wrist ache

[wavedancer]

I had really bad wrist pain last spring after starting to do more mountain biking with straight bars. They felt fine on my road bars, but the tendonitis or arthritis (or maybe a combination of both) was very uncomfortable for several months. I changed the grips on my bars to Ergon WP1 grips and it really made a difference. They have a wider, ergonomically-shaped platform that gives my hand more support and puts less stress on the outside (ulnar side) of my wrist.

http://www.ergon-bike.com/ergon_wp1.php?la=en

[fixiegrrl]

I was wondering how long you've had your current setup and were you properly fit? As I'm picturing your riding position, it sounds like you're putting more pressure on your hands and wrists and that is aggrivating your wrist condition. How high is your saddle compared to the height of the top of your handle bars? I'm told that it's supposed to be between 0-2 inches. I find that if the bike is too small, I have to raise the saddle higher which then tilts my body forward and places more pressure on my wrists and hands. I ride with bull horn bars and I had to experiment with getting the most comfortable position. Because the bull horns are flat and somewhat curvy, I was placing too much weight on my hands. I raised my bar height and tilted it up a little and that seemed to fix the problem. Although, you may want to have a doctor examine your wrists to get a diagnosis and rule out any carpal tunnel or arthritis problems. It may cost you some money but at least you'd know if it was a medical condition or just a simple bike accessory/fit issue.

[Nanci]

I was thinking about arthritis, too. I have it most annoyingly in my hands, from the wear and tear of 20 years of shoeing horses. My hands would be curled into painful little balls without the miracle of Celebrex. And you can't tell by looking at them, and there are no radiographic changes, yet. It got to the drugs-needed point when I was about 40.

I'm trying a new kind of gloves Saturday, Louis Garneau ErgoAir, will let everyone know how they are. My last gloves were Trek gel, and I really love them, and they lasted forever.

Nanci

[tulip]

I second the proper fit advice. I had to cut my flat bars down about 1-1/2 inches because they were too wide. I also put bar ends on them, which provides more hand position options.

Make sure that you are bending your elbows. If not--you might be reaching too far (your bike does not fit you), and you are likely putting alot of weight on your hands and wrists. Bending elbows also helps with shock absorption.

[singletrackgirl]

I had somewhat the same problem. I visited a doctor and found that it was Tendinitis. See a doctor is my advice. If it is tendinitis changing your bike will not help too much.

[SimpleCycle]

I second the suggestion of bar ends for more hand positions. It seems like flat bars would be easier on your wrists but they're actually harder because you can't change hand position.

I had problems with hand numbness that I attributed entirely to cycling, but as it turns out too much mouse time was contributing too. So make sure you're taking care of your wrists all the time, not just on the bike.

[makbike]

I too have a pretty bad case of tendinitis in my wrist. I have seen a hand specialist about it with little relief. We tried putting my hand/wrist in a fiberglass cast for 6 weeks, steriod injections and antiinflammatory drugs - none which have "cured" my carpal tunnel. I am now seeing a chiropractor and after three weeks my wrist is feeling a bit better. He has given me some exercises to do to help strength the joint and these seem to be having a positive impact on my wrist.

Hope this helps!