Onza-Nick Posted December 5, 2018 Report Share Posted December 5, 2018 Hey guys Been lurking here for a while so thought I would finally come say hi and to ask for some advice. Recently bought myself a used Onza Zoot off ebay in good condition and have been having fun playing around on it over the summer working on the basics. Other than a rear brake booster it is completely stock as far as I know. I'm 34 and coming from an XC / enduro background but dabled in trials in my teens although never really got very far, however its something i've always been curious about and seem to have really caught the bug second time round. Firstly i'm just wondering if there is anyone near me who may be up for a meet? I'm from UK but now live in west Germany close to the Dutch border. Or maybe i'm better off asking in a German forum if anyone can recommend one? Second question is a health one. I recently started working on rear wheel hops and pedal kicks and seem to have developed a problem with my right elbow from repetition. From what I gather online it is most likely tennis elbow i.e tendonitis. I've read that the only real solution is to stay of the bike and rest it as well as do regular stretching exercises until it heals. I think I must have had the problem for about a month already, I bought myself a sports bandage to wear while I ride but that doesn't seem to have helped with the pain. So i've been off the bike for about a week now and have been doing the stretches like I said but so far it does't feel much different. Just wondering if anyone else has had the same problem and has any other suggestions? If I don't feel any improvement this week it's off to the doc's I think. Also is there anything on the bike I could change to reduce strain on the tendon, changing the brakes maybe? Cheers Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky124 Posted December 5, 2018 Report Share Posted December 5, 2018 In which area or city do you live? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onza-Nick Posted December 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2018 I live in Emmerich, closest city in Germany is Kleve and in Holland is Arnhem. But I don’t mind throwing the bike in the back of the car and driving a bit if necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamR28 Posted December 6, 2018 Report Share Posted December 6, 2018 I've been getting a few 'niggles' like this recently (pretty much the same age as you) and after visiting a physio found it was down to muscle imbalances (either one group, or one side weaker than the other). This meant the ligaments and tendons were taking too much load. Could be worth investigating! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky_Stickman Posted December 6, 2018 Report Share Posted December 6, 2018 I have been suffering with and similar thing ( now 40 ) , with pain in forearm , elbow , wrists and palm of my hand near little finger on left hand and wrist, forearm and elbow on right . I have had since beginning of October. Its taking ages to heal up but slowly getting better still going to the docs soon though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali C Posted December 6, 2018 Report Share Posted December 6, 2018 I think the pain could be from just the body not being used to the strain and being shocked by it...trials needs a lot of upper body strength and you sometimes don't notice how hard you work your arms as you're usually pretty distracted by the riding. It'd be like being a marathon runner and then going to the gym and strapping on a weight belt and doing pull-ups with 10kgs...your body will hate it. Best bet is to take things slowly and build up, let your body get used to the new stresses...unfortunately as we get older the more our bodies need gradual introductions to new stresses, when we're younger our bodies can cope quicker. Also take a look at your bike setup, it could be that your body doesn't like your bar position/angles...have a play with the tilt and even look at getting some flatter raked bars if need be. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky124 Posted December 6, 2018 Report Share Posted December 6, 2018 The nearest club is Stadtlohn http://www.trial-club.de/ with a distance from around 70km. An alternative would be looking for a motorcycle trials club or finding other riders who ride alone on facebook. I know there are clubs and riders in the Netherlands but I have no contact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swoofty Posted December 6, 2018 Report Share Posted December 6, 2018 I had a bad bit of tendonitis a few years back as well. The bad news is it does take longer than you think to heal, but it will heal. Pretty sure mine came from long hours at work with my right arm in a bad position and then on the weekends riding didn't make it better. I tried the pressure band on the elbow and it's amazing how much that little bit helps. An older stuntman asked me about the band and he gave me some advice that worked a charm. He said to keep it warm as much as you can to promote blood flow and healing. I did this by wearing a long cotton wristband on my elbow; warmth and pressure. The real trick he said was the 'door knob' move. With your arm bent at 90 deg, make your hand like you're holding a round doorknob and twist your wrist/arm like you're turning a doorknob. You don't have to do it fast, but just do it as often as you think of it; 20 times at a pop or so. It worked for me and hopefully it'll work for you. I've been tendonitis free for years now. In addition to what Ali said, check if your grips are too hard or your front tire too high psi. Usually those will affect wrists more than elbows though. And when you do go out riding while it still hurts, don't be afraid to take an anti-inflammatory pain reliever. I knew an older group of windsurfers who called them selves 'Team Advil', I understand them now very well. