Sore wrists

[Road Viexn]

I have been averaging about 60-90 miles a week on a regular basis for the past few weeks. My friend and I decided to begin training for a century ride that is the end of next month. We decided to ride our normal mileage during the week and do a long ride on the weekends. So today was our long ride and we did 64 miles with a few good climbs thrown in. My wrists about mile 50 just began to ache. I would move my fingers sometimes and would get a tingle sensation that would shoot up my arm to my elbow. Now they are so sore. What can I do to get the ache to go away and should I position my hands differently? I never really go down into my drops, just stay right by my gear shifts. I tried to shake and stretch my arms every few miles. Is this just something that will get better as I log longer rides? Thanks guys!

[KnottedYet]

Are you locking your elbows as you get tired? Are you cocking your wrists backward as you get tired?

See if being aware of your elbow and wrist posture helps, and also move your hands around on the bars.

If the drops feel too far away, you can look into shallow drop bars. There are several good ones out now. Salsa makes a few very popular ones. You really want to be able to use the entire bar.

[Road Viexn]

I try to keep my elbows loose and not lock them. I am not sure if I lean to far on my wrists.

[Blue_Fedora]

Is it perhaps your gloves? I had quite a bit of wrist problems (including intermittent numbness) until I switched to a totally different pair of gloves and surprisingly enough the problems disappeared 100%.

[rocknrollgirl]

Is it perhaps your gloves? I had quite a bit of wrist problems (including intermittent numbness) until I switched to a totally different pair of gloves and surprisingly enough the problems disappeared 100%.

What did you purchase?

[Road Viexn]

I iced my wrists last night and popped some advil and they are much better today. Here are the gloves I have http://tinyurl.com/26r2dnp I don't notice the soreness on my weekly rides, it was just this long one. Thanks Murienn for all the info. I will for sure have to go and see if my bike fit is off just a bit.

[KnottedYet]

Check this book out at your library:
Andy Pruitt's Complete Medical Guide for Cyclists http://www.velopress.com/cycling.php?id=215

[Blue_Fedora]

Is it perhaps your gloves? I had quite a bit of wrist problems (including intermittent numbness) until I switched to a totally different pair of gloves and surprisingly enough the problems disappeared 100%.

The gloves I bought are the Spenco Ironman T.2 Elite (http://www.amazon.com/Spenco-Ironman-Elite-Womens-Black/dp/B0028NE7YW) and LOVE them :D Shop around... lots of good deals on the internet. I'm about to buy a second pair just cuz I want a different color.

[marni]

this is one of the reasons that I ride in aerobars- I have several severed nerves in my hand plus the various pressure and pain problems from riding so I move my hands around a lot, even when I'm cruising in the aerobars- ( the usual caveat applies, I ride solo or with one other person and am never in the aerobars if there is traffic, other riders, narrow road etc.) I ride in Pearl Izumi gloves wiith extra gel padding which I swear by, along with soaking my hands in ice water when I finish riding if they are hurting.

marni

[Road Viexn]

Blue do the pad on those gloves come right up to the base of the thumb. The gloves I have now don't and I am getting small blisters and caluse build up there. I have been in the market for a new glove.

[Catrin]

Oh, I saw some Serfas gloves at the LBS that looked very comfortable. Didn't get them though since I'm happy with my new mountain bike gloves.

And the Bellweather gloves I mentioned a couple of posts back are padded in that there is more than one layer of the 'leather,' but I meant they don't have the traditional road bike pads since they are for mountain biking.

Hmmm, the Bellweather gloves sound interesting. While my PI Gel Vents are a little small for my hands, I think the pads aren't helping much... just have to decide what size. I can't seem to find a sizing chart for these gloves but haven't had much of a chance to look. Can't beat the price!

[Blue_Fedora]

Blue do the pad on those gloves come right up to the base of the thumb. The gloves I have now don't and I am getting small blisters and caluse build up there. I have been in the market for a new glove.

I am at work right now but will check when I get home and post back.

[Blue_Fedora]

RoadVixen... I checked my gloves and the padding is only in the palm of the hand. It does not come up into the webbing between the thumb and palm.

