Some more basic questions

"Baelwulfe" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

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I've been riding a lot lately, and its so sweet when I realize that

I'm

Quoted message said:

actually getting faster, and getting past stuff I used to walk over. However I hurt more now, and
not from my many learning experiences

(falls).

Quoted message said:

When I go out and ride hard I the soles of my feet and the lower part of

my

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palms hurt. I try to stay pretty relaxed on the bars, and am successful

on

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most everything but a steep downhill. So my question's are; does my arm position need work ( I
ride elbows bent out slightly ), or do I just need new grips, and should I get a softer or stiffer
in-sole for my shoes?

thanks

Quoted message said:

for any help

On a happier note I have all next week off work, and plan on putting some miles on my bike 🙂

RH

Get some stiff soled MTB shoes. Sounds like you don't ride with clipless pedals, but if you get some
good shoes that will take a cleat then you could always upgrade to clipless later without having to
change shoes again.

As for your hands, are you wearing gloves? If not get some good padded (pads around the base of your
thumb - not on the palm like old school roadie gloves) MTB gloves too. If you are wearing gloves,
you might want to try some different ones or perhaps try some bar ends for a better variety of hand
positions.

Matt

Baelwulfe said:

I've been riding a lot lately, and its so sweet when I realize that I'm actually getting
faster, and getting past stuff I used to walk over. However I hurt more now, and not from my
many learning experiences (falls). When I go out and ride hard I the soles of my feet and the
lower part of my palms hurt. I try to stay pretty relaxed on the bars, and am successful on
most everything but a steep downhill. So my question's are; does my arm position need work ( I
ride elbows bent out slightly ), or do I just need new grips, and should I get a softer or
stiffer in-sole for my shoes? thanks for any help

On a happier note I have all next week off work, and plan on putting some miles on my bike 🙂

I'm with Matt - you need stiffer shoes. Be prepared for tired ankles and crampy shin muscles on the
first couple of rides. Your feet won't be flopping around, absorbing part of your pedalling effort,
and your other muscles are going to feel it. Ultimately, it's well worth the adjustment period.

As to the hands, have you had anybody look at the fit of your bike? Maybe an adjustment to the stem
or seat height might help.

Kathleen