emily_in_nc
10-29-2013, 11:02 AM
I'd been getting finger numbness and tingling on my wonderful Jamis Dakar since I take a lot of long urban rides on it, plus do unpaved trails. As long as I get off it fairly often, I'm fine, and I know the bike fits me well, but if I ride without stopping for a fair distance I get numbness and tingling fingers so had been looking around for a possible solution. I am already running Ergon grips, which seem to help a lot of folks with this issue -- but not me (and I've tried angling them several different ways just in case).
The bar-ends that came on the bike when I bought it from Catrin just felt like too wide a position for my shoulders, plus I wanted to use a Mirrcycle bar-end mirror since I'm doing a lot of urban rides, and the mirror and bar-ends were not compatible. So, my DH came up with this idea: mount bar ends inbound of the brake/shift levers, kinda like where brake hoods would be on a road bike.
I bought these little bar ends as I have small hands: http://www.treefortbikes.com/#navbar=pro___333222354967___83. I had to swap out the left shifter as well, as Catrin had a grip/twist shifter there that wouldn't work with this new setup.
Tested these out on a 34-mile urban ride yesterday (2/3 bike path, 1/3 roads), and they are the BOMB. I now have three hand positions: (1) on the grips when I need access to shifters and full braking (and in any place where maximum control is needed, like near other riders, tight curves, etc), (2) on bars with thumb hooked over bar ends (or "bar middles") for cruising along (I can still brake if needed from this position but have to move a hand to shift), (3) fully on the bar ends for extended cruising where I have a good sight line and don't need to shift or brake super quickly.
In nearly three hours of riding, I didn't have any numbness or tingling for the first time ever on this bike! Happy dance! :D :p
Here's what the new setup looks like:
16765
Ultimately I may cut the bars down a bit as I know they are a little too wide for me, but in the meantime, I'm a happy rider once again.
The bar-ends that came on the bike when I bought it from Catrin just felt like too wide a position for my shoulders, plus I wanted to use a Mirrcycle bar-end mirror since I'm doing a lot of urban rides, and the mirror and bar-ends were not compatible. So, my DH came up with this idea: mount bar ends inbound of the brake/shift levers, kinda like where brake hoods would be on a road bike.
I bought these little bar ends as I have small hands: http://www.treefortbikes.com/#navbar=pro___333222354967___83. I had to swap out the left shifter as well, as Catrin had a grip/twist shifter there that wouldn't work with this new setup.
Tested these out on a 34-mile urban ride yesterday (2/3 bike path, 1/3 roads), and they are the BOMB. I now have three hand positions: (1) on the grips when I need access to shifters and full braking (and in any place where maximum control is needed, like near other riders, tight curves, etc), (2) on bars with thumb hooked over bar ends (or "bar middles") for cruising along (I can still brake if needed from this position but have to move a hand to shift), (3) fully on the bar ends for extended cruising where I have a good sight line and don't need to shift or brake super quickly.
In nearly three hours of riding, I didn't have any numbness or tingling for the first time ever on this bike! Happy dance! :D :p
Here's what the new setup looks like:
16765
Ultimately I may cut the bars down a bit as I know they are a little too wide for me, but in the meantime, I'm a happy rider once again.