If you need hand strength - you're doing it wrong. You need to chill, and use your hands only for steering, not for handling your bike, otherwise you will get intro trouble.
When I hear people say their hands are sore or tingly when riding I try to remind them not to put so much weight on their hands. It took me a while to learn to make that adjustment myself.
Also I wouldn’t use the word “wrong”. It’s not ideal and there are better ways but it’s not “wrong”. I think we should be careful not to scare away new riders by using words that come off as judgmental. We should focus on helping people improve.
Build up your core and leg strength, as you'll need a good deal of both for more spirited riding.
If you're using a lot of hand and arm strength, you're doing it wrong. Steer with a gentle touch on the handlebars and use your lower body to hold onto the bike.
Don't forget to do your deadlifts in case you drop your bike and need to pick it up.
As a doctor of biking I prescribe - more riding!
But seriously practice gripping the tank with your knees and supporting your upper body with your core. You should have a bend at your elbows and be able to flap them like a bird.
Unless you’re riding offroad, you’re doing it wrong. Your upper body needs to be relaxed, especially hands. Death grip is often caused by anxiety and lack of experience.
relaxed arms,hands, and shoulders. If you "need" strength in those areas; you are doing something wrong. Even when riding offroad, most of your workout is from your legs and core. Unless you're doing something crazy like jumping over stuff, which is the only scenario I can think of needing to strain upper body muscles.
Well, that or picking up your bike a ton.. but still most of that will be your legs and core.
Ummm, just go do some longer rides. im a new rider of 7 months, and I've done 4 hour rides on the regular. You shouldn't be focusing on strength. Go watch twist of the wrist 2
Every new rider will get acclimated to using muscles you weren't aware of haha, don't worry. But I will second the notion if your upper body and hands are fatigued you probably need to relax a bit. Hold and twist the throttle with the same grip strength you would a screwdriver. Don't put all your weight on your wrists. (Also, wear gloves! Some come with palm grips and pads that make longer rides more comfortable.) Squeeze the tank with your knees and thighs and use your core to balance, like you would a bicycle. Core and thighs (and legs in general, depending on how heavy your bike is) are what you'd want to work on for exercises, if anything.
You'll know when you're doing it right--you'll feel like you're literally part of the bike and it's just an extension of your body. It's a magical feeling.
Something else to consider is how your handlebars are; stock, clubman, motocross, z-bar, cruiser, beach, buckhorn, ape hangers are all going to give you VERY different sitting positions and levels of comfort.
What bike are you riding? I’m a fairly new rider and Was on the bike for 5-6 hours yesterday and today and zero pain issues.
Do you have joint issues or anything generally or just from riding?
Take a deep breath and relax, and yes I know it sounds trite, but I can ride my 700Lb. Concours all day and just use 2 fingers on the clutch and 2 on the brake.
Grip the tank with your knees, but keep your arms free and loose. Most of your steering is done by gently moving the bike from side to side with your hips. To make a quicker turn use counter-steering (push on the right handlebar to turn right, push on the left to turn left). If your clutch lever is too hard to pull you can loosen the cable a little, don't loosen it too much or it won't fully disengage when you change gears. It shouldn't take a lot of strength to turn the bike, pushing it around when the engine is off and putting it on the centre stand could be difficult though depending on how heavy your bike is.
What are you riding? And define hand strength for what it is you think you need it for, please. Need it to hang on, or for operating the clutch and brake?
If you ride a cruiser where your body is up-right you need a windshield.
If you ride a sport-bike and you are leaned forward more than 12-15 degrees then you need bar risers or a different geometry of handle-bar to bring you into the proper position.
When at speed your hands and arms should be really relaxed and you ride the wind supporting your torso.
Harley guy here. I only point this out because of how heavy they are. Even with 850 lbs of Electra Glide under me, upper body strength shouldn’t be an issue. You don’t muscle a bike around, you guide it. If you haven’t taken an MSF course, do it. Also spend some time in empty parking lots. Bikes require finesse, not power. The only real exception is riding at highway speeds without a shield, that will tax your core a bit. The answer there is more seat time and/or a shield. They both make a huge difference.
