Pump it up in Morzine

There's now just a month till myself, Pete and Mark join hundreds of other British riders making the pilgrimage to the usually quiet French towns of Morzine and Les Gets to ride some of the best downhill tracks in the world.

This rider's haven has one major draw back. Arm pump. For most riders it only affects their hands, but for others it affects their whole forearm. At the top of a trail they may be fine, but by the end every bump, rock or root that they ride over leaves them in agony.

Long downhill trails are great and nothing beats the feeling you get when you reach the end of one. Your eyes are still shaking in their sockets, your legs are twitching from the adrenaline, and you can't help but smile. So why let arm pump ruin things?

Arm pump is caused by a reaction from a build up of lactic acids in the muscles in your forearms, wrists, hands and fingers. Heavy and frequent braking makes your muscles swell up which constricts and hinders blood flow making it even harder for your body to get rid of the acid.

Arm pump isn't just something that affects the weekend riders as Chain Reaction Cycles, Intense Bikes team manager Nigel Page recalls: "I got the worst arm pump at Champery in Switzerland. 

"The track was very steep and my brakes were not working very well so I had to be on the brakes more than I should have. I was also not racing much so my fitness and conditioning was not very good.

"The steeper and rougher the tracks with the most braking are the worst for arm pump. I find that the better your brakes work, the less arm pump you get. Plus the faster and more confident you are the less braking you have to do".

As anyone who has ever ridden in the Alps will tell you, the tracks out there are far steeper and rougher than your typical British track. The lack of beginner trails forces riders who are new to the sport onto tracks designed for much more experienced riders.

This means there's a huge volume of riders braking and skidding down entire runs which creates the worst feature a track can have; braking bumps. These are the last thing that anyone wants to ride, especially if your hands are already starting to seize up.

One of the best ways to beat arm pump is to get your bike set up for how you ride. Make it match your geometry. Different size bars and stems can make a huge difference, as can where you position your controls on the bar.

Wider bars give you more control but if you go too wide for your body size then it'll feel like you're doing a press up every time you go over a bump. A shorter stem will stop you from overstretching your arms. Alternatively a longer stem will give you a bit more space.


Don't be afraid to try new things. Experimenting with the position of your brake levers is one of the easiest ways to make a change. Having your lever's stop closer to the bars is meant to make the biggest change but this style isn't for everybody. Many people run their levers so that their hands follow the natural line of their arms.

The better your brakes work the easier you stop. It's that simple. But not all of us can afford the best brakes so just make sure they're working as well as they can. Clean the pads and discs with either disc break cleaner or some warm soapy water.


Mountain biking is a fitness sport so another way to beat arm pump is to get fitter, specifically improve hand strength. After all it's your hands that grip the bars and your fingers that pull the brake lever. The stronger your hands are the easier to hold on and the easier it is to pull on the brakes.

Handgrips are the easiest accessory to get hold of as they've been around for years. Even supermarkets sell them. Handgrips are easy to use and available in different strengths. Some of the best out there are made by the company Captains Of Crush. See www.londonkettlebells.com

Motogrips are much more than just brightly coloured doughnuts. They work in a similar motion to handgrips but are comfier to grip. The great thing is you can use them anywhere. Like handgrips they're available in different strengths. Check out www.motogriptrainer.com

Powerballs are the undisputed daddy of training tools. Powerballs exercise more than just your hands and wrists. They're great fun to use and the best part is that they're available with a rev counter so you can compete with your friends. If you've never tried one before then you're missing on. Visit www.nsdpowerballs.com

Unfortunately the final way to beat arm pump is also the hardest. As riders get more confident they brake less and loosen their grip on the bars. A looser grip and less braking mean that your muscles have less work to do and are less likely to pump up. 

Different people have different ways of boosting their confidence levels. Find yours and you'll be smiling.

So there you have it. Now get outside and don't let some little chemical reaction in your body ruin your ride, day or Summer.