Painful hand blisters - Finally a solution that works

[callum199922]

When I started riding I got blisters and stuff, but after riding every day, for about 3 months my hands stopped hurting and I have not had pain since.

[CC12345678910]

I've always found that keeping my hands softer delays callouses. Trim the dead, hard skin with the nail clippers like gaz says, but instead I slop moisturiser into them like I'm packing grease into my hub bearings haha. Does me right.

[dann2707]

Some say cleric actually gets hand blisters purely from typing on his keyboard causing arguments on here.

[Scoox]

I thought I'd give a quick update on these grips. It's been over a year with them and I'm still using the same gloves with the palm cut-outs (see the photo I posted). On average I ride 3 times a week, 1.5 hours a time. At the moment I have only subtle calluses but not as bad as I used to get. My hands never get painful or bleed even after a long period of inactivity (e.g. after a holiday), even with the glove cut-outs which most people would think would be more vulnerable as it's bare-handed.

When the grips were brand-new they didn't conform to the shape of my hand perfectly, even though the size was about right. What has happened over time is that the points there the pressure is greater have worn down, and now it's completely ergonomic and perfect for my hand. The area near the pinky is thinner, and the area near the thumb is a little thicker. Constant diameter grips (basically most trials grips) are not a good fit to begin with.

After experimenting with different set-ups, here are my conclusions:

• Handlebar rotation: This is an obvious one, but the the handlebars need to be installed at an angle that results in the most even distribution of pressure along the "balls" of the hand (the area where hands usually blister). Each rider is different, and trying a few bars will give you an idea of what works for you.
• Grip diameter: Grip diameter must be chosen to match your hand size. The idea that "the thinner the better always" is basically wrong, you don't buy shoes that are too big or too small, you buy the correct size. Too thin grips: Try grasping a pencil and imagine what would happen if that was your handlebars. The grip would constantly slide back and forth along the length of your hand's proximal phalanges, and we all know that friction leads to chafing and eventually bleeding. This is the problem I had. Too thick grips: You won't have the chafing problem but your hand won't be able to grasp the entire perimeter of the grip, which means your hands could slip off and you won't feel safe while you ride. Right size grips: You get comfort, no blisters, safe riding and confidence. If you want to experiment with different diameters bar tape is a good solution as you can start off with a generous diameter and gradually remove tape to experiment with different diameters.
• Ventilation and sweat: Contrary to what most people think, gloves don't always prevent blisters and may in fact make the situation worse! There is only one time when they can help prevent blisters, and that's when your grips are too thin, as the glove adds a bit of thickness. Using thicker grips achieves the same result. One thing gloves prevent for sure is ventilation, which results in more sweat, especially on the palm of the hands which is always sealed up against the grips. Wet and warm hands are more likely to chafe. Furthermore, gloves tend to wrinkle up at he base of the fingers as you grasp the grips, leading to irregular pressure distribution, which increases the chances of blisters. Try riding gloveless if you are not ready to cut holes in your gloves yet and see it for yourself (like I said, make sure you've got the right diameter grips). In my experience, in trials gloves will only protect you from minor scratches, usually on the knuckles. I also find they make my index finger more comfortable when pulling on the brake lever, that's it, and only because I my fingers are thin. Other than looking cool, gloves are pretty useless in trials.

So, in summary: adjust your bars to an angle that works for you, choose the right grip size and shape, and ensure your hands are well ventilated (cut-outs or gloveless).

[AndyT]

You should start making gloves with huge holes in the hand.

 

youll make so much money.

 

like so much money, all the people that buy lime green ghetto ergonomic grips will buy your gloves.

 

Sadly I think that would only be you and Hans Rey.