Recreational & Family - Remedy for sore wrists please?

Just bought the bride a new MTB. Dual suspension, the works. She's a newbie and is complaining of sore wrists after 3 Mile or so. Have told (sorry asked) her to try changing position on the bar ends, etc but this doesn't help. Any suggestions, or will this improve as she racks up the miles?

Check her brake lever positioning. They could be forcing her wrists into an uncomfortable angle. Also check her reach and positioning on the bike... she may be applying too much pressure to the bars. You might want to try a different stem to get her more upright for a little while. Maybe take her and the bike to a LBS and have them hook it up to the trainer to observe her while she rides. See what they suggest as far as adjustments.

Seat angle. Try angling the nose of the saddle up a little.

Raise the handlebar so it is higher than the saddle. Maybe what she need is a hybrid. Or try a folder, most folders alow you to raise the handlebar. I am 75 years old a regular biker since I was 4. I used to have the probrem several years ago, I switched to Giant Revive, a semi recumbent. I now ride a Giant Halfway folder an hour every day with no pain.

Raise the handlebars or find her some good cycling gloves with great padding. Or do both.

It also just may be newbie-ness. A lot of people lean their weight forwards and they really need to understand how important good form is.

Koffee

I think that everyone has the same opinion that the relationship of her seating position to her reach on the bar is dependant on how high and how close or far is her grab on the bar. Yes the seat position is a variable but ultimately the stem height and length plays a important part of the overall posturing. How low or high you sit and how stretched or not stretched you are when grabbing the bar. So finding the optimal stem length and stem height is the key. Every person is different so try as many position available by having the lbs work with you on that or you can get a adjustible stem to determine that. Preferbably an inexpensive one, then once that is established then you can replace it with a fixed one that resemble the optimal position found.

I would suggest some nice bar ends, like the Cane Creek ones. These will allow her more hand positions as well. It is important that she keep her wrists "straight", with no bend, like they tell us to do when we sit at a computer and use a mouse. Doing so will fend off the cramps and ache and the bar ends will allow that position to occur comfortably.

The overall riding position is important to get well balanced. You also need to look at the "wrist set" which is determined by the width and angle of the bar and the brake lever.
Many smaller women are using bars wide enough for large guys. You can cut down bars and move the levers inboard.
Draw a line with a felt-tip marker pen on her hand running along the top of her fore-arm up to the middle knuckle. When you grip something, this should remain in a straight line. If it gets bent, then stress will concentrate at the bend and cause pain.