Am I death gripping too much?
Am i just puny?
Are my forks ****?

or ALL OF ABOVE 🙂

whats your secret to get rid of the "pump"?

Start bouldering.

control set up can have a lot to do with it.

think about how you hold your bars and where your brakes are

assuming there isn't some fundamental setup problem, it's the same as going to the gym – ride more. 🙂

Brake on the non-bumpy bits. So I try (not very good) to look at the track and pick my braking areas so that I can fly over they bumps/jumps without braking. Try going slower but allow yourself to speed up over the tech/rough bits.

When I was motorcyclist we used to practise fast cornering by trying to set our entry speed by how much or little we accelerated from the previous corner so that you did not have to brake as you approached the corner, this kind of removes the over braking or not braking enough effect and makes you smoother. So I try to apply the same thing with MTB by modulating my speed on the smooth bits and allowing myself to accelerate through the bends…

Considering that I write technical reports every day the above reads back awfully, hopefully someone will come along with a better explanation or even a better idea..

Ride more!

Ride more +1 and relax!

Arm pump?

no pedalling?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEj0CnLBdSQ&feature=related

So mo magic trick then:(
I will need to look at my controls position. Think my brake levers are set too far up.
I used to climb as well!

Shirley press-ups might help?

i thought they were for shoulders and not forearms?

Powerball and a brick stick. Sorted. Grip like a vice with no effort.

brick stick?

Try Motogrip trainer – get them from CRC. Basically a palm sized rubber ring that trains the forearm. Good toy for the desk too

Do the megavalanche.

Live in the alps.

+1 on the powerball, good for irritating SWMBO also

Look at your brake lever angle, when your in your "attack" position decending with your finger on the lever your forearm, hand and braking finger should all be inline.

Also are you single finger braking? If not you should be, using 2 fingers means your pulling lots of tendons simultaniously whiles also trying to grip the bar with your remaining fingers and move your arms about, just too much going on, also are yo a bit keen on the brakes? (be honest with yourself here) if your grabbing late fistfuls of brake and tippy toing through corners you'll be doing alot more hand/forearm work than you really need to and make sure your levers are a sensible distance from the bar…

Poorly set up brake levers and the wrong technique are the number one cause for "Arm pump" it has very little to do with having super muscly arms, technique comes with practise so find a nice set of corners in your local woods and practise, practise, practise….

Good luck…

Get a length of 2×2 (about 2ft long) plain the corners off so its roughly round. (needs to be thick/chunky)
Fix a length of cord to the middle and fix the other end to a brick.
With the brick on the ground hold the wood at arms length parallel to the ground, then wind in the cord lifting the brick up to your hands and then wind the brick back down again. Whilst keeping your arms parallel to the ground.
Enjoy:-)

brick stick is as speshpaul said, but not 2×2, that's too easy, you need a broom handle for your brick to keep the required torque nice and high 🙂

Wind it up one way, and back down without "releasing".

Cookea- yep I am a BRAKER – 1 finger mind-but jeez tryinh to train myself to get off the bleading brakes is tricky! Inners last night and I know I am doing it everywhere!
Speshpaul- I think I can picture what you mean?

As cookea said – also levers as close to the bars as possible so your tendons are doing as little as possible (oh and some 4 pots)

Ride the bike with your feet, not your hands.

Formuala The Ones- great brakes!
Work well 🙂

"but not 2×2, that's too easy, you need a broom handle for your brick to keep the required torque nice and high "
I know what you are saying but a length of 2×2 rounded off is nearer the position your hands are in when riding.

Dunno, my broom is about the same diam as my bars.

Pull the brakes with your mind not your fingers

Dont think it has anything to do with braking myself, I brake one finger only and still get it at the bottom of alpine descents.

Yep getting the it right is a 1 man mind game, held if you can get your eye in on a "short practise course" rather than ploughing straight into long runs…

Formuala The Ones – sh!te brakes!
Over heat

Avid Codes….a proven alpine bit of kit.

"Dunno, my broom is about the same diam as my bars. "
Unless your levers touch the bars when you are braking then your finger(s) will be further away from the bars (+grips)

anyone got a photo of their 2×2 or broom set ups?
Random I know but…

I can get you one of mine tonight, but there's diagram above 🙂

diagram- where?

sorry brain fade – now see diagram!

one handed surfing of specialist internet sites, that should soon build up the arm endurance. just remember to swap hands now and then or you'll end up with 1 massive arm 😉

😆
sounds ideal training!

Could fork set-up be a factor?

Had my RC40's for a few years with the stock medium spring. Thought they were ok but never got full travel. Did The Cobbler in December, with a 2900ft descent back to Arrochar. Had serious arm pump by half way down.

In January I picked up a soft spring for the forks which has transformed them, much more supple, never feels out of its depth. Did Devils staircase / Cairan path etc the other week, no arm pump at all.

Coincidence? Psycological? Or does the better fork action mean less braking is needed? Too many questions for a Friday night.

Rob