Sore Hands

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I have had wrist issues as well (think 11 ops in 15 years with the wrist dislocating 20-30 times a day, 5 years not able to cycle at all...).
I found a solution with my mountain bike was to really shorten the stem forcing me to sit up more, have ergonomic grips with bar ends etc. I found I could ride for a reasonable length of time after that with the assistance of painkillers.

What was much better in the long term was changing style of bike completely - I can't go over to road bikes or drop bars becuase of the injury, so I went over to touring bikes and had a custom fitted bike. the difference was stunning. 2 weeks touring on my mtb left my hand numb for 6 months, 12 months touring on my off-road touring/expedition bike and I had no long term issues... ironically they both had the same grips and bar ends and I used the same gloves and I have not needed any painkillers!

I actually think the difference was the professional bike fitting. The guys in the shop gave me all the time and assistance I needed and were exceptionally helpful listening to what I needed which was the weight off that wrist, and changing stems, risers, seats etc until I had something I could cycle long term with.

Have you had a professional bike fitting?

 

[grumpyoldgit]

Not had a fitting.Bought the Giant from LBS,they adjusted the saddle.Any good places for a fitting in Surrey?

 

[lulubel]

Look into recumbents? No weight on your hands at all then.

 

[Globalti]

Padded gloves and Ergon grips:

Sorted.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Padded gloves and Ergon grips:

Sorted.

Does not always help unfortuantly. It's what I have on my tourer and and I'm OK. It is also what I had on my mtb and my left hand went numb for 6 months after 2 weeks touring on my mtb...

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Look into recumbents? No weight on your hands at all then.

It's a seriouly brave person who risks Surrey roads on a recumbent. They are bad enough on a road/mtb/tourer. I used to live there and cycled to work. I would see 4 or 5 near misses each way. It actually got to the point where I would close my eyes, so I didn't have to keep witnessing the accidents. In the end I changed my route nearly doubling it, just to reduce the stress of cycling to work!
http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/2117610_hand_cyclist_set_for_paralympics_despite_crash I used to pass her frequently often at a particularly bad part of the B3001 and put bluntly it was bad enough on my mtb with lights and hi-viz clothing. On a her bike, I don't know how she survived all these years - the orange flag never quite seemed enough, but then motorists were amazingly good at killing themselves on one particular bend as it was - one old oak tree shows the scars of many fatal crashes - somehow they all hit the same oak tree time and time again.

 

[ayceejay]

When you ride with your body so low that you form an unnatural curve in your neck to look straight ahead it is possible to create a problem that manifests in the wrists and hands. As important as getting a bike fit is your posture while on the bike, try keeping your neck in a more gentle curve when riding and straight when you are not.