Sore Arms ……

[Simplespeed]

There is no reason to get sore arms riding your snowmobile unless your sled is so fast it rips your arms right out of your socket’s…. I know there are a few that has been there and done that but most will never reach those G- forces… There are a couple of things that can cause sore arms, wrist, hands, fingers and here is a list of things that can help this condition…. 1.) power steering is easy, simple fix but expensive and not for everyone …. 2.) Relax, relax , relax those arms as you ride, tense, tight muscles get tired and fatigue sets in and soreness develops during and after….. 3.) Front Shock spring preload needs to be on the softer side so spring preload is near minimum. 4.) Front Track shock spring preload needs to be tight enough to make steering feel light but still allowing good handling and steering when running a good carbide set up …. All shock settings are determined by terrain and weight of rider… Try different setting to achieve light steering…. This of course is not for the experience tuner or expert riders as they already know how to prevent sore body parts….. Feel free to comment or add to this thread guys….

 

[Chris Rose]

There is no reason to get sore arms riding your snowmobile unless your sled is so fast it rips your arms right out of your socket’s…. I know there are a few that has been there and done that but most will never reach those G- forces… There are a couple of things that can cause sore arms, wrist, hands, fingers and here is a list of things that can help this condition…. 1.) power steering is easy, simple fix but expensive and not for everyone …. 2.) Relax, relax , relax those arms as you ride, tense, tight muscles get tired and fatigue sets in and soreness develops during and after….. 3.) Front Shock spring preload needs to be on the softer side so spring preload is near minimum. 4.) Front Track shock spring preload needs to be tight enough to make steering feel light but still allowing good handling and steering when running a good carbide set up …. All shock settings are determined by terrain and weight of rider… Try different setting to achieve light steering…. This of course is not for the experience tuner or expert riders as they already know how to prevent sore body parts….. Feel free to comment or add to this thread guys….

I also put the heavier rear springs in as I'm 250 lb. That helps with the steering and 6"dual runner carbides. PS, the goldfinger throttle also helped by being able to give the right arm a break occasionally.

 

[cannondale27]

Great topic! Stay hydrated also. Water is best but very important. I always say I hate push but I actually do always have some. For me it’s perfect if the skis and track push and slide at exactly the same time. Neutral. Such a fine spot to find but so confidence inspiring when it’s found. Personal preference though and a half turn on center shock spring can put my sled on either side of that without changing anything else.

 

[Simplespeed]

I also put the heavier rear springs in as I'm 250 lb. That helps with the steering and 6"dual runner carbides. PS, the goldfinger throttle also helped by being able to give the right arm a break occasionally.

Good Point, I have run 6” dooleys for a long time and found they are a big part of my set up as they track straight allowing me to really relax my arms , hands, fingers on straight aways , but still have proper bite to rail around the turns…

 

[Simplespeed]

Great topic! Stay hydrated also. Water is best but very important. I always say I hate push but I actually do always have some. For me it’s perfect if the skis and track push and slide at exactly the same time. Neutral. Such a fine spot to find but so confidence inspiring when it’s found. Personal preference though and a half turn on center shock spring can put my sled on either side of that without changing anything else.

You are right on point and great comments… I feel my studding also plays a role in the set up as too many or too few effect steering efforts also…

 

[earthling]

Sore arms also comes from poor posture and improper bar technique. At a lunch stop the subject came up and one of the guys commented that he always has sore arms and when I was asking him how he steers it turned out he is always pulling the bars, never pushing them. He also described his death grip on the bars. No wonder his arms were sore, using half your muscles will do that and a death grip engages all the large muscles in your arms. If you ride hunched over (and you see it all the time like everyone is ready to hunker down behind the windshield) you are going to force poor technique, sore arms, and a sore back.

Relax, this includes relaxing through seat (your posture). The sled is going to move around, its okay. A relaxed, upright posture starting with your feet and seat in the right spot is less tiring than a bent over one but you see a lot of guys bent over when they ride. If your chair moves at all, or you can simulate this on your sled, bend over mid chest and rock the sled (or chair or whatever) back and forth, up and down, you will feel the stress through your mid chest and mid spine. Because this is a less stable position, you will also tend to pull on the bars more to stabilize yourself. Sit upright and try the same thing, the rocking will move through your waist and hips and you will have a far more relaxed posture through your arms. This allows you to apply a neutral , more relaxed arm position allowing you to naturally shift between pushing and pulling on the bars when appropriate. Coming from motorcycles I tend to initiate turns by pushing on one grip and counterbalancing with tension on the other grip, a neutral posture allows that to happen naturally and it allows you to loosen your grip and relax your hand. If you ride bent over you tend to pull on the bars, this forces you to keep your grip closed, tense, and you feel it in your forearms and eventually up through your shoulders.

