Elbow pain

[jcv400ex]

I've been having pain on my right elbow after riding. It's the throttle arm. It's driving me nuts. I try to pay attention to my grip. My only thought is I need to keep my wrist straight at cruising speed more maybe? I've noticed i'll often have my hand rotated like i'm twisting the throttle. Any ideas/pointers? it's not a sharp pain, just like a "cramp pain" whenever I straighten out my arm.

How do you guys sit while riding? Elbows up? relaxed and down?

[CenCalKat]

I just try to vary my position during my ride. Using a combination of squeezing the tank wit the legs so I can relax the arms and then straightening out my arms a bit to relax the legs and torso muscles. Alot depends on the length of the ride and how many stops I will take (if any).

Does the pain come on instantly or does it take a little while before you start to notice? I don't know how long you have been riding or how long your rides are, but it takes time for your body/joints/muscles to get used to it. If all else fails, go see the doc, you may have an elbow that is close to dislocating or a small spiral fracture in your arm. You never know!

[katanawarrior]

Well, here goes MY secret. Perhaps alot of people have noticed on the kats, that if your toes arent on the pegs, and your knees hugging the tank, most of your weight is on your arms, actually on your locked elbows pushing agaist the bars and back to hold you up. Next time your ride, try to keep your toes on the pegs, keep your needs against the tank, when you do it right, you should feel no weight or pressure on your arms.

At this point , you think, hey this is harder then putting up with my arm hurting , but just keep it up, and you will be riding like the by habit, and riding sloppy will be a thing of the past just like the pain in your elbow

If you look closely at your fellow "kneedraggers" , or well at least the guys that drag their knees on a bike like a cat, their elbows have no strain on them, the are bent down, allowing free moving of your hands on the bar, and their toes on the pegs....

[steves]

Try changing the position your pelvis is in. It will effect your upper body. I do this anyway on long rides to help stretch my back.

If you haven't yet set the levers for your comfort level, look into adjusting them.

After that it's all grip with the legs and relax.

[rexazz2]

I get it after 3 or 4hrs of riding
I since try to shake the arms out when slowing down , reach back , pump the hand , just to get out of the locked position
I wear a back pack alot , I had a cheap one that really didnt have very good straps , my right hand would go to sleep alot
Got a new one couple weeks back , much more adjustment , plus belly strap and upper chest strap

[allblackkat]

this reminds me of Step Brothers... with Will Ferrell

"Hey Derek, you know what I hear is good for shoulder pain?..."

[jcv400ex]

I do ride with my knees flopping around. it's just funny cuz it's only the one elbow. I'll have to try and practice keeping my knees in. My work commute is only 10 miles one way, and that's enough to aggrivate it. I've been riding offroad since I was 2 1/2, and this is the first time I've experienced this. That's why I figured it had to be something with my posture. My hands don't go numb or even hurt, so thats why I was thinking maybe it had to do with the positioning of my elbows/shoulders.

And WOW, I let go of the bars at about 30mph today, and the damn front tire started wobbling...that puckered me up!

[tzortn]

Raising the handle bars may help you relax more because you would not be as stretched out. You may want to check this out: http://katriders.com/vb/showthread.php?t=79343&page=5&

No agenda, just a thought.

[BarMatt80]

my problem with the kat i had and my current bike and many other bicycles i ride....bars are not wide enough. Try putting your hand near the outer portion of the grip and see if that helps. Though i find my pain is in the shoulder. I find if i ride more "hooligan" it helps and is way more comfortable.

[katman05]

You may try adjusting your clutch and brake levers down a little, what I mean is so they will be more in line with your arms at a 45 degree angle. Just remind yourself to loosen the death grip on the bars and use your torso and legs to keep your body upright. Also you should have a bend at your elbows, the blood will flow better.

[jcv400ex]

Last night I adjusted my levers correctly and this morning I used my knees and the elbow feels great. I think the knees is what did it. Elbow doesn't feel "Fatigued" at all. I've just got to train myself to not be so sloppy when I ride. I'm the usual guy with my knees spread apart whenever I'm sitting down!

I know what you mean about the handlebars BarMatt, I've thought about making a custom set of bars this summer or looking for longer bars. Just an inch would make a world of difference!

[katanawarrior]

glad gripping the tank with your knees helps, also, once you get it down, you will notice the bike reacts alot better, your back and shoulders wont hurt, and you wont wear out as quick while riding. I made the trip from bluefield, wv to chillicothe oh , about 4 hours, 1 stop for gas and a cig thats it. No pain, no cramps, not even stiff, and i have back and neck problems. Its all about posture and technique

[Enjay386]

I've never had pain in my elbow but I get pain in my right shoulder probably for the same reason. I try to put the bike in neutral when I can, if it isn't a busy intersection, and stretch a little. If I'm cruising in a 30 MPH zone thats low in traffic I might rest my right hand on my leg - it's not the best idea but you still have your foot brake to stop you and the ability to down shift with just your left hand, if your bike coasts properly.

[eviilil0ne]

ok .. i would look into the whole front wheel wobbling thing .. first and foremost .. that kat should roll with no problem at speeds way over that no handed .. sounds like you lost some weights off the rim needed for balancing

[katanawarrior]

yeh, mine does that to we just have ****ty roads here though, i hit good asphalt and i can let go at 90 and it will be just as straight as an arrow. Also, if you pull them off fraidy-kat style, its going to shake unless you let go without feeding any steering iputs into to them as you remove your hands. Not worded the best but im at a lost for words during the middle of the office day