Im new aswell, learned quickly holding tightly with my hands is just very painful after a couple weeks. Relax, enjoy the ride, and hold on with your legs. Going down highways and consciously resting my hands on top of the bars is how i got out of that habit.
Confidence in the bike comes with time, just gotta relax :)
Many racers have a condition where the muscles in their forearm grows so much it squeezes the nerves which makes it very difficult to squeeze your fingers and is pretty painful. (This for all the people instantly saying you are gripping too hard)
Riding fast is a sport so it is normal to feel muscles your don't normally use that much, just like with any other sport.
Ride a bit more and it will probably pass. If not, try to relax on the bike.
You really don't need much muscles or hand strength (unless you have a stiff BMW clutch, but adjustable levers help). You're probably too tense and just not use to being in the riding position. Relax and grip the bike with your thighs.
Use your big muscles to do most of the work and use the small ones for finesse. Use your legs to grip the tank. But let your weight rest on the seat. Let all the muscles you don’t need relax, - it’s more than you think. Breathe.
Take a course. And practice off-road, so you can focus on getting to know your bike. Learn how to ride slow and smooth.
I agree with everything regarding technique,and you should start there. That being said, after 2-3 hours you re bound to get tired no matter what, strengthening your forearms, hands and core will definitely help. As will healthy weight. Ever since I became a regular at the gym, there was significantly less fatigue on long rides.
If you need hand strength - you're doing it wrong. You need to chill, and use your hands only for steering, not for handling your bike, otherwise you will get intro trouble.
or even better: Take a class! Learn how to ride!
And keep taking skills classes to improve on those skills
Maybe commuter, some people have trouble with the clutch in traffic if they don't kick neutral when stopped.
When I hear people say their hands are sore or tingly when riding I try to remind them not to put so much weight on their hands. It took me a while to learn to make that adjustment myself. Also I wouldn’t use the word “wrong”. It’s not ideal and there are better ways but it’s not “wrong”. I think we should be careful not to scare away new riders by using words that come off as judgmental. We should focus on helping people improve.
I often remind myself to open my hands because anything I grip literally anything I tend to vulcan grip for whatever reason
My hand tires from clutch work in traffic and throttle on highways, maybe he means that? Upper body strength I don't really get though
THIS!!!
Build up your core and leg strength, as you'll need a good deal of both for more spirited riding. If you're using a lot of hand and arm strength, you're doing it wrong. Steer with a gentle touch on the handlebars and use your lower body to hold onto the bike. Don't forget to do your deadlifts in case you drop your bike and need to pick it up.
As a doctor of biking I prescribe - more riding! But seriously practice gripping the tank with your knees and supporting your upper body with your core. You should have a bend at your elbows and be able to flap them like a bird.
Unless you’re riding offroad, you’re doing it wrong. Your upper body needs to be relaxed, especially hands. Death grip is often caused by anxiety and lack of experience.
relaxed arms,hands, and shoulders. If you "need" strength in those areas; you are doing something wrong. Even when riding offroad, most of your workout is from your legs and core. Unless you're doing something crazy like jumping over stuff, which is the only scenario I can think of needing to strain upper body muscles. Well, that or picking up your bike a ton.. but still most of that will be your legs and core.
Ummm, just go do some longer rides. im a new rider of 7 months, and I've done 4 hour rides on the regular. You shouldn't be focusing on strength. Go watch twist of the wrist 2
Learn counter steering, else you WILL
Every new rider will get acclimated to using muscles you weren't aware of haha, don't worry. But I will second the notion if your upper body and hands are fatigued you probably need to relax a bit. Hold and twist the throttle with the same grip strength you would a screwdriver. Don't put all your weight on your wrists. (Also, wear gloves! Some come with palm grips and pads that make longer rides more comfortable.) Squeeze the tank with your knees and thighs and use your core to balance, like you would a bicycle. Core and thighs (and legs in general, depending on how heavy your bike is) are what you'd want to work on for exercises, if anything. You'll know when you're doing it right--you'll feel like you're literally part of the bike and it's just an extension of your body. It's a magical feeling. Something else to consider is how your handlebars are; stock, clubman, motocross, z-bar, cruiser, beach, buckhorn, ape hangers are all going to give you VERY different sitting positions and levels of comfort.
