I’d only been riding MTBs in the modern stylee for about 6 months when I bought MMBS. Loads of the content went way over my head but certain fundamentals clicked and really helped. I often revisit it and find my riding has progressed another step and another segment of the book is now relevant to my riding.

Ergon grips for DH riding?

I was looking for some more info on grip issues but found this instead and it amused me:

Hanging with Mark Weir

Position your hands on the grips so your wrists follow a line into the centre of the bar not over the top. This makes it very difficult to go over the bars which is probably half the reason you are gripping so hard in the first place. Grip lightly with 3 fingers and thumb, try to minimize braking, especially dragging the brakes which can lead to arm pump. Centralise your weight on the bike putting as much weight through your feet as your hands.

all good advice. set my levers up a lot better now. not done any dh or fr yet tho 🙁

I think if you have your bodyweight off the bars (always over the BB as I’ve said), you won’t have a death grip. Like said, start slower and in control and focus on body position of keeping weight on your feet (over the BB). heels down, wrists down, squat down will help you prevent being thrown forward and eliminate death grip (levers up, 1 or 2 finger braking, whatever). The same principle for drops and other stuff, weight on the bb and chest up will keep the bars and front end up (you will not nose dive if you keep your weight centred over the bb and chest up). Occasions you need to move outside that BB weighting would be manuals/bunnyhops etc.