 

[Crossfire12]

Work out, cardio and strength training, not being fat, you will handle any sled as long as you quit complaining and get out and excercise, ride you sled , walk, and get off keyboard. Get off your lazy butts.

 

[cannondale27]

Sore arms also comes from poor posture and improper bar technique. At a lunch stop the subject came up and one of the guys commented that he always has sore arms and when I was asking him how he steers it turned out he is always pulling the bars, never pushing them. He also described his death grip on the bars. No wonder his arms were sore, using half your muscles will do that and a death grip engages all the large muscles in your arms. If you ride hunched over (and you see it all the time like everyone is ready to hunker down behind the windshield) you are going to force poor technique, sore arms, and a sore back.

Relax, this includes relaxing through seat (your posture). The sled is going to move around, its okay. A relaxed, upright posture starting with your feet and seat in the right spot is less tiring than a bent over one but you see a lot of guys bent over when they ride. If your chair moves at all, or you can simulate this on your sled, bend over mid chest and rock the sled (or chair or whatever) back and forth, up and down, you will feel the stress through your mid chest and mid spine. Because this is a less stable position, you will also tend to pull on the bars more to stabilize yourself. Sit upright and try the same thing, the rocking will move through your waist and hips and you will have a far more relaxed posture through your arms. This allows you to apply a neutral , more relaxed arm position allowing you to naturally shift between pushing and pulling on the bars when appropriate. Coming from motorcycles I tend to initiate turns by pushing on one grip and counterbalancing with tension on the other grip, a neutral posture allows that to happen naturally and it allows you to loosen your grip and relax your hand. If you ride bent over you tend to pull on the bars, this forces you to keep your grip closed, tense, and you feel it in your forearms and eventually up through your shoulders.

Elbows up! First sign of fatigue is when they go down.

 

[Simplespeed]

Work out, cardio and strength training, not being fat, you will handle any sled as long as you quit complaining and get out and excercise, ride you sled , walk, and get off keyboard. Get off your lazy butts.

Good Points and I agree. I personally try to maintain some kind of shape , stay active, and watch my sugar intake … I think as I age it get harder to do this… Success breeds inactivity in many cases… Not in my case but who don’t like a good meal…

 

[Upstater57]

Proper handle bar height, EPS, and 8 inch dual carbides have worked well for me along with the viper spring in the front skid , lots of studs, and my shocks on the number 2 setting.

 

[maim]

the death grip gets me every time. now i pull on the bars and much better. bar riser was a must as without it i would have had to limit riding years ago as my carpel tunnel did not like my hands lower than my shoulders.

 

[Simplespeed]

One other thing that I put on my sled that has made a noticeable difference was the anti- vibe Riser designed to remove the engine vibration that one would feel at some ( not all ) speeds. My hands no longer feel any vibration so to speak…

 

[fatchance]

I stand all day, don't sit for one minute and don't get fatigued. Ride out in front and wait at every intersection for minutes all day long. Key is Relax, use your leverage, Let the sled move under you and enjoy the ride. Get a good rhythm and don't get behind in the turns. It takes little to no turning of the bars to get around a turn if done properly. I see allot of guys fight the turns by over steering and they're just pushing more than anything. Just wrap the fingers over the front of the bars instead of white knuckling it under full acceleration. Think about how you are going to set up the next turn. Put it all together and it makes for a much more stress free ride at speed.

 

[Clintww]

One other thing that I put on my sled that has made a noticeable difference was the anti- vibe Riser designed to remove the engine vibration that one would feel at some ( not all ) speeds. My hands no longer feel any vibration so to speak…

Where did you get this?

 

[Simplespeed]

Where did you get this?

Type in Anti-Vibe Riser and you will see a bunch on google I was talking to someone on this site and they suggested I check it out… I ordered it and the results were good so I recommend as your bars will be much smoother on long rides…