Stiff hands after mountain biking

[lamsawyer]

So I'm somewhat new to mountain biking after taking about a decade off, and now every time I go on a ride >2hrs my right hand is really stiff after. It's like I've got a claw for a few days after the ride. I've got front suspension on this bike and this problem has never happened on all-day road rides or cx rides. I've put bigger/softer grips on, fiddled with the cockpit geo, and made sure to release my death-grip but it hasn't helped much. Does anyone have any ideas? Do I just need to improve my hand strength?

[David Kirk]

One this that is counter-intuative......soft grips will almost always make it worse. You tend to grab just that much harder in an effort to gain more control and all you do is squish the grip. Firm grips almost always take strain out of the hand.

You can play with grip diameter (big hands need big grips) so that your hand wraps the right amount.

One riding technique thing to keep in mind.....the bike can not be controlled with millimeter precision like on the road and you need to relax your shoulders, arms and hands and let the bike flow. Letting this happen with make the ride smoother and be easier on your body.

dave

[Ken Robb]

Grips with flat extensions where you can rest your palms may help. DO they call these ergo style?

[Tony]

You may be tense while riding, death gripping your bars. Try to relax your upper body with a light grip on your bars. You'll find that you have better control.

[djg21]

Grips with flat extensions where you can rest your palms may help. DO they call these ergo style?

Ergon makes them. http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/product/gp1. I've used these for a long time and like them.

I'd suggest raising your bars. You might be supporting too much weight on your hands. Check your seat to make sure it's level or slightly nose up too.

[lamsawyer]

Thanks for all of the advice! I didn't realize softer grips would add to the problem but that makes a lot of sense. I've got some Ergon grips on order and I'll try to loosen up more as well.

[chuckred]

So I'm somewhat new to mountain biking after taking about a decade off, and now every time I go on a ride >2hrs my right hand is really stiff after. It's like I've got a claw for a few days after the ride. I've got front suspension on this bike and this problem has never happened on all-day road rides or cx rides. I've put bigger/softer grips on, fiddled with the cockpit geo, and made sure to release my death-grip but it hasn't helped much. Does anyone have any ideas? Do I just need to improve my hand strength?
Good hydraulic brakes take only a finger or two... Older cable disks or rim brakes will wear you out on long descents. Since you mentioned a decade off, what kind of condition is your bike in?

[DRZRM]

+1 on the Ergons. Love them! I like the ones with little bar ends, but I started riding MTBs in the 80s, bar ends just feel right when you want to stretch out.

I have these on several bikes.

http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/product/gs2

[oldpotatoe]

So I'm somewhat new to mountain biking after taking about a decade off, and now every time I go on a ride >2hrs my right hand is really stiff after. It's like I've got a claw for a few days after the ride. I've got front suspension on this bike and this problem has never happened on all-day road rides or cx rides. I've put bigger/softer grips on, fiddled with the cockpit geo, and made sure to release my death-grip but it hasn't helped much. Does anyone have any ideas? Do I just need to improve my hand strength?

Grip shift? Mechanical discs?

I fiddled with a flat bar setup on my wet weather road bike and the flat bar shape/angle absolutely wrecked my hands and wrists..could be that too.

IMHO

[jmal]

If you have been off for a decade, you are surely overgripping the bars. Even if you think you are not, you most likely are. Also, getting comfortable with your entire upper body will allow you to absorb the impacts without killing your hands. It just takes a little time.

[2metalhips]

I've been using On One Mary bars for 10 years, riding rigid. These are "alt bars" that have a swept back shape for a much more natural hand and wrist position. Jones bars are similar.

[Mikej]

Get used to it. I've been mtb racing for decades- I do think the only thing is getting used to it. I like the race esi grips - new enve sweep bars did nothing- have fun!

[lzuk]

These are ESI and make a difference. I think wider bars help as well

[redir]

Me too Lamsawyer. I had not gone out on my MTB for a year and the last two weekends I went for some rides and my wrists, not so much hands, get stiff and arthritic. But damn if mountain biking is not so much fun it's all I want to do right now.

