Sore wrists

[JoeBlow]

I am beginning to develop some pain in my wrists during and after a ride. I've added DMR Death Grips as they seem to get good reviews and I wear gloves with some padding on the palms. I'm also fairly sure that I have all the controls set to the optimum angle. Does anyone have any hints or tips? Is it because I'm going too slowly over some obstacles? Could I be holding on too hard? I find rock beds particularly troublesome. I have a Trek Powerfly 4 FS with 130mm of travel and I have been considering a new bike with more travel but if I'm honest I think the Trek suits my current, limited skill levels. Plus I'm getting old and rickety

Al

 

[N9VNS]

Is your front suspension set up properly because that can give you painful wrists if not.

 

[Jamm13dodger]

the other thing to consider is how hard are you gripping? Dont grip too hard but obviously hard enough to not let go

 

[JoeBlow]

How do I check? There is "give" in the forks. What could I do to create a softer ride, put more air in or let air out?

I only started last year and the bike feels the same as when it was set up for me.

 

[JoeBlow]

the other thing to consider is how hard are you gripping? Dont grip too hard but obviously hard enough to not let go

That's a tough one to measure and rectify. I probably do grip tighter when the going gets gnarlier. Not sure how I can prevent that, it's my survival instinct cutting in.

 

[ggx]

Work your core

 

[Astom22]

I have to constantly check myself for "heavy feet, light hands". Also watch for wrist angle, back of hands and forearm alignment helps.

 

[JoeBlow]

Work your core

Translation in plain English please.

 

[JoeBlow]

I have to constantly check myself for "heavy feet, light hands". Also watch for wrist angle, back of hands and forearm alignment helps.

Absolutely but how do I know if I am gripping too tightly. Please don't say "you get sore wrists" After some trial and error I do believe that my wrists and knuckles are aligned correctly.

 

[JoeBlow]

As I sit here analysing it, it's not the whole wrist, it's the part that is in line with the thumb. One issue I do know about is that I'm finding it impossible to align the gear levers and dropper post control to my complete satisfaction as everything gets in the way of everything else. If that makes sense.

 

[Astom22]

Absolutely but how do I know if I am gripping too tightly. Please don't say "you get sore wrists" After some trial and error I do believe that my wrists and knuckles are aligned correctly.

You also might take a pencil and mark your bars with the seem in your clamp, then rotate the bars slightly one way or another. It is amazing how much just a few degrees either way can make in your comfort level. I thought I needed mine rotated up and it ended up being the opposite through trial and error.

I didn't adjust my brakes and shifter right away, I found a comfortable angle, then adjusted the cockpit to match.

Brake lever angle can play a big role too, but see if bar tilt helps first.

 

[STATO]

There is no easy answer but you seem to be going through the right steps.

The best way is to eliminate one by one things that could be causing it, and learn what seems to help to let you decide next steps. Aligning levers etc. good first steps, other things you can try without spending money to see if they help;

1. rotate your bars a few degrees forward or back, bars have up and back sweep (angle), by rolling a little bit fore or back you change that angle. dont forget to rotate your brakes shifters back to the right angle when you rotate the bars.

2. bar height. it could be your bars are too high/low, you may be able to adjust this with the spacers on your bike (or not if there are none).

3. fork set-up. start at the correct pressure based on the manufacturers settings, same for any damping adjustments. They should be in the manual or people can help you if you list the full specs and your weight etc.

4. body strength (core as poster above said), having rock hard abs means you support your upper body with your core (and legs) more than your arms. I dont have any experience of this phenomenon


Personally i dont think DMR Deathgrips help with comfort, at least for me. They are great for control and feel, but i dont find them comfy.

 

[Moe Ped]

Also check the angle of your seat, and if you are using clips the position of the cleats.

 

[#lazy]

Could try a different bar sweep/rise !

