medical questions

[playdough]

I am having elbow and wrist pain and numbness all day long after riding 50 plus miles over the weekends. I want to extend my riding time but this uncomfort is horrible. I have looked on websites for how to fix my position. Anyone have any suggestions or fixits?

[Kpicha]

Would it be possible that your stem might be too short? I've found that when I use a shorter stem, my hands start to go numb but with a little bit longer one, I'm fine.

Proper saddle adjustment will help too, in case that might be an issue.

Wrenchscience.com and Coloradocyclist.com have good fit guidelines but I've found that the best thing for me was to take my bike to the LBS and ask them to help me, which made a world of difference. Its amazing how a mm here and a mm there can really help or harm!

Cheers,
Kristina

[BikeLady]

It definitely sounds like a fit problem. I had the same trouble when I was riding a bike that was too big. If you have to stretch to reach the bars, it throws all your weight onto your arms and hands. There are a lot of things to take into consideration when fitting a bike...for example, my too-large frame was great as far as standover height was concerned (because I have long legs), but was too big because I have short arms and a short torso.

You can try swapping stems and such, but the best solution may be a different bike

[lb satterly]

Hi...reading about the elbow and wrist problems. Try to be serious about fixing the problem so you don't develop a chronic problem with carpel tunnel syndrome or ulnar neuritis. To add to the already great suggestions...get thicker wrap on your handlebars and be sure you wear gloves with really good padding...road vibration as well as poor position can cause these symptoms...Hope you all have a great riding season. I have cabin fever here in snowy Upstate NY and can't wait to take it outside again...

[Trek420]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BikeLady
[B]It definitely sounds like a fit problem. I had the same trouble when I was riding a bike that was too big. If you have to stretch to reach the bars, it throws all your weight onto your arms and hands. ...

I had the same problem till I got Dedo women-specific handle bars for my road bike. I also like the Pearl Izumi Gell gloves, they're the only glove I've found small enough to fit my hands. A slightly more upright position (adjusting the saddle and or stem) will take more weight off your hands.

Sounds like time to visit the bike shop ;-)

DR

[playdough]

Thank you for the suggestions. Some of the solutions were already on my mind. I think what mainly deters me from getting fitted at a bike shop is that most of the bike shops i have visited are run by people that seem less than friendly and seem less than willing to give information to people that don't know the specific questions they need to ask. THis is daunting. I ride, I'm just not a gu-ru. BUT all this info means I need to go. And the pearl Izumi gell gloves are next on my list. Thank you for the information.

[mitsuni]

Don't let bike snobs ruin your riding. If you call a shop ahead, and ask for the cost and a time you could get "fitted" to your bike, they should be able to get you in. If not, don't go back, or better yet, let the management know how friendly (NOT) his employees are. I walked in off the street with a used bike I had purchased, and the team there (NITRO, Oahu) fit me for free.
Let them know you are a new rider and are seeking guidance. My experience is that most guys/gals working in a shop are very knowledgable, but may have a bad taste from too many ego's spouting off at them. Remember everyone has an opinion and is entitled to it, take it with a grain of salt. Politeness begets politeness. There are more riders out there willing to help than snobs -

[playdough]

Well, thank you for bringing that up. I'm a musician and so usually have these chronic hand problems. so when you mentioned this i looked up ulnar neuritis. Sarcastically, I am the proud owner of some of the most tense neck and back muscles among my friends and pals. this is what I found , a snippit , about ulnar neuritis:

It is my opinion that most ulnar neuritis, but not all, originates from a traction injury of the ulnar nerve at the shoulder by the muscles at the back of the shoulder


thank you for bringing it up. I should get refitted before I destroy my whole body. THANKS !

[missliz]

Fit is key, but a part of good, easy position on the bike is the right saddle. I found that switching to one that supported my sit bones with a hole to take the pressure off the sensitive parts helped- I was putting too much wieght on my hands to keep it off the crotch. Also, if you're using a MT or hybrid tilting the brake levers up or down to give you a straighter, more relaxed wrist can make a big difference.
Third, Rapid Fire vs. Grip Shift. Depending on how you're put together, either of these can strain your hands, wrists, and forearms all the way up to the shoulder. Road bike gear has similar equipment adjustments and design differences. A good, no, look for a gifted mechanic- they should know about this stuff.
My bikes fit me beautifully off the rack, but the little tweaks and a better saddle solved the upper body problems. Hitting the carpert end doing crunches can fix a lot cheap and easy too- Ab strength holds up your upper body and gets the weight on your butt where it belongs.
These were the things that worked for me. Get refit first, then if the problem persists these are some things to look at. Hope it helps.

missliz

Handlebars were already mentioned, I think, and boy can they make a big difference.

[han-grrl]

another problem with wrist and elbow, is how you are actually holding on to the handle bars, are you letting your wrists drop below your palm level, this puts a lot of strain on one of the nerves, and can cause numbness.

[J**]

You might want also to check out Specialized Body Geometry gloves. They have lots of gel where you need it, less or none where you don't need it. Specific women's sizing, too.

I used to try to avoid buying from Specialized since they were running some especially sexist advertising campaigns a couple of years ago, but they seem to have cleaned up their act somewhat. I'm still not completely won over, but I do like their gloves.
--J**

[MightyMitre]

Playdough - I have some wrist problems myself ( carpal tunnel) which come and go but one of the things I always do when I'm out riding is to keep an eye on my grip.

When I'm out on a ride every so often I release my grip and wiggle my fingers up and down, like playing the piano - just to keep everything loose and stop tension building up in my hand and wrist. It's also worth doing the same thing with your shoulders. I too suffer with minor neck /shoulder problems mainly brought on by using a mouse all day everyday! Just give them a quick shake or shrugg every so often to keep everything nice and relaxed.

Also, padded gloves and extra padding on the bars are a good idea, but at the same time make sure it's not too thick or bulky, as you 'll only end up putting extra pressure on the hands trying to stretching round all the padding. I'd go for quality rather than quantity of padding.

As for snobby bike shops - they're can be pretty offputting, but at the end of the day it's you who's the customer. It's you who chooses to go into their shop and part with your money and if they're too snobby to not want your custom, then it's their loss!

Let us know how you get on.

[missliz]

Hey playdough, if you put the area you live in in your registration somebody can tip you off to the shops where they can't get enough of the company of women. We are blessed with two such in New Orleans, and they exist all over but how do we look out for each other with no info? I know all about pain in the butt people in bike shops, and often the owner is a cool guy who has to settle for staff who'll show up and not steal. These rude jerks are usually wanna bees, not truly accomplished cyclists. My shops owner is the nicest guy in the world who knows his main income is selling hybrids and touring bikes to rec riders, and keeping them happy and riding so they'll come back. You'd never guess he's a retired racer of impressive accomplishment at the national level. Until you ask how he knew what your fit issues are before he saw you on the bike. More shops like his are around, and we can't try to send you to good people if we don't know where you are.
Another thing I've noticed- A lot of shop staff are good guys, but they tend to be hungover a lot. It seems to be part of the bikeshop lifestyle. There's usually good beer in the mechanics room fridge. Mascara can sometimes magicly counteract this, but not always. The snobbery/insecurity problem exists but some times I think it's achy head. Once again, go to the owner. He's usually a grown up.

missliz

[MightyMitre]

That's a good point - although there may be some less than helpful shops around there's also some very good ones. There's a couple round here who are just brilliant and they'll bend over backwards to help you out, often giving me free energy gel sachets , will order things for me pronto and when ever you go in are always up for a good chat.

With a bit of looking I'm sure you'll be able to find somewhere good.