Aleve works for me ;)

[Gummee]

+1 on the Ergons. Love them! I like the ones with little bar ends, but I started riding MTBs in the 80s, bar ends just feel right when you want to stretch out.
People look at me like I'm nuts with bar ends on, but they don't know what I know...

I DID realize that **for racing** they're unnecessary 'cause you (at least I) don't have time to use em.

M

[lzuk]

My hands would fall asleep on the hardtail after a couple of hours. The FS bike with ESI grips and wider bars makes a huge difference. Both are nice bikes

[MikeD]

Bar ends. Give yourself another hand position.

[NHAero]

+1 Wide bars and the Ergon GP-1 grips

[bcroslin]

I run ergons as well and they seem to work although if I've been off my mtb for awhile my hands always hurt for a day or two after a ride. The more I ride the less they hurt.

[lamsawyer]

Good hydraulic brakes take only a finger or two... Older cable disks or rim brakes will wear you out on long descents. Since you mentioned a decade off, what kind of condition is your bike in?

Grip shift? Mechanical discs?


Fortunately the rig I'm on is more current than my riding. I've set up single-speed with hydraulic disc.

[lamsawyer]

Aleve works for me ;)

Haha, same here. Epsom salts have also helped a lot.

[p nut]

Disclosure: I ride a MTB with a rigid fork.

Ergons didn't work for me, unfortunately. Grips themselves felt good, but after 2 hrs of riding, the inside of my thumbs were rubbed raw. Never had grips do this to my hands. I stick to my ESI chunkies, which have worked well for me thus far.

Regarding the issue at hand, I also think raising the bars will help more than the grips. The geometry on my bike is slack. Takes the weight off of the hands and lets the legs absorb the brunt of the shock. Jeff Jones explains it well here (start at 2min 13sec):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMkQ7z9Gi7c

[lamsawyer]

Disclosure: I ride a MTB with a rigid fork.

Ergons didn't work for me, unfortunately. Grips themselves felt good, but after 2 hrs of riding, the inside of my thumbs were rubbed raw. Never had grips do this to my hands. I stick to my ESI chunkies, which have worked well for me thus far.

Regarding the issue at hand, I also think raising the bars will help more than the grips. The geometry on my bike is slack. Takes the weight off of the hands and lets the legs absorb the brunt of the shock. Jeff Jones explains it well here (start at 2min 13sec):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMkQ7z9Gi7c

Interesting, I was using the ESI chunky and extra-chunky grips. Felt great other than the noted issue. Thanks for the link! I've raised my bars 5mm, and I think trying a shorter stem might help with taking some weight off my hands.

[benb]

You can do this just by tensing up.

I have a tendency to tense up my hands on really hard efforts even on the road and cause myself post ride issues. No difference between my rigid bikes and my F/S bike.

You just need to concentrate on form & relaxing. Bike fit could be wrong too. Good fit and posture takes workload off your hands. Bad fit and over exhausting yourself will ruin your posture as a ride goes on and your hands will start picking up work that they should not be doing.

I have been working on just about letting go of the bars when I'm about to take a hit that can't be avoided. If your bike fit and posture is good it won't upset the bike and it helps train me not to tense up.

[Ronsonic]

I've got hand problems, CMC arthritis and otherwise just decades of beating things together and am pretty sensitive to this. What works for me, and it may only be me is firstly keeping everything relaxed. For everything but technical stuff my thumbs are over the top of the grip and the hands just resting, relaxed, over the grips. If you have to muscle the bars around you might be doing it wrong.

For me, wide bars are the wrong direction. For just motoring along, my hands creep in until I'm covering the brakes with ring and pinky fingers and my hands are actually resting on the gear indicators. Comfy.

