Sore hands - what should I adjust?

[Kermit power]

Hi all,

I occasionally (not always, but enough to be annoyed by it) have sore hands by the time I finish my ride to work (15 miles), especially on the fleshy part at the base of the thumb.

What is the likely cause of this? Bars to close? Too far away? Too low?

Any thoughts welcome.

[shalmaneser]

Just a bit of MTFU required I think.

Try seaching for Ergon grips, but these target the 'numb little finger' syndrome, which doesn't sound like the problem your having.

Make sure your brake levers are in line with your forearm when seated, but having these incorrectly adjusted tends to hurt your wrists.

One thing maybe worth trying is rotate your handlebars.

[Kermit power]

Definitely not MTFU. I don't get the problem on my mountain bike, only on my road bike. Both have flat bars, but otherwise the geometry is just too different for a direct comparison though.

I've swapped from gel-padded gloves to non padded ones, which has helped quite a bit, and might suggest that I need smaller diameter grips, but I'm not sure there is such a thing, given that I've already got a pretty small bar/grip combo.

Has anyone tried Cane Creek Ergo bar ends? They seem to be well rated, with a few people on Wiggle specifically mentioning reduced hand pain.

[Flippin' Kipper]

This can be a sign that you are crushing nerves or restricting blood flow.

Make sure your seat is not tilted forwards, thus tipping you onto the bars.

[Kermit power]

Flippin' Kipper said:

What type of bike?

One of these, converted to flat bars with a high rise on the stem....

Flippin' Kipper said:

Make sure your seat is not tilted forwards, thus tipping you onto the bars.

Spirit level flat.

[Flippin' Kipper]

How well does your frame fit then, are you running your post along way out?

[Kermit power]

Flippin' Kipper said:

How well does your frame fit then, are you running your post along way out?

No - probably a couple of inches out of the frame tops.

[Flippin' Kipper]

Well make sure you are not using a death grip - although I find this more a problem on my mountain bike, and also make sure that your wrists are relatively straight, maybe adjust the controls slightly so they don't have to bend so much.

If nothing seems to help it might be worth popping into the LBS so they can see you on the bike and offer you some advice.

[Gooby]

Kermit power said:

Spirit level flat.

Which can produce problems with lower spine....

[Raven Flyer]

My seat is very slightly tilted forward (one serration) and I have no hand problems. The saddle is about 75mm above the bars. I find this much more comfortable on longer rides, especially if using the drops.

[itsnotarace]

Kermit power said:

especially on the fleshy part at the base of the thumb.

Difficult to say on a flat bar'd bike. Do you have the same handlebar grips on both bikes? If not, is one a harder type of rubber or is their a raised edge of something that you are unduly leaning on?

I assume the saddle is correctly adjusted and you are not leaning too far forwards.

[itsnotarace]

Gooby said:

Which can produce problems with lower spine....

?

Never heard that one before. Sauce of information?

[dubbs]

I had similar until I learned that you don't grip the bars hard on a road bike like you do on an MTB.

Light touch and not too much weight over and onto the bars - that's why building some abdominals/core strength helps no end for cycling

[Kermit power]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I didn't like commuting through London with drop bars, so I swapped them out for flat bars with appropriate brakes and shifters. I actually made a profit out of it as well, selling the old bars and Shimano 105 brake levers/shifters on Ebay.

[Kermit power]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

If you consider a hybrid to be a completely standard road bike with flat bars then yes, it's a hybrid.

If you consider a hybrid to have fatter tyres, wider gearing and a heavier frame than a road bike then no, it's not a hybrid.

Feel free to call it by whatever name you wish.

[Vladimir]

Specialized BG gloves have padding to help prevent crushing of the ulnar radial nerve - and it works.

Might be worth trying a pair? I find them super comfy on my MTB and road bike.

[Kermit power]

Vladimir said:

Specialized BG gloves have padding to help prevent crushing of the ulnar radial nerve - and it works.

Might be worth trying a pair? I find them super comfy on my MTB and road bike.

Oddly I've tried them, and it made the problem far worse! From this and other comments, I'm starting to think I'm probably too close to the bars, and therefore leaning too heavily on them. That sort of sounds counter-intuitive, but it won't hurt to give it a go.

[paranoid airbag]

if a flat bar road bike is a hybrid, what's a hybrid frame with drop bars, road groupset and road wheelset? just askin'

[Kermit power]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Yes, to one with much more lift on it to give the more upright seating position I was after. I may have over-compensated!

[anonymous-user]

Don't wk and ride. It should solve the soreness issue.