This Peloton Handlebar Extender Is a Lifesafer for Riders With Arthritis
Aerow reached out and offered me a Comfort Grip to try on my Peloton Bike+, but I am under no obligation to post a review, nor am I being compensated for my review. All opinions below are my own. All links to the Comfort Grip on this page are affiliate links.
I have written about arthritis many, many times. It’s something I deal with every day, and I’m a problem-solver who writes a website about problem solving, so it comes up a lot. I was diagnosed with arthritis and joint erosion in my 20s, which means I have decades and decades left to live where I’m going to have mobility and pain issues. This is my main motivation for exercise. Not only does it help my mental health, but it helps me keep this creaky body as mobile as possible. Getting into Peloton in 2020 was a real game changer for me. I could do cardio, strength, stretching, even meditation and yoga - all from home. That bike is the best thing I’ve bought myself in, well, maybe ever.
But anything, even your favorite gift you’ve ever bought yourself, can have drawbacks. I have a Peloton Bike+, but both the Bike and Bike+ have handlebars that cannot be adjusted. You can move the seat closer to the handlebars, but you can’t move the handlebars closer to the seat. Form is incredibly important while cycling, and people have been complaining about non-adjustable handlebars since the very first Peloton Bikes were released. I’ve heard of people putting pool noodles on their bike handles, or wrapping the handles in towels and duct tape. I know I have issues with the handles hurting my hands when I ride, and I usually put a towel over the handlebars to give me a little cushioning. But then I got a Comfort Grip Handlebar Extender, and now being comfortable on the bike and maintaining good form is easier than ever.
The Comfort Grip Handlebar Extender works on both versions of the Peloton Bike, and it brings the handlebars a whole two inches closer to the seat. If you have been rounding your back or locking your arms to reach the handlebars, this is a real gamechanger. I’m 5’8”, so reach isn’t a huge issue for me, but riding with hypermobility and arthritis is. Cycling is one of the best forms of exercise for arthritis patients, but you have to make sure it’s comfortable and you have good form while riding. If a Peloton ride is good for, say, strengthening my knee joints, but during the ride I’m hyperextending my elbows and putting pressure on my already inflamed hand joints, then is it really beneficial at all? (No! It’s not!)
When I ride with a Comfort Grip on my handlebars, I have a wide, cushioned base for my hands, so there isn’t pressure being put on my joints. I’ve also noticed that it’s easier to engage my core while in the saddle. I don’t know if this is because my posture is better, or I’m not distracted by joint pain, or both. Whatever it is, it’s GREAT. I’ve had the Comfort Grip for a few weeks and I can tell my rides are much more effective.
There was a bit of a learning curve. I had to adjust my bike settings a tiny bit: I raised my seat and, oddly enough, moved the seat closer to the handlebars. With the cushion added, it was hard for me to not lock my elbows while riding in saddle, and these small adjustments made a huge difference. I’m still figuring out how out of the saddle with the Comfort Grip works best for me. I’ve tried holding the tops of the cushion (as shown in the video below), but it’s hard for me to be in proper 3rd position with my hands there (I end up in a 3rd/2nd middle ground that’s not ideal). I’ve tried holding onto the bits of the regular Peloton handlebars that stick out, and that’s usually good, but my wrists hit the top of the Comfort Grip and it’s distracting. Lately, I’ve been switching between these two positions and holding the middle Peloton handlebar, and I’m still experimenting to figure out what I like best.
Non-staged photo. I would have made the towels look better, but this is REAL LIFE, BABY.
The Comfort Grip is large enough to make a big difference in your comfort and form while riding, but it’s not a huge bulky mass on your bike, or hugely noticeable. The cushion slips on your handlebars super easily, and there are no clips or straps that make it a hassle to take on or off. If one rider wants to use the Comfort Grip but another rider in the house doesn’t, it’s a matter of seconds to take it off or put it back on. It’s also easily cleaned with a Clorox wipe (or however you clean up after rides). I like to put a towel (or towels) on my handlebars while I’m riding, and even with the Comfort Grip on my bike, my towels still hang off the handlebars easily. Usually I end up putting a towel over the Comfort Grip near the middle/end of my ride because my hands are sweaty, and the towel never slides off or impedes use of the Comfort Grip.
If you deal with arthritis pain, hypermobility, or just need your Peloton handlebars to be a bit closer, The Comfort Grip Handlebar Extender is an invaluable tool.
