again, it just won't stick in its proper place for long. I don't even understand how this is physically possible.

Answer 1

If you remove the handle and spray a bit of hairspray into the handle and then put it back on, then it should help it to stick. Hairspray works well because it will stick a little while still allowing it to be removed when you need to replace it later.

Alternatively, if this doesn't work, you may consider replacing the grips. They do degrade over time, stretching out so they don't fit tight enough over the bars. They aren't very expensive for basic ones, although they can get expensive.

When you are selecting grips for purchase, pay attention to the handlebar diameter to make sure they are the right size. They also sell grips in sets, and sometimes will have the right side shorter specifically to account for the shorter length needed to accomodate the shifter. Measure your existing grips and the bars to ensure you are getting the right size.

Answer 2

You can pull the grip off, and lightly roughen the part of bars on the inside using a file or sandpaper. This gives some "tooth" for adhesive, because the straight chrome is smooth.

New grips are probably your best option. I use dishwash liquid as a lubricant when installing them, and it dries to a tacky surface that will hold the grip in place.

It is possible to buy "lock on" grips that clamp down onto the bars as well, but some of them need a precise slice taken off the end.

A final option is to use bartape instead of a grip. When firmly wrapped around using adhesive, is quite comfortable, and you can wrap multiple layers for added thickness and cushioning.

I do not recommend using electrical tape nor going without - most bars are too narrow to hold comfortably for a long time and your hands will ache.

Answer 3

When installing replacement grips I have used tape on the metal before adding the plastic. Just normal sticky tape or electric repairs sticky tape, with the sticky side to the metal.

This does increase the size of the handle bars and gives a bit of grip for the plastic of the grip.
(This was a cheap bike and cheap replacement parts, so not looking for the 'best' option but I had a fair bit to fill.)