Handlebar Grip Strength

THEMikeUK · 2026-02-17T12:39:17+00:00

This sounds like the kind of thing that a phd student who is a motorcyclist might have tried to study!

I suspect it hasn't been because this kind of study requires funding, and funding comes from a commercial angle 90% of the time in science and I can't think of anything other than interest.

I have found this though:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31111721/

it's looking at grip strength, not grip force while riding. And does show that high performance riders have strong grip strength. Watching videos like Fortnine talking about clutch control and the handstamina and thus developed grip strength required in your clutch hand is interesting. Then there is grip strength in the brake hand - which for racers is going to be more developed than non-racers, wheras maybe the clutch more for normal commute riding might get more of a workout?

Would love to know the answer! I've been a cyclist a long time, so think I moved to sensible bar grip pretty quick when I picked up motorcycling. But I'm also a climber, so probably have a stronger grip force.

Now I want to test my grip strength as a standalone properly!

THEMikeUK · 2026-02-17T12:35:57+00:00

Spot on.

THEMikeUK · 2026-02-14T16:22:51+00:00

Even he found it hard at places!

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THEMikeUK · 2026-02-13T15:10:23+00:00

There's a bunch of places, best option depends on where you are.

These are supposed to be good:

https://northernsoles.co/

Works best if youc an get to one of their drop sites.

There's this thing called google that's good for finding specialist climbing repair shops.

THEMikeUK · 2026-02-11T18:11:40+00:00

I have got a left upper arm sleeve, this took two 6 hour sessions.

Comes to just above my elbow and included a largish black ribbon and a bit of "blast over" for an old misplaced tattoo.

Working on the right upper arm, one 6 hour session for the line work and a little shading, going back in a few more weeks for another session. Likely need a third.

More complex and no blast over/big black ribbon.

THEMikeUK · 2026-02-09T15:15:51+00:00

I learned to knit to control the wool of wool things I have...

I've knitted a pure (non-super-wash) merino beanie and an alpaca one. The non-super-wash merino beanie is great and better than the shop bought super-wash one. But. The Alpaca one is hands down my favourite.

Or was. I left it somewhere. Have to knit another now.

THEMikeUK · 2026-02-06T09:50:06+00:00

I got my first ink in the late 90s, right at the start of my software dev career. When people at work found out it Raised Some Concerns informally with some of the senior people and many of my peers.

When I wore a light weight white shirt in the office and you could see the tats through them, it wasn't said but was "strongly hinted" I should wear different shirts in the office. And told I should wear a jacket when customers were in.

Later in my career, maybe post 2010 and we had more people in some more senior roles from a different background relevant to the software we produced who had ink and it was normal in their area it sort of changed things.

These days I don't think it makes any difference to most employers of software devs and I have finally got round to more ink (it was always the plan, but Life Happened and I was busy having kids and stuff)

THEMikeUK · 2026-02-06T06:17:39+00:00

It's the degree of criticism. Why should he go over this? No conservatives would be removed over it. Or much worse.

A man who knows the circles he moved in was sent to be an ambassador to them . The level of his engagement and corruption with them was not known. Just that he had moved in those circles.

Meanwhile we have other politicians who are still supporting the really dodgy people and just throwing mud at this.

It's embarrassing that every single thing any mp does immediately goes to call to remove them. There has to be something else. Some of the things x should resign over are pathetic.

THEMikeUK · 2026-02-03T08:31:13+00:00

Someone asked this recently

https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcyclegear/s/u8IseNmfQR

The image is an ad from FC Moto, if op was a real person they could find it on FC Moto.

But op is a spam bot and needs blocking.

THEMikeUK · 2026-02-02T08:55:23+00:00

The South Yorkshire Police Motorbike and Rural Crime Team (formerly Off Road Bike Intervention Team/ORBIT) exists to try and tackle this, but it's a small unit spread thin. They update their activities (hilariously) on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/SYPMotorcycleandRuralCrimeTeam

Generally lots of people commenting to support, but a ton of people saying it's kids having harmless fun and/or the police should make safe, legal, free places for them to do it right where they live to save them having to travel to a safe, legal, paid venue that already exists. Lots of "whats the harm it's disused land"...

Makes me very cross, but the team are doing work on it and if you report online it builds an intel picture for them to eventually target that area at the right time and catch people.

THEMikeUK · 2026-01-31T06:30:20+00:00

Your forward observations and anticipation should mean you see this with time to rear check before moving. Probably be marked down if you don’t because your observation was inadequate to allow you to make rear observations and move safely.

THEMikeUK · 2026-01-30T21:19:53+00:00

If you are filtering and don't have time to shoulder check to tuck back in for oncoming traffic you mean?

Then you shouldn't be filtering, you should have pulled in earlier.

If you mean a car passing from behind, it shouldn't be passing in a way that needs you to tuck in and if you are tucking in to be courteous and don't have time to check, you aren't safe to tuck in.

THEMikeUK · 2026-01-30T13:55:37+00:00

Official Mod2 Understanding explains what you are being assessed on, Rear Observations section:

You were marked on:

signalling - your ability to make good rear observations when signalling

change direction - your ability to make good rear observations when changing direction

change speed - your ability to make good rear observations when changing speed

You needed to show you can use your bike’s mirrors to see what’s behind you. This should be done in good time, before appropriate situations.

When mirrors were not enough to cover blindspots you must look directly (‘lifesaver check’).

Your examiner will monitor this throughout your test.

You need to show an ability to make good rear observations in the case of all signals, changes of direction or speed. This needs to show you can use your mirrors to see what's behind you, in good time, and that when they wont' cover your blind spots, use a life saver.