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadytree Posted December 7, 2018 Report Share Posted December 7, 2018 If it is tennis elbow get a flexbar. They use them in physical therapy. Works great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onza-Nick Posted December 7, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2018 20 hours ago, Adam@TartyBikes said: I've been getting a few 'niggles' like this recently (pretty much the same age as you) and after visiting a physio found it was down to muscle imbalances (either one group, or one side weaker than the other). This meant the ligaments and tendons were taking too much load. Could be worth investigating! I actually thought I was pretty fit before starting trials, used to run a lot and do strength training on a regular basis but maybe I have some imbalances or weaknesses I wasn’t aware of. I also never really thought about my age as a factor before, maybe I need a reality check on that 18 hours ago, Lucky_Stickman said: I have been suffering with and similar thing ( now 40 ) , with pain in forearm , elbow , wrists and palm of my hand near little finger on left hand and wrist, forearm and elbow on right . I have had since beginning of October. Its taking ages to heal up but slowly getting better still going to the docs soon though. Sounds uncomfortable, hope you see some improvement soon! What did the doc say was the cause, also tendon damage or something else? Sounds like these types of injuries don’t have a specific recovery time, can be the same for ages then heal up overnight. Have you carried on riding with the pain? 17 hours ago, Ali C said: I think the pain could be from just the body not being used to the strain and being shocked by it...Also take a look at your bike setup, it could be that your body doesn't like your bar position/angles...have a play with the tilt and even look at getting some flatter raked bars if need be. I hope this is true and it isn’t a persistent problem that will prevent me from progressing with trials as I have been really enjoying it so far. Been watching your vlog while off the bike and it’s just been making me want to get back riding asap! With regards to bar position, what should I try to help with rear hops and pedal kicks, tilting forward or back? 16 hours ago, Lucky124 said: The nearest club is Stadtlohn http://www.trial-club.de/ with a distance from around 70km. An alternative would be looking for a motorcycle trials club or finding other riders who ride alone on facebook. I know there are clubs and riders in the Netherlands but I have no contact. Thanks for the heads up. Just checked and Stadtlohn is 50km away from me so about an hours drive, not too bad. Are you based in Germany? 16 hours ago, Swoofty said: In addition to what Ali said, check if your grips are too hard or your front tire too high psi. Usually those will affect wrists more than elbows though. And when you do go out riding while it still hurts, don't be afraid to take an anti-inflammatory pain reliever. I knew an older group of windsurfers who called them selves 'Team Advil', I understand them now very well. Good luck! I’ve read a lot of stuff online about things to try, keep it warm, keep it cool, different stretches etc so it seems like it is more trial and error than anything else. I went out for a run last night and wore my sports bandage which has an adjustable pressure strap just to support it a bit. When I got back home it did feel noticeably better so I think there is something to keeping pressure on it. I’m going to try wearing the strap for a couple of days all the time and see if it helps. Will give the doorknob stretch a try as well. Any grips you would recommend? I wear gloves while riding so haven’t given grips much thought, just running the Zoot stock ones. PSI I run around 45 I think. Is it ok to carry on riding while it still hurts, won’t this just make it worse? I plan to always wear the bandage from now on anyway so if it’s not gonna make it worse i’d rather get back out there before the weather gets any worse. 7 hours ago, Shadytree said: If it is tennis elbow get a flexbar. They use them in physical therapy. Works great. Will look into this thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted December 7, 2018 Report Share Posted December 7, 2018 I got similar pain when I first got into climbing and was over-doing it a bit. I found some places online that suggested a certain type of exercise using something along these lines: I made my own from a metal pole, a milk bottle and a shoe lace - basically, you just hold it in front of you, rotate it as it lowers the weight to the ground, then spin it the other way to bring it back up. It looks like nothing, but even with a relatively low weight it properly gives your wrists, forearms and elbows a workout. It helped a lot for me, and very quickly too - it's an easy thing to make, so I'd highly recommend giving it a go. I ripped those photos from here, btw - haven't read the blog yet but might give you an idea: http://www.blackdovenest.com/2010/01/tennis-elbow-instant-relief.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky_Stickman Posted December 7, 2018 Report Share Posted December 7, 2018 Got docs next week , haven't ridden at all since it got bad as grip got weak . Will give that weight thingy a try Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marg26 Posted December 17, 2018 Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 I spent most of my life thinking exercise was something other people did, and I didn't need to. Now in my early forties wishing I had been more physically active through my twenties and thirties. I've been trying to find an elusive balance over the past couple of years, cycling on daily commutes (4 miles each way), and trying to gain upper body strength/mobility/flexibility through taking bits and pieces from bodyweight exercise/stretching/yoga. If I do too much cycling, especially off road or attempting basic trials stuff, then I have to cut right back on exercises that involve bending elbows and flexing wrists (ie push ups, inverted rows, pull ups, planks, handstands against wall etc). Likewise if I do too much of those exercises I have to cut back on the off road cycling and trials-like stuff. But then strengthening my upper body is also helpful to my riding. I had a heavy landing over a couple of weeks ago which slammed my left wrist. I was reading a thread on here which recommended Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs). There's videos on Youtube demonstrating so I picked one and have been loosely following that. CARs on the left wrist have to be taken carefully, it's painful in flexion*. It seems to be slowly improving, but taking longer than previous instances. Cycling distance has been cut down, and still doing a few short sections of light off-road. It's frustrating to say the least. * standing with elbows at side, forearms horizontal, hand pointing upwards palm forwards. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Pan Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 My advice, having started learning trials at 52yrs old (no hope really but I do have fun / entertain my mates) is that a warm-up is vital. Trials involves explosive muscle action so any "cold" ligaments or tendons will be easily damaged. Do skipping for about five minutes until you feel hot then do a dozen press ups & pull ups then do some stretching to get leg, core & arms working to full range. Get on your bike & ride. It sounds a lot but only takes 15mins. The other option is jump on cold, tearing something and just owning a dusty bike for a few weeks. When I started I was advised that you have to be fit to ride trials as trials is not a way to get fit - but it certainly keeps you fit, agile & with great balance. Warm up, stretch and have fun. Best of luck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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