Prevent arm pump
Posted on May 12, 2008
Filed Under Riding tips | Leave a Comment
The main cause of arm pump is holding on to tight and relying on your arms too much to handle the bike. You should take some of the strain of your arms by gripping the bike with your knees, get forward and let the bike push you, not pull you by the arms.
Lighly exercise your hands, wrists and forearms when you aren’t riding to increase blood flow, but don’t do any weight lifting, tight muscles will only add to the problem. An exercise you can do is to hold your hands up about chin level, shoulder width and out a little, facing away from your face. Start with the tips of your fingers touching the tips of your thumbs then quickly push your fingers out straight, then touch the tips of your fingers on your thumbs again, repeat for about 1 minute.
Rider fitness is also important, the more time you spend on the bike the better. Also eat healthy and do cardiovascular exercises.
Stay relaxed when you are riding, if you tense on the bike then this will translate into arm pump sooner. The looser you are, the less you will suffer. Think relaxing thoughts, breathe deeply. If you can relax your arms while in the air over jumps then take the opportunity to relax your forearms.
Sometimes getting the right grip can help to. Make sure your grip has sufficient padding to cushion your hand from the handlebars. The padding will reduce the vibration transferred from the bike to your hands.
Taking Aspirin may help as it thins your blood. Also eat a banana or two the day of a race or ride and drink an energy drink like gatorade.
Don’t forget your bike setup, make sure your suspension is tuned to suit your size, weight and ability. A steering damper may also help. Make sure your levers are in a comfortable position when you are in the attack position, standing with knees slightly bent, not to low or to high.
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