Originally Posted by
mbologna
I have been commuting a couple of times per week on my new Jamis Coda. I really like the bike but my hands get sore, even after just a mile or two. I wear padded gloves, but this does not seem to help much. I am used to a road bike with drops and riding on the hoods, so some of this could be getting used to the upright position and flat bars. Any recommendations on how to make the grips more comfortable? Any experience with replacement grips? Thanks!
I had the same problems with flat bars until I recently added some Forte bar-end grips from Performance. They're $12 on (constant) sale and completely solved the problem by providing alternate hand positions. I found that I liked them better installed upside down and angled toward me. This gives me the option of riding in a fully-upright position which maximizes my view of traffic, and their view of me, while also providing support to my forearms when I'm riding in the lower position. I find that I have much better situational awareness in a fully-upright position. Riding upright approximately doubles the surface area visible to cross-street traffic and helps them differentiate me from other vehicles.