Hand Pain

[bmcelligott]

Hi Guys,

I am getting pains in my hands after about an hour of biking. Was in Ballinastoe over the weekend and same thing. Its mainly on my lower thumb section. What do you think it could be:confused:

The lads say I’m gripping the bars too tight (like a sissy!!). Could there be more to it, maybe the reach to my breaks, bad technique etc?

Thanks for your help.

[bobbyt]

could be many things
go through process of elimination - change shifter and brake positions, change gloves, use someone elses bike for a long spin and if you still have pains - at least you know then that there is a problem with your thumbs
dont waste €80 on a doctor before you've eliminated all possibilites

its like the joke about the guy who had his testicles removed as they where causing head aches due to pressure
turned out his jocks where too small for him..

[Fergal]

its like the joke about the guy who had his testicles removed as they where causing head aches due to pressure
turned out his jocks where too small for him..
jesus - the poor eejit
hope he is alright now....

[TomH]

I'm doing okay...

[Martin]

Hi Guys,

I am getting pains in my hands after about an hour of biking. Was in Ballinastoe over the weekend and same thing. Its mainly on my lower thumb section. What do you think it could be:confused:

The lads say I’m gripping the bars too tight (like a sissy!!). Could there be more to it, maybe the reach to my breaks, bad technique etc?

Thanks for your help.

padded gloves help, could be carpal tunnel syndrome.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpal_tunnel_syndrome
http://www.hughston.com/hha/a_15_3_2.htm

check seating position, not to much weight on the bars, think its 60/40. 60% weight on saddle and 40% weight on bars is the best mix, how the fook you gauge this I've no idea!

[diamondG]

could be a range of things. MAybe even just your hands getting used to something new..

I find a huge difference between different grips
I only like thin/narrow grips if I'm wearing gloves with padding on the palm of the hand
so normally go with thicker grips, and find them much more comfy when you're out a while

as Bobby says, check your lever setup

now that your hands are sore, sit back on the bike and see where the impact is.. go through the motions of changing gears and using the brakes.. should be easy to see what lever needs to be adjusted

if you're not 1 finger braking, try it
It gives more control on the bars, so you can hold em with less pressure/grip
You might need to move the brake lever in to get it comfy.

if you decide on new grips, I find these great
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=106
and lock on versions, for the rich and famous
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=757

[diamondG]

I'm doing okay...

classic :D

[feed]

check seating position, not to much weight on the bars, think its 60/40. 60% weight on saddle and 40% weight on bars is the best mix, how the fook you gauge this I've no idea!
Think I read somewhere that you guage this by sitting on your bike when it's in a bathtub full of water !!

[Martin]

Think I read somewhere that you guage this by sitting on your bike when it's in a bathtub full of water !!

lol, fill it with water and then sit on it in the bath?

[Morgan]

lol, fill it with water and then sit on it in the bath?

Don't be silly Martin - that would make the bath overflow everywhere. Get in the bath first and then run the taps.

[bmcelligott]

Thanks guys, great advise, ill check this out when I get my bike back. Had a little spill!

If all else fails ill take a bath with my bike!! ha ha

[bmcelligott]

Can anyone recommend a good pair of gloves? I have fingerless with gal pads on the palm. I think maybe they are a bit small and this could be cause the discomfort. Once I take them off in-between runs all is fine…

[bmcelligott]

could be a range of things. MAybe even just your hands getting used to something new..

I find a huge difference between different grips
I only like thin/narrow grips if I'm wearing gloves with padding on the palm of the hand
so normally go with thicker grips, and find them much more comfy when you're out a while

as Bobby says, check your lever setup

now that your hands are sore, sit back on the bike and see where the impact is.. go through the motions of changing gears and using the brakes.. should be easy to see what lever needs to be adjusted

if you're not 1 finger braking, try it
It gives more control on the bars, so you can hold em with less pressure/grip
You might need to move the brake lever in to get it comfy.

if you decide on new grips, I find these great
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=106
and lock on versions, for the rich and famous
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=757

I might change the grips thanks, the factory Lappierre on Technic 700 have good grip but no padding really. I’m definitely not one finger breaking so i'll practice that. Cheers

[DaveS]

Think I read somewhere that you guage this by sitting on your bike when it's in a bathtub full of water !! :D and it keeps coming back

I had loads of problems with my hands (pain, numbless, tendonitis, symptoms of arthritis, thumbs now a different shape!...) and it could be loads of things
1) Crap Forks - I had 10yr old forks with 60mm of bad travel, which has now been replaced with 100mm rebas
2) Grips (http://www.specialized.com/gb/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=46874&menuItemId=10831&eid=5097) and Gloves (http://www.specialized.com/gb/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=47327&menuItemId=10830&eid=5095) - I use specialized Body Geometry for both now.
3) Brakes - I've swapped the shifter and brake position on the bars so I can 1-finger brake. I also have the brake levers almost parallel to the ground (it looks a bit strange to me and others have mentioned it) but it allows you to brake without reaching around the grips to brake (putting extra pressure on your hands).

Without seeing your setup it hand to say, but I'd guess no.3 would be a good place to start. Obviously you need to have a reasonable set of brakes to allow you to brake with enough power when you're only using 1 finger.

[bmcelligott]

:D and it keeps coming back

I had loads of problems with my hands (pain, numbless, tendonitis, symptoms of arthritis, thumbs now a different shape!...) and it could be loads of things
1) Crap Forks - I had 10yr old forks with 60mm of bad travel, which has now been replaced with 100mm rebas
2) Grips (http://www.specialized.com/gb/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=46874&menuItemId=10831&eid=5097) and Gloves (http://www.specialized.com/gb/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=47327&menuItemId=10830&eid=5095) - I use specialized Body Geometry for both now.
3) Brakes - I've swapped the shifter and brake position on the bars so I can 1-finger brake. I also have the brake levers almost parallel to the ground (it looks a bit strange to me and others have mentioned it) but it allows you to brake without reaching around the grips to brake (putting extra pressure on your hands).

Without seeing your setup it hand to say, but I'd guess no.3 would be a good place to start. Obviously you need to have a reasonable set of brakes to allow you to brake with enough power when you're only using 1 finger.

Thanks, that’s great. I’m definitely stretching for the break so I’ll try that first. I haven’t changed the factory setup so defiantly could be the problem. Cheers

[Scrivo]

These are the gloves you want - http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=25223

[bmcelligott]

These are the gloves you want - http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=25223

Any place in town/Dublin which does these or has a good selection of gloves? I would want to try them on first for sizing etc. Thanks

[diamondG]

those gloves are class alright
if you're at the beginners day on saturday you can try my pair for fitting, think they're large

[bmcelligott]

Cheers, I'm definitely considering heading up alright...

[bmcelligott]

Hi Guys, switching the shifter and break position made a massive difference last weekend. I also worked on my one finger breaking. I was out for about 4.5 hrs on Saturday up and down Djouce. My new grips have not arrived (dam volcano) but I was delighted it made such a difference already. Thanks