Mountain Bike – Because I Can

I am suffering from very sore wrists after everytime I go mountain biking, can anyone advise what I may be doing wrong… ie. perhaps holding handle bars too hard? I am biking on VERY uneven surfaces.

I have this problem sometimes but it comes from broken bones and soft tissue trauma! Ha!

Those are good answers about bar ends and changing hand position, but if your trails are really rough it might not be possible to do that often enough, I know…! Always remember to take a break when you get the chance…..let your grip relax and switch pressure points when the trail is smooth enough to let you ease up for a second.

One thing that really helped me was to go with full-width riser bars. 22" to 23" is in vogue for flat bars, but finding a 25"-27" bar that you like might help bunches. Also, the rise and sweep bends in the bar can make a huge difference in comfort! Try out a few if you can. Depending on what your setup is, you might find that the wider stance helps hand numbness, wrist and elbow soreness, and tension in your neck and shoulderblades. Having your bars sit up a little higher might also help, and the performance loss on uphills is very minor except for super-steep rocky climbs.

Two other things: 1) look at the position of your brake levers and shifters. Seated on the bike in riding position, your levers should come naturally up to where your fingers extend from the grips. If they're torqued up or down too much, you're adding strain to the joints when you brake. 2) take a look at your grips. Lots of downhillers report that small diameter grips help a little. I like large grips, but apparently I'm not normal. )

One other thing would be to try and tune your fork so it's soft and uses its full travel…..or to buy a fork with a little more travel. Lots of riders set up xc suspension way to stiff…..sometimes cruddy forks just work better that way and sometimes people just prefer it. But if your front end is harsh and you don't adjust your riding skills for it, then all the impact is going to be absorbed in your body. Advanced skills help a lot with that, but for lots of people a plush fork is the answer.

Grip as tight as you need to, but keep your body loose. If you have to work the front end around on the trail…..well, then you have to. It's more important not to lose your grip and end up in rock soup! But try to stay relaxed as best you can.

If the pain is minor and you're sure there's no medical issues to be concerned about, then do what you can to make the bike fit you better and just pop an Advil or Aleve before you ride, and another afterwards. Also, gentle stretching of your fingers, wrists, and forearms on the way to the trailhead might help.

Pain sucks. )