 

[Jamm13dodger]

I meant to say earlier I ended up getting some Ergon GA3 grips. I tried my sons deathgrips and they seemed a little too hard. The slight flare for the palm area on the Ergons has helped my comfort.

 

[ggx]

Translation in plain English please.

 

[KeithR]

I am beginning to develop some pain in my wrists during and after a ride. I've added DMR Death Grips as they seem to get good reviews and I wear gloves with some padding on the palms. I'm also fairly sure that I have all the controls set to the optimum angle. Does anyone have any hints or tips? Is it because I'm going too slowly over some obstacles? Could I be holding on too hard? I find rock beds particularly troublesome. I have a Trek Powerfly 4 FS with 130mm of travel and I have been considering a new bike with more travel but if I'm honest I think the Trek suits my current, limited skill levels. Plus I'm getting old and rickety

Al

Al, did none of the advice in your earlier post on the subject help?

Sore wrist

I've started to develop a pain on the top of my right wrist. I'm using Body Geometry ergonomic grips which have eased the pain which I was getting in my palms so I would rather not change those. I have my break levers set at a fairly steep angle but it feels comfy. Is my front suspension...

www.emtbforums.com

 

[SupasafeElectroLumberjack]

this. I blamed my sore wrists on reach, handlebar height, sweep, grip diameter and compound, suspension set up, etc, but after getting a new bike which satisfies all of those criteria I'm still getting the wrist pain. Now that I have the e-bike I feel I can concentrate on my body posture and core on the bike so that I am not supporting my body solely through my arms, but through my core also. This makes the most difference and immediately stops the wrist pain.

Luckily I didn't just buy a new bike because of sore wrists...

 

[JoeBlow]

Thanks everyone , it looks like I've got a few things to try out. At my age however I'm thinking that avoiding bone rattling surfaces may be the best choice.

 

[JoeBlow]

Al, did none of the advice in your earlier post on the subject help?

Sore wrist

I've started to develop a pain on the top of my right wrist. I'm using Body Geometry ergonomic grips which have eased the pain which I was getting in my palms so I would rather not change those. I have my break levers set at a fairly steep angle but it feels comfy. Is my front suspension...

www.emtbforums.com

I had forgotten about that post. The current pain is in my left wrist with just slight discomfort in the right so perhaps something worked at that time. If I recall that specific pain may have originated from a bad landing from a jump. The current pain comes on after riding over rock gardens. The good news is that if I rest it goes away. Perhaps it's all just down to age.

 

[JoeBlow]

I have tried some Body Geometry Ergonomic grips but I have a suspicion they were making things worse rather than better. The reason being that at the narrowest point, next to the fixing clamp, there is no padding at all. This would appear to go some way towards explaining why the pain shifted to directly behind the thumb. What is the padding like in that area on these?

 

[Mikerb]

I would say firstly think about whether you are in fact stressing the wrist joint or whether the pain in the wrist is originating from pressure on the median nerve on the thumb side of your hand.
I would suspect the latter from what you say.

To relieve hand pressure I would suggest (some already mentioned)
1. Ride with elbows bent. You have much more suspension by flexing at the elbow than your fork regardless whether its 130 or 160mm. Your elbows must be pointed outwards otherwise that amount of suspension is much less and your wrist and shoulder takes the shocks instead.
2. I would not use gel padded gloves. Any glove padding makes you grip the bars harder and you lack feedback from the bars. Keep a loose grip.....index finger always on the brake lever.
3. If you have just started riding rough trails on a heavy emtb you are bound to put pressure on parts of your body unaccustomed to those stresses. So consider doing some conditioning training with free weights ......focus on hand/arm/shoulder/chest....and as mentioned above, core muscles.

