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Hi all,
I ride every weekend once, sometimes twice for about 2-3 hours a go. Always DH runs, 2 mins down, 15 mins push up, repeat, etc.
Last summer my friends and I went to Morzine for a week of riding. By the third day, our hands and forearms were quite literally devestated. I could barely string together a 45 second section of the Pleney or Les Gets runs without needing to stop to avoid complete grip failure.
Indeed, on returning from our trip, it took about two full months for the joints in my fingers to stop aching constantly from normal use. I realise that the reason for this is likely due to being unused to such prolonged runs and (probably) the crazy number of braking bumps associated with said trails), but are there any remedies or tips people have for this kind of thing?
Further info:
1) I lift weights religiously, both for mass-gain and functional strength.
2) Brake reach, bite and position is set up corectly
3) I use thin grips on my handlebars (small hands
Need to get this sorted, otherwise I'm scared of going back!
Cheers!
Tim
[url= http://www.play.com/Gadgets/Gadgets/4-/143797/Powerball-Original-250Hz-Pro/Product.html?&_$ja=tsid:11518%7Ccc:%7Cprd:143797%7Ccat:Lads+and+Dads ]popeye arms[/url]
buy, use alot and bingo, arms of steel
Agreed, using mine for climbing / bouldering at the moment (also a great way of building upper body strength and far more interesting than the gym).
Take up climbing. Ride more.
My first season guiding in the Alps, my hands/forearms were wrecked most days. My second season I didn't even notice.
set up needs looking at
+1 for set up
on another thread earlier this week someone was suggesting using a powerball.
[url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/powerball-fad-or-good ]powerball-fad-or-good[/url]
+2 for set up.
I found that if I roll my brake levers up a bit, it drops my wrists and means I'm not holding on as hard as the palm of my hand is doing a lot of the work. I also try to drop my heels and let as much force as possible go through the pedals. Oh yeah, and relax!
Having said that, I've heard the braking bumps there are mental, I've never been but maybe it's just horses for courses?
Fork setup? What do you use? A tweak of rebound could help a lot. What brakes do you use? One finger braking? Are the levers in line with your arms in you normal DH riding position?
Apart from that, try finding longer DH runs
spot on doug!
Yeah agree with Doug 100%, set up of brake levers and relaxing on the bike is key, and tip about getting more weight through your heels is something I worked out doing the Mega, I also ended up alternating my braking fingers. Try moving your brakes further inboard too if you can? Having said that your arms will still hurt if you are not used to it, especially on the Pleney where the braking bumps get silly.
also are your bars the right width, plus inboard/outboard?
RELAX don't grip as hard (had exactly same problem last year)
i made afew adjustments for the mega and they seemed to make a difference
switched to slightly softer grips (lizard skin chargers)
moved brake levers bite point much closer to bars (much closer than you think)
brought spesh full gel gloves
when we went out we started slowly and built up the amount of riding we were doing, the end of the 1st week it was all good for the mega.
Probably a mix of two things....... 1, bike setup (too much weight towards front i.e. arms taking too much weight)2, Gripping the handlebars too tight.. relax your grip, you'll feel a difference straight away
Hutchinson Cross Town Triple Compound Grips
or
Hutchinson Scorpion Grips
are worth a try
All thats been said for setup, plus have a look at your bars and make sure they are flat.... Not xc racer flat, but the part that you hold on with should be parallel with the ground. If they flip up slightly due to the design of the bar or the bars being rotated too far forward in the stem this has more of an effect on your forearms.
Old MX champ set my YZ up years ago after watching me race by tilting the bars back, helped with arm pump and cornering too.
Brake with your middle finger only. The rest of your hand forms a relaxed fist and you dont need to grip so tight with the remaining fingers.
Hi TXR; all of your complaints applied to me following/during my first trip to morzine. (finger pain was worst in my little fingers)
i fixed the problem thusly:
1) bigger grips (i've got medium sized hands, i use thick grips).
2) don't have a death grip (you'd be surprised how soft your grip can be and still control the bike).
3) don't spend all day riding the tracks that are full of braking bumps. (did you ride any singletrack?)
4) one finger braking (index - at the very end of the lever)
5) bite point very close to the bar.
6) don't ride single pivot bikes or VPP (they DO get a bit 'locky outy' when you use the back brake - yes, yes they do)
7) look ahead for sections of trail where you can wiggle your fingers a bit.
8 ) 'dropping your heels' (everyone here has said it and it works. you can put more weight on your feet because it stops you getting bounced forward off your pedals)
9) don't go to Morzine/Les Gets (the alps are stuffed full to bursting with heavenly lift assisted trails, almost all of them are not in Les Gets/Morzine, but most of the braking bumps [i]are[/i])
that's what worked for me, i still get a bit beaten up, but the problem has moved to the inside of my elbow, which is fine with 5 mins of post-ride massage.
Bite point closer to bar and, sounds stupid, but breathe and make a conscious effort to do so.
Wow - lots of responses, thanks guys.
Ok - bike setup; I have the brake levers brought right in close to the bars, and brake with my index finger.
The bars I cut down and don't have too wide - I don't get on with wide bars.
My bike is built around a Sunn Radical Bos, so I've got a Stoy on the back and an Idylle on the front. I've got the springs set up properly for my weight.
My brakes probably arn't the best to be honest - 2006/7 Hayes HFX 9s off my old DH bike. Looking at getting Hope Tech V2s.
No we didn't ride any singletrack - was all DH. Spent most of our time on the Pleney and Les Gets red runs, as well as the Mont Chery runs. I'm certain it was the braking bumps that did it.
Perhaps the singletrack is a good idea - mix it up a bit when riding and try and avoid the well-trodden trails.
I've heard Chatel & Avoriaz are really good and less mashed-up.
Thanks for all the info chaps!
Just been reading this again - interesting comment about thicker grips. I had assumed that thinner grips would make the pain/pump better? Is it actually better having thicker grips then?
out of all that stuff i tried, thicker grips made the biggest difference...
you DO get more 'feel' through thinner grips, but it's hard work on your knuckle joints closing around something thin.
and that's why god made Sunline grips (Logo lock-ons). next time you go out to the alps, take some different grips. change them, see what works.
seriously? all those comments and no-one said 'MTFU'? This place has changed...
+1 for MTFU