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Ok so for a few months I've been getting sore hands when out on the bike. Its that bad I'm having to slow down after 2/3 mins into trails. So to get to the bottom of this I'm asking for a few pointers/ideas of what to do next.
At the min I'm on a carbon bike with carbon bars. I'm now guessing this is my problem and there is a lot of vibration and no damping.
I've tried 30mm and 50mm stems and 10/20mm rise bars all in 35mm flavour. My front tyre is 2.5 and I run it round 21psi, fork is set up pretty much bang on. I also tried foam grips but no joy.
I'm thinking I'll drop in some alloy bars next and if that fails drop down to 31.8 set up?
What's peoples thoughts on this? anyone had this problem in the past and how did you fix it.
Have you tried some ergon grips to spread the load? It made a massive difference to me.
Ergon grips +1
next step is raise the bars.
i was like this, I couldn’t ride any bike for more than a few minutes.
ergon grips made a huge difference for me.
Was the bike new when the pain started?
Had a crash or other impact on the hand?
Might also sound strange but how tight are you holding on? Soft hands helps a lot, also how are your levers set? Reaching too much, hands not quite right?
i like the ergon grips with the stubby bar ends so you can change positions. You have to be prepared to spend a while moving the position of the grips round until you find what works for you. I haven't found it a perfect solution but it helps reduce the pain for me. I've tried different levels of padding in gloves but the wider grips and option of changing position have helped most
Forgot to say I'm running Ergon grips ATM.
I've been using ESI Extra Chunky grips for a fair few months, as I was finding my hands hurting after only a short while on the bike. They are a bit fiddly to put on, but I ignored the official guidance and used Sam Pilgrim for inspiration - zip ties through the grips and slide them onto the bars, pulling the zip ties out once in position. You can use zip ties to remove them too. The reduction in pain has been very impressive, plus my hands recover way more quickly once out of a challenging section. You need to pay attention to positioning slightly, as the are a little oval, so get the thicker portion in the appropriate place on the bar. Also, I never ride without gloves - can't imagine they would be the best when slippery.
Another alternative were the ODI foamy grips that Rachel reviewed on this very website 3 days ago. She found them very comfortable. I'm tempted to try them when my current ESI ones need replacing.
I've Spank Vibrocore bars which help.
I used to have a set of Absolute Black silicone grips that were very good but didn't last long. Certainly the best, and most expensive, grips I've used.
There are also Revs grips which have some sort of suspension built in but at 80 quid a pair I'm not that bothered.