How Do I Make My Mountain Bike Handlebars More Comfortable

The handlebars on mountain bikes are not always the most comfortable. They can cause hand and arm pain, wrist pain, neck pain, and other problems.

There are a few ways to make your handlebars more comfortable. You can add padded grips or wrap them in foam tape. You can also lower the handlebar height by adding an extension or rotating the bar to a different angle.

How do I adjust my mountain bike for comfort?

Get your position dialled. A good bike position should allow you to ride for hours on end without discomfort. Sort your control positioning and lever reach. Swap your bar tape or grips. Fit wider tyres. Reduce tyre pressure. Try a different saddle. Add suspension. Consider your kit.^[1]

How do I stop my mountain bike from hurting?

If you find your wrists are bent in an unnatural position, then your body weight is all on the wrists which can cause compressions in the Ulnar and Median nerves. To overcome this, try relaxing your shoulders back, and slightly bend the elbows as this will reduce the pressure on your hands.^[2]

Are wider handlebars more comfortable?

Climbing out of the saddle on steep climbs is also less comfortable than with wider handlebars. You have to use more upper body strength to stabilise the bike because your hands are so much closer together.^[3]

How can I make my handlebars more comfortable?

To increase comfort, it is generally best to increase your handlebar height by adding spacers in between the stem and headtube. This will give you a slightly more upright riding position, and help take the pressure off of your shoulders, wrists, and hands.^[4]

Why do my hands hurt when riding mountain bike?

You probably have handle bar palsy, a condition which involves your ulnar nerve. If your position during riding is not optimal, your grip on the handle bars can compress nerves in your wrist and hand. These kinds of injuries are completely avoidable.^[5]

How can I lose weight by cycling my hands?

Having a reach too long for your body increases the weight distribution through the hands. By stretching forward for the bars, your centre of gravity is shifted into the front of the bike, meaning you will have to constantly brace your torso upward with locked elbows – essentially doing a plank while riding.^[6]

Why do my hands hurt while mountain biking?

A relatively common complaint among cyclists known medically as Ulnar neuropathy but also as handlebar palsy. It’s caused by compression of the ulnar nerve, which enervates your ring and little finger, and manifests in the fingers as tingling, numbness or pain or weakness in the hand.^[7]

Why do my sit bones hurt when cycling?

Too much padding is a bad thing: When you pedal, your sit bones are seeking a surface to press into, and if you have a lot of padding, you may actually be putting more pressure on sensitive tissues, not less. Different saddles: It’s actually a great idea to mix up your saddles if you ride different bikes.^[8]

Why are mountain bike seats so hard?

Mountain bike seats are hard to provide adequate firm support to your ischial tuberosities or sit bones as they are referred. The shifting movements of pedaling require freedom of movement and padding in only the correct place to avoid damage to your soft tissues.^[9]

Why have mountain bike handlebars gotten so wide?

Over the years, mountain bike handlebars have got progressively wider, because increased width can improve control of the bike. Some also believe it can open up your chest and improve breathing. The wider the bar, the more leverage you can apply to the front wheel to force the bike onto more aggressive lines.^[10]

What is the best handlebar length for MTB?

Handlebar width should purely depend on the size of the rider and more importantly the width of their shoulders. The most common mountain bike handlebar widths range from around 710mm to 780mm. However, shorter riders may require much narrower bars, and very tall riders may require a full 800mm handlebar.^[11]

Can MTB bars be too wide?

If the bars paired with that stem are too wide, the steering will feel even slower, you will be bent over too much at the hips, and a strong riding position will be compromised. Narrower bars are used in this case to keep your chest open even when leaning forward in a climbing position.^[12]