Not sure if that helps, but there ya go! :D

[Road Viexn]

Dang, I need some gloves that come up to the webbing. That seems to be where I am develpoing a good calus because my gloves don't go that high with padding.

[JennK13]

I would also check the width of your bars. I have a wrist....."deformity"......my ulna goes into my hand higher than normal people and causes a wierd angle at my hands. I have issues on longer rides with the wider, flat bars on my commuter as i have no way to compensate for the width of the bars. I find that i need a more narrow spread with my bars. I'm alright with my x bike and its drop bars. If you have more narrow shoulders and wider bars that can put a strain on your wrists - you dont have to be deformed like me :)

[schnitzle]

I'm having the same wrist pain issues and when I was at my LBS they said that putting bar ends on my hybrid might help because it would allow for more hand positions. Any thoughts on that?

I also think I need to raise my handlebars. Gloves don't seem to help. I'm pushing hard on my palms.

[Owlie]

Schnitzle, it could be a core strength issue. I know it is for me. I went on a ride on a borrowed hybrid thing last week, and had a hard time taking my hands off the bars even on that. Guess I need to go back to doing some of my fencing exercises.

[schnitzle]

Schnitzle, it could be a core strength issue. I know it is for me. I went on a ride on a borrowed hybrid thing last week, and had a hard time taking my hands off the bars even on that. Guess I need to go back to doing some of my fencing exercises.

I'm sure you're right Owlie! I do feel like if I was able to sit up better I wouldn't need to lean on my hands so much. I'm going to try raising my handlebars a bit too and see if that makes any difference.

I just read about your go-around with the hybrid, that sounded like quite the experience! haha At least it reenforced how much you love your Avail :D

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I'm having the same wrist pain issues and when I was at my LBS they said that putting bar ends on my hybrid might help because it would allow for more hand positions. Any thoughts on that?

Don't you mean they said to put drop bar handlebars on your hybrid to give you more hand positions?
As in here:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/deakins/images/dropbarpositions.jpg

[schnitzle]

Don't you mean they said to put drop bar handlebars on your hybrid to give you more hand positions?
[/IMG]

I was under the impression he meant bar ends like explained here:

http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/fix/bar-end.htm

[colorisnt]

I must agree on the Iroman gloves. Real leather makes a TON of difference for me. I don't have a ton of gloves because I have INCREDIBLY small hands. Most gloves don't fit and I am particular about the ways in which they do fit. Thus, the couple pairs that do fit have to hold up. The clarino patches just don't stand up to a good leather palm.

Another thing is core strength. I have to remind myself to "pull it together".

[OakLeaf]

Well, gloves should correlate to foot size.

:confused: Only if you wear your gloves on your feet?


- Oak, women's small gloves (and they have to be women's, because of the thumb placement), and size 10-1/2 E shoes.

[AMP]

I'm such a newbie, I've only been back into cycling for 4 months. Yesterday, riding with my husband, we passed several riders stopped under a shady tree, drinking water and laughing. Hmmm, at the next shady spot, we stopped and had a drink. I stretched the kink in my neck, I rotated my wrists, twisted my back around.
When we got back on our bikes, I felt so much better. In fact, when we finished our ride (about 30 miles rolling hills), I was tired, but not in pain.
I think when we started riding again, we felt we couldn't or shouldn't stop ever. Now, I know that I will probably take a short break when I start to get sore or stiff, relax, shake it off, and then move on.

[nscrbug]

I'm such a newbie, I've only been back into cycling for 4 months. Yesterday, riding with my husband, we passed several riders stopped under a shady tree, drinking water and laughing. Hmmm, at the next shady spot, we stopped and had a drink. I stretched the kink in my neck, I rotated my wrists, twisted my back around.
When we got back on our bikes, I felt so much better. In fact, when we finished our ride (about 30 miles rolling hills), I was tired, but not in pain.
I think when we started riding again, we felt we couldn't or shouldn't stop ever. Now, I know that I will probably take a short break when I start to get sore or stiff, relax, shake it off, and then move on.

I've been riding for 3 years, and we (DH and I) always stop and take a quick break (no more than 10 minutes otherwise my knees stiffen up) on our rides. I have a messed up back, along with wrist/hand/finger issues...so I absolutely have to stop and stretch things out a bit, every 30-40 miles.