Last few trips out on the big bike, I’ve found that the bit that has got most tired has been my forearms and my grip. Am running the same grips as my old NRS (Intense Lockons) so I don’t think it’s a grip issue.

I’ve been trying out a powerball to try and improve my grip. Seems to be working so far. Anyone else got any tips on improving grip strength?

rock climbing

Very few things work your grip like rock climbing.

W@nk More?

Run your brakes so they bite nearer the bar, if you don’t already. And make a conscious effort to relax a bit, and try and grip less hard in the first place? Not always easy I know, but it makes a big difference if you can do it.

Trials riding, before long you’ll have completely re-built your whole upper body strength from teh ground up.

CFH – you’re not the only one; most rides I come back with sore forearms (also pecs). I think it’s often from really yanking on the bars on the way up hills to put the power down, plus sometimes gripping like a bar steward on the way down again.
Does the powerball work? Worth the outlay?

I find the powerball can give me the “end of ride forearm pump” with about 2 minutes use. It also seems to cure my RSI/wrist problems, which is odd considering its a repetitive muscle straining device 😀

We had a powerball craze last year. We all over did it and I wasn’t able to use my arms for about 3 months.

As mentioned before, w@nking is more enjoyable and as long as you don’t over do that shouldn’t get any eyesight problems

the-nasher –
As mentioned before, w@nking is more enjoyable and as long as you don’t over do that shouldn’t get any eyesight problems

So long as you’re careful where you’re pointing the thing…

Brakes are run exactly as my other bikes, so not sure it’s that. Would wider bars be the problem, I wonder?

Occasional PowerBall use certainly seems a good idea, but as with other activities, overdoing it is never a good idea!

Unless you’re fairly slight of build I would think not – don’t wider bars require less effort to turn, as per the principle of the lever and all that?

Was thinking more of posture on the bike than effort used, MrA.

Depends what’s causing your pain – in order to pull up vertically with wider bars you’re pulling at an angle I suppose, meaning more force in the resultant direction to produce the same upward lift, but likewise upward/forward/back might not be whats causing your pain, it could be just hanging off your brakes a lot etc. Must admit I’m jabbing in the dark as I never have forearm issues.

Could it be that you are riding more gnarly stuff, faster on your big bike and therefore giving your forearms a bit of a pounding?

How about some more CF-friendly exercises? Opening jars of Gentleman’s Relish? Combing Boris Johnson’s hair?

1. get a spare pair of handlebars – or broom handle, pole, whatever.

2. tie string to each end in a way so the string cant rotate (eg: drill hole through pole/handlebars/broom etc.)

3. tie weights to other end of strings

4. grip bar with both hands shoulder length apart

5. rotate the bar so the strings get wound around the bar, pulling the weights up

6. rotate the bar the other way.

7. repeat

I bought the powerball with LED’s which are meant to display your RPM but I’ll be fecked if I can read the frickin thing. Good fun though