Dirty hands

[screenman]

Have you got shiny alloy bars?

 

[Globalti]

It's not rubber, it' aluminium, the acid in your sweat is attacking the alloy.

You've got a badly broken lifeline; how many years have you lived so far?

 

[robjh]

Have you got shiny alloy bars?

It's not rubber, it' aluminium, the acid in your sweat is attacking the alloy.

Thanks for the ideas, but the bars are wrapped under black bar tape so I don't see how my hands would be reacting with the metal.

I got the same thing again today, but have a theory now - though it's not for the squeamish.....
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V

My nose often runs when I'm cycling - don't know why but that's a different question.
I wipe my nose with my right hand; I put my right hand back on the handlebars with their black tape, and the shifters with their black rubber covers. Something in the, ahem, fluid, reacts with one or other of these, causing some kind of residue to stick to my hands.

Well, it's the best theory I have at the moment.

 

[Dave 123]

At least it's not hairy.
Then we'd have been calling you naughty names......

 

[Banjo]

Are you sure its not coming off your camera rob? The ratio of camera to handlebar contact must be quite high

 

[Shut Up Legs]

My nose often runs when I'm cycling - don't know why but that's a different question.
I wipe my nose with my right hand; I put my right hand back on the handlebars with their black tape, and the shifters with their black rubber covers. Something in the, ahem, fluid, reacts with one or other of these, causing some kind of residue to stick to my hands.

Well, it's the best theory I have at the moment.

It's snot unreasonable, sounds pretty plausible actually. My advice is to learn the art of snot-rocketing .

 

[robjh]

Are you sure its not coming off your camera rob? The ratio of camera to handlebar contact must be quite high

Think I gave you a false impression on our Welsh rides Banjo, I don't take that many photos all the time - after all I don't always have such photogenic riding partners as you, RichP, Cheshirecelt and the rest of the gang

 

[Crackle]

I thought of this thread today.

I always wear gloves but recently I washed them and low, I have tan gloves, who'd a thunk. But, they are now going black again and the pattern is definite, it's from the hoods not the tape. The thicker area of the gloves nearer the base of the palm is still fine and I reckon that's coz my sweaty paws can't penetrate it.

I have no solution but a suggestion. Wrap the hoods with some tape.

 

[Fnaar]

I don't think this would worry me in the slightest, tbh.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I use aluminium ladders a lot for my job. After as few hours my hands are the same as yours,covered in black marks. I carry a small packet of baby wipes when working and when cycling because of this problem. A few seconds and the muck has vanished, try them next time!

 

[robjh]

Good to see this thread being revived. I still get the problem, right hand only, longer rides only, and on my road bike only (even though I've got new hoods and shifters and bar tape). It's nothing to do with my last hypothesis, my hands can be perfectly dry apart from the sweat. All I can think is that it is a combination of my personal sweat with something in Shimano's 105 shifters+hoods. It mystifies other riders in my club, and I am careful now about wiping my sweaty brow since I sat all through a café break with the black all over my face too.
The mystery goes on.

 

[HLaB]

My watch reacts with suncream and sweat and I have black marks like tha on my wrist but I have 105 hoods/ shifter and don't get a problem.

 

[robjh]

Time to reopen an old thread.

As sure as day follows night, and spring follows winter, so it gets warmer, I take off my gloves and get this cack over my right hand again. See the picture at the top of the thread, taken in the first warm weather last year.

Had the first long bare-hands ride of the year at the weekend, and after a few miles the black splodges were back on the palm and fingers of my right hand.

I haven't a clue why it happens - I replaced the STIs, the hoods and the bar tape last year and it carried on as before. And it's not runny nose-related, I'm pretty sure now.

I must be doomed.

 

[vickster]

Lose the black bar tape, and all other black off the bike while you're at it

 

[harly]

Get some pink tape and hoods and youll be fine