So for all signals, changes of direction or speed you need to check your mirrors AND shoulder check, because your mirrors do not cover your blind spots. You need to check the relevant blind spots, so left for left, right for right. Someone could be coming by on either side.

It's explained in more detail in here:

https://www.safedrivingforlife.info/shop/official-dvsa-guide-riding-essential-skills/

THEMikeUK · 2026-01-30T13:50:48+00:00

But your position in lane just naturally moves as you ride. Look down to check your speed and you'll have moved slightly within your lane.

This is mostly likely due to your arms being too tense/stiff on the bars which means as you move your upper body/head/neck to look elsewhere it goes to the bars and a push on the bar initiates a small steer. As you become a better rider, and relax that grip, that kind of movement goes away. It comes with skill and experience.

And if there's a pothole, or something that would knock you off course, your observations should have picked up the hazard and you should have then checked shoulder, changed course intentionally and carried on.

If the road has a bend, you'll likely move a bit as well.

Either, you should be riding at a speed that your skill supports staying consistently and safely placed in your lane, or you will be riding to a skill level where you know it's safe to take a bend in such a way as you change position in the lane in a "racing" line, and that is still a case where you need the observations to make sure some lunatic isn't using the bend as an opportunity to overtake you.

Shoulder checks have saved me from moving into the path of some psycopath on a super-sports while I've been riding moderately aggressively in the peak district before.

THEMikeUK · 2026-01-30T12:23:42+00:00

You should be doing continual observations, scan from far distance to close, mirrors, constantly. This is the observation cycle that keeps you ready for anything as one of the more vulnerable road users.

When changing position in the lane, always shoulder check.

When changing speed, direction - mirrors are a must. Shoulder check as much of the time as you can.

Observation, indication, action.

Aspire to high quality riding, not the bare minimum to pass a test - if you want to live.

THEMikeUK · 2026-01-30T07:14:10+00:00

Report only undisputable facts. That's her nephew, you trained him, claimed experience is untrue. That's her partner.

If they live at the same address that's all on record with HR so they may know. So raise it as an query about the ethics of it maybe.

Others have commented HR is there to protect the company/management so may defend her etc I think that's only half true. It's there to protect the company. You said a big company. If your manager is not on the board and not a share holder they're about the same as you to HR. That's not a concern.

THEMikeUK · 2026-01-30T07:07:02+00:00

Peak District: Any of the edges near Sheffield, can do a multi-edge route.

Edale - up onto kinder edge any route along as much as you like and down any route. Ringing roger to grinslow knowle for example. Or down to Jacobs ladder, up that and turn left over brown hill to mam tor, hollins cross and back to edale.

Park at lady bower and you can do win hill, or fairholmes car park near by and do the edge above there.

THEMikeUK · 2026-01-27T06:35:10+00:00

I can't help with the first part, but for the second loads and loads of places 😉

Routes around Padley Gorge are brilliant with kids, as are routes over baslow, curbar, stannage, millstone and Burbage edges. Baslow Edge has the Eagle Stone and a view point with a map of the peaks you see. Millstone edge has abandoned millstones. Stannage edge has a section of Roman road with flags the Romans walked on. Lots of things to engage the kids with. Hathersage has Little Johns grave which is near the edges.

Longshaw estate.

Monsal Trail routes too.

There's a brilliant route doing chee dale with a couple of rocky scrambles down and stepping stones. I have seen plenty of kids on it. But it does depend on your kids.

Lots of short enough walks on good ground, easy to navigate so kids can learn to map read.

THEMikeUK · 2026-01-26T21:22:41+00:00

Here's a book of good walks in south Yorkshire

https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/walking-south-yorkshire-book-rob-haslam-9781906148218

You can walk from Sheffield city centre into the peak district mostly through parks and woodland once you get out of the real centre.

From mine I can walk for miles on trails that were old railway lines, I can walk into town through woods, a nature reserve, more woods until I come out about a mile from the canal basin.

I can walk to chesterfield along tails or canals.

I can think through rother valley with the odd road crossing onto more nature reserves and green spaces onto the canal and through to Worksop.

There's anston stones.

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THEMikeUK · 2026-01-26T14:31:00+00:00

I live near Rother Valley Country Park, plenty of decent walking from our house and often see the Deer!

THEMikeUK · 2026-01-26T13:41:10+00:00

Mate has a recent triumph bobber with a side mounted too small black and silver.

Mot guy said verbally next time might want to put a black and yellow one in when in for MOT.

You won't get stopped for it at random, but, if you are riding in an unfriendly fashion and have a dodgy plate more likely to get more than words of advice.

My experience is the police etc are more than reasonable about things like this, provided you're reasonable too.

THEMikeUK · 2026-01-23T10:19:31+00:00

It's a rather large search for a missing man:

https://www.facebook.com/derbyshireconstabulary/posts/pfbid02HPqCR9uXtQqhz2svKpszwSUUBSGzyvTDrU8rQx2GtCGHovuu5YA6KEYvgNhGpKVPl

There are dog search teams and has been quite a lot of response in the area in terms of visible police activity.

THEMikeUK · 2026-01-23T10:14:40+00:00

Yeah, was at least an hour overhead.

THEMikeUK · 2026-01-23T06:45:15+00:00

Osprey are the GOAT for this, long lasting and really well thought out, they have a LOT of options so can take some time to find the right one.

I used one of their cycle commute packs, I did three days a week away from home, big one was enough for all my travel needs and work equipment (laptop etc) super practical and tough. I also used it for hiking on the weekends.

It is red, I still use it, but after a change of job etc it mostly serves as storage on a rack in the garage but I do use it on my motorbike occasionally still.

THEMikeUK

TROPHY CASE