robwbright
Member
- Apr 8, 2005
- 2,283
- 0
Hello everyone. I've been basically out of MX (and not around here much, save for the occasional post) for almost 2 years as a result of a broken right wrist (complete scaphoid break) that happened as a result of an internal fork problem which caused excessive bottoming over a three foot high double that I overjumped.
I had the suspension revalved. The bike handles much better now and landings are improved, but the suspension work did not resolve the wrist pain.
After healing up last year I tried track riding on several occasions and had too much pain to be comfortable on the bike. It wasn't that landings were killing me, but it was causing too much fear and hesitation because of possible hard landings. Even small jumps caused discomfort and big (for me) jumps were painful. Woods riding was ok, but to me, woods riding is just that - ok. I much prefer the track.
As a last gasp effort at age 35, I recently purchased a set of the quite expensive Fasst Flex bars from Fasst Co. I figured I didn't have anything to lose - Fasst Co offers a 30 day money back guarantee and from what I’ve seen, straight used flex bars sell pretty high on e b a y.
On my first test ride last week in the woods, things went pretty well. I repeatedly jumped a medium size natural jump and didn’t have any pain to speak of. I was hopeful the bars would do well on the track. Still, I noticed that my arm/wrist got very tight and tired very quickly on that first ride.
Yesterday I went to Wildwood Lake MX on the Ohio side of the river near Parkersburg, WV. Wildwood is a 1 mile outdoor style track built on a hillside. 60 foot and 90 foot tabletops, a couple doubles, a couple gap jumps, a couple singles, a fast downhill, two challenging uphills out of tight corners, kicker jump on the top of a steep downhill. Conditions were firm to really muddy depending on the elevation.
I could not be more pleased with the bars. I split time on my bike with my buddy (his first time on a track) for 3 hours and 15 minutes. I had minor discomfort ONLY ONE TIME the whole day when I got cross rutted on the face of the 90 foot table and dive bombed the landing (I’m not fast enough to come close to downsiding it with the short run-up - only about 25% of the riders are). The pain was so minimal on that hard (forks bottomed) landing that instead of pulling off the track and calling it a day (as I would have done last year) I kept going a couple more laps. The rest of the day went well and I actually had a little bit of speed for the first time since the injury (which is about all the speed I ever had. . .).
Even though I’ve hardly ridden in the last year, I had zero arm pump, my wrist didn’t weaken or tire out any sooner than my arms and legs, and my wrist isn’t any more sore today than it normally is after any activity (which is to say that it’s not sore except when moved in a certain, limited direction). The riding actually feels like it is loosening up my wrist - if that makes any sense.
I am convinced that if I had installed the flex bars 2 years ago, I would not have broken my wrist when I overjumped the double. Given that having a cast put on cost about the same as the bars, it makes the bars seem to be a bit more reasonable in price.
In conclusion, I’m back to racing again thanks to the Fasst Co. Flex bars (and no, I am not an employee of Fasst Co.).
I'd recommend them to anyone, but especially riders who have wrist/elbow/shoulder injuries.
I had the suspension revalved. The bike handles much better now and landings are improved, but the suspension work did not resolve the wrist pain.
After healing up last year I tried track riding on several occasions and had too much pain to be comfortable on the bike. It wasn't that landings were killing me, but it was causing too much fear and hesitation because of possible hard landings. Even small jumps caused discomfort and big (for me) jumps were painful. Woods riding was ok, but to me, woods riding is just that - ok. I much prefer the track.
As a last gasp effort at age 35, I recently purchased a set of the quite expensive Fasst Flex bars from Fasst Co. I figured I didn't have anything to lose - Fasst Co offers a 30 day money back guarantee and from what I’ve seen, straight used flex bars sell pretty high on e b a y.
On my first test ride last week in the woods, things went pretty well. I repeatedly jumped a medium size natural jump and didn’t have any pain to speak of. I was hopeful the bars would do well on the track. Still, I noticed that my arm/wrist got very tight and tired very quickly on that first ride.
Yesterday I went to Wildwood Lake MX on the Ohio side of the river near Parkersburg, WV. Wildwood is a 1 mile outdoor style track built on a hillside. 60 foot and 90 foot tabletops, a couple doubles, a couple gap jumps, a couple singles, a fast downhill, two challenging uphills out of tight corners, kicker jump on the top of a steep downhill. Conditions were firm to really muddy depending on the elevation.
I could not be more pleased with the bars. I split time on my bike with my buddy (his first time on a track) for 3 hours and 15 minutes. I had minor discomfort ONLY ONE TIME the whole day when I got cross rutted on the face of the 90 foot table and dive bombed the landing (I’m not fast enough to come close to downsiding it with the short run-up - only about 25% of the riders are). The pain was so minimal on that hard (forks bottomed) landing that instead of pulling off the track and calling it a day (as I would have done last year) I kept going a couple more laps. The rest of the day went well and I actually had a little bit of speed for the first time since the injury (which is about all the speed I ever had. . .).
Even though I’ve hardly ridden in the last year, I had zero arm pump, my wrist didn’t weaken or tire out any sooner than my arms and legs, and my wrist isn’t any more sore today than it normally is after any activity (which is to say that it’s not sore except when moved in a certain, limited direction). The riding actually feels like it is loosening up my wrist - if that makes any sense.
I am convinced that if I had installed the flex bars 2 years ago, I would not have broken my wrist when I overjumped the double. Given that having a cast put on cost about the same as the bars, it makes the bars seem to be a bit more reasonable in price.
In conclusion, I’m back to racing again thanks to the Fasst Co. Flex bars (and no, I am not an employee of Fasst Co.).
I'd recommend them to anyone, but especially riders who have wrist/elbow/shoulder injuries.
