Forced off of road bike due to injury. What to do with new bike?

[MrWill]

So I have recently finished building up what I would think to be a really nice roadie. Its perfect.
But, I have wrist issues, I've broken one in the past, which has never been the same, and in the last 2 years I have developed a bit of carpel tunnel. I thought I'd be fine, but I took it out for the first time last night and just managed 4 miles and my wrists were killing, so left it there.

So I am pondering whether to just part with the new build, and buy a flat bar hybrid. With whatever I can get for selling my baby. It cost £1139.47 to build, so what woud I be looking at as a loss?
Or should I convert it to a flat bar? Trouble is it's 11 speed, so Ain't exactly going to be cheap or straight foreward.

Can get some quite nice hybrids, fist time I have ever looked at them. The slightly more upright position and horizontal wrists will be no problem.

 

[vickster]

Too wide bars gave me de quervains tendonitis, solved with narrower bars, thicker tape and better gel gloves

I'd try those fixes first

In terms of recouping cost, you'd probably be better selling as parts (you'll lose 20-25% versus new I would think). Maybe £800 for the bike as a whole?

 

[jowwy]

I would convert it to a flar bar as you say, its your perfect bike

 

[vickster]

Assuming flat bar is the solution? Is the bike set up right to avoid too much weight on wrists?

Presume you are seeing a physiotherapist to deal with issues? Using a wrist splint? Doing exercises? Certainly worth seeing one privately?

 

[MrWill]

I would convert it to a flar bar as you say, its your perfect bike

Trouble is I'd have to change the whole groupset, bars and stem. There no flat bar 11spd stuff without being catastrophically expensive. Hmmmmm.

 

[MrWill]

Assuming flat bar is the solution? Is the bike set up right to avoid too much weight on wrists?

Presume you are seeing a physiotherapist to deal with issues? Using a wrist splint? Doing exercises? Certainly worth seeing one privately?

Oh I've got fancy gloves and the lot. Tried all sorts or widths of bars, but I've wide shoulders so doesn't help. It's the vertical wrist position, and the racy position putting weight on that's the problem. I've spent a lot of time getting the bike set up position wise. Wrists are straght on hoods etc.

Oh I've been to the doc quite a few times. Utterly useless, just wants to give me pain killers. I've tried changing to a different surgery, but they won't see me as I'm not in their catchment areas.

Put a lot of study into it, and I just can't seem to do anything to improve it.

Yeah flat bar and more upright will be the solution. I can ride my friends without pain.

 

[vickster]

Pay to see a physio (£40-50 usually), they can then recommend a support and even a specialist referral, GP more likely to listen (assume no private healthcare, GPs more than happy to refer on)

Might have to pay to get the correct medical intervention unfortunately

Do you have problems other than when riding the bike? Work, computer etc? Talk to occupational health if so, get your workstation sorted

 

[MrWill]

Yeah looks like it :/.

Yes with anything that involes compressing the joint at any angle other than straight( so pulling is fine, pushing not), twisting forces or strong vibration. Changing my jobs will make a big difference... Easier said than done it seems, but will get there. I've always done very physical jobs and it's been brought on by that, power tool use and too much exercise/ gym time.

 

[MrWill]

Have been looking at hybrids for a few hours now. Does not seem straight foreward. Theres a lot of bikes in this category that look great but the manufacturers have snook in some crap components.

What is a decent value hybrid, that has decent components, wheels and brakes?

 

[srw]

The first solution to too much weight on the wrists is ... less weight on the wrists.

Which means higher handlebars. There's an absurd fashion nowadays to have handlebars several inches lower than the saddle, which extends to all kinds of bikes - including hybrids. I'd start out with a different stem, and possibly spend a tenner or so on a steerer extension - they're ugly and heavy, but they'll tell you whether you've got a problem that can only be sorted with a different bike, or whether a different setup on the same bike will help.

 

[vickster]

Whyte r7 series, ridgeback flight, cannondale quick, specialized, giant, trek. Planet x have a reasonably priced carbon flat bar too

Ergo grips may help too

 

[Mugshot]

I was riding with somebody a couple of days ago who was telling me he suffers from arthritis in his wrists and as a conseqence finds it much too painful to ride a standard drop handlebar, he uses a splayed one like this,

Which he says makes a huge difference as he isn't putting the weight on his wrists as he would be otherwise, he also has aerobars which he uses which relieve his wrists entirely and as @srw mentioned he hasn't got his bars set several feet below his saddle.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

install cross levers so you can always ride on the tops? worth trying as it's not too expensive...

 

[Ganymede]

Recumbent? I have straight bars and I think they put a bit of strain on my wrists. No prob at all on my semi-'bent!

 

[jay clock]

In addition to the physio options then a Retul bike fit could help.