Braun's Bicycle Blog » dealing with pain

Get a grip with Vent Flex

Pat — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:18:43 +0000

A very common question I get asked at the shop is “What can I do to alleviate wrist pain or numb hands when riding?” Although the answer is sometimes not simple and could be a host of issues with both bike set up, type of rider and size of bike, something that will never hinder your comfort is a good set of cycling gloves.

Our friends at Louis Garneau have always had a solid glove line up in addition to their performance apparel and gear and this year they have a new model called the Vent Flex.

Before we get started talking about how awesome the addition of the L/G Vent Flex can be to your ride, let’s briefly discuss the differences between various types of gloves themselves so we’re all on the same page. Generally you have two types: half finger and full finger. Usually a full finger gloved is used by off road cyclists as it gives a more aggressive grip and offers further hand and knuckle protection against tree branches and other obstacles. Full finger gloves usually have less padding in the palm area because off road cyclists demand a solid grip and ride with hands that are constantly moving and adjusting the weight of the body based on terrain.

Half finger gloves typically suit the more recreational cyclist or those that enjoy road riding as these cyclists tend to adopt a more static hand posture for longer periods of time thus increased padding in the palm with a light and breathable back.

When temperatures change, some of the qualities of both gloves can be transferable i.e some off road cyclists prefer half finger gloves in really hot temperatures and road riders will source long finger gloves when riding early or late in the season etc. Essentially, there aren’t any hard and fast rules for gloves in a general sense. Use what is comfortable and works for you.

Now with the background complete on to the product!

The L/G Vent Flex, available in men’s or women’s, came to mind when discussing gloves because they have really made a big comfort difference to my ride this season. My former gloves were a bit worn out and the padding was compressed and worn…great excuse for an upgrade!

Referring to my previous statements, L/G Vent Flex would be classified as mostly a road riding glove. It’s construction and padding placement leans more towards the rider that is going to be using a drop handlebar style. That is what they are designed for. They will, of course, work for other cyclists.

The Vent Flex is a very light weight glove that features 5 mm thick gel foam palm padding and L/G’s “air zone” construction, meaning the glove is very breathable. The upper thumb is made of a really nice microfiber cloth for wicking away sweat, bug guts and all that nice stuff from the face.

One clever feature that I like is the rubberized pull tabs on the fingers. These are designed so that it is a lot easier to get the glove off, rather than pulling them inside out all the time. The material that the gloves are made of is fully washable too but they should be air dried rather than piling them in a dryer.

So if you’re a roadie and you are tired of numb hands or you’re a cyclist that just wants a better, super comfortable glove then stop by one of our locations and try a pair of Louis Garneau Vent Flex glove. Your hands will thank you!

Comfortable Ergonomic Ergon Grips

Robert Braun — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:01:22 +0000

I hate it when my hands ache or go numb. Over the years, I have talked to many riders who’s hands and forearms hurt or are numb on rides. This can be a problem all too familiar to bikers. Basically this is caused by excessive pressure on sensitive areas of the palms of your hands and incorrect positioning of the hand on the bike’s handlebar.I think that Ergon grips may just be a cyclist’s answer to a comfortable numb free ride.

Ergon grips provide 100% contact of your hand onto the grip using an anatomically shaped grip. This causes the pressure on your hands to be reduced / removed, preventing your hand from getting sore or numb. Also, overstraining and aching wrists can be prevented.

Incorrect fit (or ergonomics) on your bicycle can even change from just having riding discomfort into having a sharp pain. Pain is no way to enjoy your bike ride. Bike Fit is about focusing on the person, not the bike. Having handlebar grips that are shaped like your hands and angled correctly make riding your bicycle a comfortable experience.

As stated by the Ergon Company

“Our aim is to develop products that offer the best ergonomics for cyclists, which combine the best scientific principles with the practicality of real world usage. The performance of Ergon products is tested in scientific laboratory studies, on the test rigs of the technical institutes and just as importantly with blood, sweat and tears in everyday use or on the World Cup race circuit. Cycling press editorials, international design awards and numerous victories in the toughest race conditions in the world confirm that Ergon is on the cutting edge of cycling”

Said more simply - Ergon Grips are just plain comfortable – period!

The type of bicycles that Ergon Grips will fit are any adult bike with a flat or semi flat handlebar. Styles of bikes that usually have this type of handlebars are Mountain, Hybrid, Comfort and Urban. Ergon Grips are available with (shown on the left) or without barends (shown above). The grips come in regular and gripshift lengths. There are primarily two sizes as well. Large for larger hands and small for more petite hands.

Do your hands and forearms a favour and upgrade to Ergon Grips. You will thank me each time you ride your bike.

Let me know if you would like us to talk about any other areas of discomfort you may be experiencing while riding your bicycle, etc and we will try to address it for you in a future post.

Why Does My Bike Seat Hurt?

Robert Braun — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:01:10 +0000

Explaining the mystery of saddle (seat) selection

Quite simply – If your bike seat hurts, it’s either not yet set up properly or it may be the wrong saddle for you! If it hurts to ride, you will not ride as much as you otherwise would and you will not enjoy it. So saddle comfort is really important.

There are a number of details a cyclist needs to consider when selecting their bicycle seat. Here are the main ones:

There are gender specific shapes and widths of seats
What is the seat is made out of
What padding the seat supports you with
The positioning of the various padding systems internally within the saddle structure

Then once you have selected the correct seat you need to mount it to your bike in a way that you will benefit most from. In other words, you need to be comfortable and this is done by having the seat correctly positioned on your bicycle.

The (up and down) angle of the seat
The fore vs aft position of the seat as it compares to the seat post & pedals
Is the seat straight relative to the bicycle frame

This may seem like a lot of things to consider, but if you aren’t comfortable when you sit on your bike seat and start to ride, almost nothing else will matters.