Hi all.

As the title says.....

Sometimes my clutch finger locks out straight. Which at the top of a big blast up a hill can be a problem, resulting in some unsightly mess sometimes. Does this happen to anybody else? What the f... am I doing wrong?

im sure someone on here can give you some pointers

come on lads pull yer fingers out

So....your index finger locks straight out and you cannot bend it?.....that sounds weird

Edited November 1, 201312 yr by canada280i

try pulling on the end of the finger tip, it might just be trapped wind,,, always works for me

Cheers Nelly!

Yeah it locks out solid. Ive had a few near misses and a few 'collisions' Coming out of section, working clutch gently then released to power up hill. Couldn't pull back in at top. Launched bike 10ft into bushes snapping brake lever and bending fat bars. Cracking a few ribs too!

I have had a similar problem, after a demanding trial my clutch finger will bend and I am unable to straiten it, it can be a problem if it happens mid section as the bike comes to a stop and to a bystander it sounds and looks like the bike as dropped out of gear.

A similar thing happens to me. I believe its a type of cramp. Basically the muscle that controls that finger has gone into spasm. My solution is to drink as much liquid as possible both before and during the trial. If you use single finger clutching you may also want to consider going to two fingers as this will put less strain on the problem finger. Also massage your hand as you walk each section.Sounds silly but in the same way as an athlete warms up before exercise. Warm your hand by doing hand stretches etc before the trial starts.

If it's a brief lock that clicks on release it could be trigger finger. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Trigger-finger/Pages/Introduction.aspx

I have this problem with both thumbs all the time and occasionally other fingers.

The safest thing to do would be to get used to using two fingers on the clutch.

Some basic questions, Is the finger mechanically stuck or is it the muscle simply can't pull it in? I know that before I work on a new Beta clutch the stock pull is heavy enough that by the end of the day I start to get "whisky clutch" where halfway through a section the muscle that works the finger is so fatigued it loses fine control or can't even pull in the clutch. Aside from hand exercises to help the endurance of the finger muscle the only solution I have is to reduce the clutch pull. I know there are accessory clutch springs for GasGas. Another help is to make sure your lever perch is in towards the center of the bars so you are pulling the end of the lever optimizing your leverage. If the finger locks mechanically that's a different matter and may be a problem with routing of the tendon or something odd with the joints. Does this cause pain when it locks? Other than the crashing that is. Do any other fingers have the same issue? Maybe time to see a surgeon.

It actually locks solid, once ive managed to stop the bike and let go of the bars I can open all fingers and itll bend ok then?? Its not painful just annoying

Could be that the extensor muscle of the finger (the one that straightens it) is going into spasm. Rotating the lever clamp on the bars so that the lever is further down from the horizontal position may help a bit.

Try asprin thins the blood which often is causes arm pump lack of blood supply to which maybe a root cause of youre issue.

Potassium is supposed to help with spasms and arm pump

I have a similar problem with the end joint of my thumb, when it sticks I can force it back but it goes "Snap"

I think it's a Tendon or cartilage problem, maybe hyper extended?

hey,

can you adjust you clutch biting point so it bites closer to the bar? so your not straightening your finger as much