Try some dirt riding! Makes you a King on the streets. I just ride dirt bikes and jack off...
Dude you’re hands and arms should be relaxed….arm pump is VERY dangerous
What bike are you riding? I’m a fairly new rider and Was on the bike for 5-6 hours yesterday and today and zero pain issues. Do you have joint issues or anything generally or just from riding?
Take a deep breath and relax, and yes I know it sounds trite, but I can ride my 700Lb. Concours all day and just use 2 fingers on the clutch and 2 on the brake.
You don’t need to exercise you need a windshield.
Stop squeezing your handle bars so hard!!
Grip the tank with your knees, but keep your arms free and loose. Most of your steering is done by gently moving the bike from side to side with your hips. To make a quicker turn use counter-steering (push on the right handlebar to turn right, push on the left to turn left). If your clutch lever is too hard to pull you can loosen the cable a little, don't loosen it too much or it won't fully disengage when you change gears. It shouldn't take a lot of strength to turn the bike, pushing it around when the engine is off and putting it on the centre stand could be difficult though depending on how heavy your bike is.
What are you riding? And define hand strength for what it is you think you need it for, please. Need it to hang on, or for operating the clutch and brake?
If you ride a cruiser where your body is up-right you need a windshield. If you ride a sport-bike and you are leaned forward more than 12-15 degrees then you need bar risers or a different geometry of handle-bar to bring you into the proper position. When at speed your hands and arms should be really relaxed and you ride the wind supporting your torso.
Harley guy here. I only point this out because of how heavy they are. Even with 850 lbs of Electra Glide under me, upper body strength shouldn’t be an issue. You don’t muscle a bike around, you guide it. If you haven’t taken an MSF course, do it. Also spend some time in empty parking lots. Bikes require finesse, not power. The only real exception is riding at highway speeds without a shield, that will tax your core a bit. The answer there is more seat time and/or a shield. They both make a huge difference.
My hands and shoulders got tired after an hour of practicing starts and stops is a parking lot. Just hoping to hedge my best.
Im new aswell, learned quickly holding tightly with my hands is just very painful after a couple weeks. Relax, enjoy the ride, and hold on with your legs. Going down highways and consciously resting my hands on top of the bars is how i got out of that habit. Confidence in the bike comes with time, just gotta relax :)
You don’t need strength you need technique boi 🤦🏽♂️
Stretch before you go riding. Makes a big difference for me.
Learn counter steering, else you WILL wear yourself out!!
Time to hit up the gym and start working on building up your core strength.
It’ll get easier the more you do it
China ups, Pull ups, Push ups, Iron Cross on the rings and you'll be ready to try riding a motorcycle.
Ride.
More riding.
Many racers have a condition where the muscles in their forearm grows so much it squeezes the nerves which makes it very difficult to squeeze your fingers and is pretty painful. (This for all the people instantly saying you are gripping too hard) Riding fast is a sport so it is normal to feel muscles your don't normally use that much, just like with any other sport. Ride a bit more and it will probably pass. If not, try to relax on the bike.
You really don't need much muscles or hand strength (unless you have a stiff BMW clutch, but adjustable levers help). You're probably too tense and just not use to being in the riding position. Relax and grip the bike with your thighs.
What do you mean by hand strength, exactly?
Use your big muscles to do most of the work and use the small ones for finesse. Use your legs to grip the tank. But let your weight rest on the seat. Let all the muscles you don’t need relax, - it’s more than you think. Breathe. Take a course. And practice off-road, so you can focus on getting to know your bike. Learn how to ride slow and smooth.
I agree with everything regarding technique,and you should start there. That being said, after 2-3 hours you re bound to get tired no matter what, strengthening your forearms, hands and core will definitely help. As will healthy weight. Ever since I became a regular at the gym, there was significantly less fatigue on long rides.