Do think about how hard you're gripping and whether you need to be. Even on terrain bikes don't respond well to being steered, they like to be leaned in. I'm a long time Oury grip guy with quarters in the ends and everything, but have been happy with ergo type grips lately. Don't like anything squishier than the Ourys like others mentioned the do encourage you to grip more.

[Tony]

So I'm somewhat new to mountain biking after taking about a decade off, and now every time I go on a ride >2hrs my right hand is really stiff after. It's like I've got a claw for a few days after the ride. I've got front suspension on this bike and this problem has never happened on all-day road rides or cx rides. I've put bigger/softer grips on, fiddled with the cockpit geo, and made sure to release my death-grip but it hasn't helped much. Does anyone have any ideas? Do I just need to improve my hand strength?


Found this question and answer on hand pain similar to your experience.

Question: scottneilson24 asks in the Fitness, Health, and Training forum: At the end of last season, I started to notice that my hands developed a good deal of pain during long & technical descents (>5 mins). It's like the type of pain that goes away after clenching/un-clenching my fists for a minute or so. I guess the cause is probably from death gripping the bars as I notice I do that when the going gets rough.

I was wondering if anyone with this type of problem has any ideas on how to stop it happening? Any specific grips or bar shapes or brake lever angle or even just technique changes? Also any ideas on how to train my hands to be stronger and have more endurance?


Answer: bigquotes It won't be long before the bike park season is in full swing here in the Northern Hemisphere, bringing with it a sudden increase in the number of riders experiencing what I call 'Whistler Claw' or 'A-Line Hand.' It's an ailment that can affect anyone, but it's more typically experienced by visitors who aren't familiar with the high speeds and long runs found in the bike park, and by the end of the first day end up with hands that are locked into the shape of the letter C.

The culprit is the death grip that you mentioned - a too-tight grasp prevents the blood in you hands and arms from circulating properly, and before you know it you need to have a friend help you unwrap your fingers from your grips. Loosening your grip and riding with a more relaxed grasp on your handlebar is the easiest way to help alleviate this, but that's often easier said than done.

I'd start by evaluating your brake lever position. In your typical riding position, you should be able to easily reach the levers without any awkward bending of your wrist. A 45-degree angle is a good starting point, and you can adjust from there to suit your preference - if you typically ride steeper trails you may want the levers positioned even higher.

The point where your index finger contacts the lever is important too - when you're braking, you should be pulling from the slight curve that's found on the outer portion of the lever blade. That's where you'll have the most leverage, and thus, be able to apply the most power with the least amount of effort. Don't be afraid to slide your levers more inboard on the handlebar, away from the edges of your grips - that will help make it easier to find the ideal position.

Trying different grips can also help, but that comes down to personal preference rather than being directly related to hand size. If you're running really thick grips, maybe try something thinner, or vice versa. Finally, work on staying relaxed and breathing during those long runs. Pay attention to how tightly you're holding on, and when the trail allows, loosen your grip to allow the blood in your arms and hands to keep circulating unimpeded. Eventually, you'll find that bouts of hand and arm pump become much less common. - Mike Kazimer

[redir]

Haha, same here. Epsom salts have also helped a lot.

How does that work? Or how do you use it?

[marsh]

Combination of any/all of these has helped everyone I know:

- Wider bars
- Ergon grips
- raising bars
- Vaporizer

[hellvetica]

Agreed on comment above ... brake lever position, and death grip. Those two have been my culprit when it comes to hand pain/numbness.

Also, make sure you're not wearing gloves that are too small (remember, you hands swell up during riding).

[lamsawyer]

How does that work? Or how do you use it?

I've just filled a mixing bowl with warm water and ~0.5-1 cup of epsom salts then soaked my hands for an hour or so. It's helped with soreness a bit.

[lamsawyer]

Found this question and answer on hand pain similar to your experience.

Thanks! This sounds almost exactly like what I've got going on. I'll try moving the brakes a bit, but it seems like I just need to learn to relax more on the tech sections.