Painful arms

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Sauce pot

Regular
I've only recently taken up cycling and sometimes when I'm out and about I get excruciating pain in my upper arms. It can happen after about 8 miles out. All of a sudden my arms feel dead and then when I go to move them I realise they are dead, a quick stretch out and I'm fine. But the longer I cycle the more this continues and eventually I have to stop completely. When I do stop and move my arms I can hardly move them of the handlebars and the pain in the upper arms is awful. Today I had to cut the ride short as I was in so much pain.
Any ideas would be helpful
 

lee1980sim

Senior Member
Location
South Yorkshire
Could be a variety of things from being in one position to not being used to having your arms in the downward cycling position, I've just invested in some bar ends for my wife's bike to ease her aches it's a more natural position I find
 

sight-pin

Veteran
It could be your putting to much weight on the handlebars due to incorrect fitting to the bike (moving saddle back & forth etc), theirs a link somewhere about bike fit, i'm sure someone here will have the link?
 

Katherine

Guru
Moderator
Location
Manchester
Do you have your arms locked straight at the elbows or do you have your arms slightly bent at the elbows which is better for you.
 
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OP
Sauce pot

Sauce pot

Regular
I think I have me arms locked as it's all so new and I don't have a lot of confidence. Having said that I did a sportive last weekend and had no pain whatsoever over 36 miles. Maybe last weekend I was confident as there wasn't so much traffic and I was surrounded by others?
 

vickster

Legendary Member
Arms should be slightly bent, and you need to be relaxed :smile: or its muscle strain as a delayed reaction to the ride last week, did you stretch after?
 
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OP
Sauce pot

Sauce pot

Regular
This has happened before my sportive last weekend. I had to get my partner to help me stop as my arms felt so dead once. Looking at the internet I think I am putting my hands in a death grip around the handlebars and then when I come to relax it's all so tight and then the pain kicks in. Maybe I may pay for a bike fit?
 

vickster

Legendary Member
This has happened before my sportive last weekend. I had to get my partner to help me stop as my arms felt so dead once. Looking at the internet I think I am putting my hands in a death grip around the handlebars and then when I come to relax it's all so tight and then the pain kicks in. Maybe I may pay for a bike fit?
A bike fit won't change the way you ride if the bike is the right size and set up. There are lots of set up quotes on YouTube

What sort of bike is it?
 

Banjo

Fuelled with Jelly Babies
Location
South Wales
Every few miles I like to let go with one hand at a time and move my hands wrists and elbows a bit to loosen them up.Never had pain like you describe but it does help with comfort on the bike.

You definitely need to have a slight bend at the elbow to absorb the vibration and shock from the road.

good gloves would probably help a bit.
 

Tin Pot

Guru
Had the same as you many times :smile:

Many factors;

Locking arms and sagging shoulders
Lack of decent padded gloves
Too much weight on arms (bike setup/position)
Core fitness
 

ayceejay

Guru
Location
Rural Quebec
I think it is white knuckle syndrome. If you cling on to the handlebars with a grip that would strangle a crocodile you will stem the flow of stuff your circulation depends on and the result will be what you describe even with padded gloves. Relax go for a ride, enjoy the wind in your hair and it will go away.
 
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