Although many cyclists utilize custom orthotic insoles in their shoes, they typically just use one-size-and-shape-fits-all grips on their handlebars. University of Stuttgart spinoff Personomic is out to change that, with grips that are custom-made for individual users' hands.
Buyers start by taking a smartphone photo of each of their hands, laid flat against an A4 or US-Letter-format sheet of paper as a size reference. They then email those photos to the folks at Personomic, who use the images to create 3D computer models of each hand. Those models are in turn utilized to design the grips, which are optimized for comfort, pressure distribution and … well, grip.
The grips are manufactured by first 3D-printing a mold, and then filling that mold with silicone – so the actual grips themselves are molded, not 3D-printed. According to the company, the use of silicone allows the finished product to be soft, vibration-damping and grippy, without eventually becoming sticky as is the case with some other types of rubber.
As an added bonus, buyers can choose the color of the silicone and the aluminum locking rings, along with the grip texture pattern, when placing their order. The grips they receive will have an inner diameter of 22.2 mm, they'll each be 13 cm long (5.1 in), and should weigh 170 to 220 grams per pair, depending on hand size. It should be noted that while they'll work with bar-end mirrors, they won't be compatible with grip shifters.
Should you be interested, the Personomic grips are currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. Assuming they reach production, a pledge of €59 (about US$68) will get you a pair. The planned retail price is €99 ($115). There's more information in the video below.
We previously reviewed the similar custom-made Formy grips, although they were directly 3D-printed out of relatively hard polyurethane – and the company appears to no longer be in business. TMR Designs, however, is still producing its Imprint grips which buyers heat and squeeze, molding them to the inside shape of each of their hands.
Sources: Kickstarter, Personomic