 

[Dirtnvert]

My wrists are worn. Ive done a bunch of adjustments that have helped.
Less swerp handlebsfs for my wide shouldrrs
Gone back to aluminum 31.8 bars
Flattened my brake levers
Serviced fork helps
Higher bar heaight and shorter stem takes body weight off the wrists but leaves the bar at a good position to pressure the front end
More travel definitely helps
I run my tires mid 30psi for the jumpy bike park and a few too many psi makes them hurt and occasionally numb fingers
I like narrow grips and thin gloves for grip strength and more finger wrap

Next i may shell out for a pair of these

Fasst Flexx Enduro Handlebar

Reviews, ratings, specifications, weight, price and more for the Fasst Flexx Enduro Handlebar

m.vitalmtb.com

 

[steve_sordy]

One thing that nobody has mentioned is tyre pressure. If you are relatively new to all this, then I'm betting that your pressures are too high. Tyres are the first line of suspension, followed by your arms and legs, then your bike suspension.

This video from the Tech Tuesday sessions by PinkBike is old but the thought behind the advice is sound.

Tech Tuesday - Find Your Tire Pressure Sweet Spot - Pinkbike

www.pinkbike.com

To give you a benchmark, here are my details:

29x2.5" Maxxis High Roller II. I weigh 92kg in my riding kit, or 14.5 stone in old money. My front tyre is 17psi and the rear is 20psi. Both are run tubeless. i ride a Focus Jam2 9.6 NINE with 150mm travel F&R.

I am not saying that you should adopt the same pressures! You, your bike, your tyres and where and how you ride will all be different to me. But I have lost count of the number of riders I have met who were complaining about hard trails, being shaken to bits, numb hands & fingers, and so forth. When asked about tyre pressures they either didn't know or gave me a figure that IMO was way too high. I usually advise lower pressures and offer to adjust them. I offer to pump them back up again if they don't like it. I have ever had anyone take me up on the pumping up offer. However, I have had riders coming back to me to thank me, warbling about transforming their ride.....

 

[thebarber]

Try rolling bars first, either way probably backwards, trial and error.
Use the spacers to adjust bar height, probably upwards.

 

[Timbo]

Revgrips! not cheap, but I would buy again.

Revgrips

Has anyone tried these? likes dislikes ect

www.emtbforums.com

 

[Doug Stampfer]

I feel your pain. I'm going through a similar journey trying to eliminate the sore wrist/palm scenario. I got some ODI rogue grips which are nice & spongy, trying to get my forks right for small bump compliance, am conscious of releasing the death grip on gnarly downhills, ride uphills stretching, flexing & shaking the hands to release tension in them. have recently got some oneup carbon bars which are really nice to ride with, dropped my tyre pressure down to help but you know what - they still hurt sometimes.
I would like to give revgrips a go before I forked out the money for them.
Keep trying to find the way to best relieve the pain & report back as threads like these benefit a lot of riders with similar problems

 

[Dirtnvert]

Revgrips! not cheap, but I would buy again.

Revgrips

Has anyone tried these? likes dislikes ect

www.emtbforums.com

Interesting concept. Worth a try. Thatll be the next try. Thanks

 

[Astom22]

I feel your pain. I'm going through a similar journey trying to eliminate the sore wrist/palm scenario. I got some ODI rogue grips which are nice & spongy, trying to get my forks right for small bump compliance, am conscious of releasing the death grip on gnarly downhills, ride uphills stretching, flexing & shaking the hands to release tension in them. have recently got some oneup carbon bars which are really nice to ride with, dropped my tyre pressure down to help but you know what - they still hurt sometimes.
I would like to give revgrips a go before I forked out the money for them.
Keep trying to find the way to best relieve the pain & report back as threads like these benefit a lot of riders with similar problems

I splurged on the revgrips and like them, they help with little stuff like gravel and vibrations, but won't fix hand numbness on long rides. I don't know if they are much better than my Fatgrip foamies, but I like their color.

 

[steve_sordy]

I have been using Ergon GP1 grips for over ten years. They are the first thing I fit to a bike I buy.
Read this.

GP1 – The Original · Ergon Bike

Ergonomic products for cyclists.

www.ergonbike.com