Wrist pain

Craig,

I am not a doctor but it sounds like you might have a stress fracture from
lifting weights, or possibly some hairline fracture from a wreck a while back?

<< Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado >>

How's the mud treatin ya this last week of April?

Robert

Craig Brossman said:

I have been having a problem with my left wrist lately, it hurts in the
joint, so bad that the first time it occured, I went to the doc. because
I thought it was broken. Here is the story.
I've been riding a bunch (for me), for the past 2 months, 5-6 days/week,
150-200 miles, mostly road, a little mountain thrown in. I'm training
for the Iron Horse race, and it is Durango, so there are lots of long
climbs involved. About 1 month ago, during the evening, I couldn't
sleep, my wrist hurt so badly, I though it was broken. The doc. thought
it was just an overuse injury. At the time, I was lifting a lot, I
suspected that.
But since then, it flairs up every week or so. I ride mostly on the
hoods, but I do move my hands around a bit. I don't usually have any
hand numbness, and I like my position on the bike. No other parts of my
body (except legs) feel distressed.
These last 4 days have been a lot of riding, I've done 2-a-days 3 of the
last 4, about 100 miles of road (mostly climbing) and 20 miles of dirt,
but not all have been hard rides. But the problem has also occured after
one day of 50 miles, not a particularly hard day. I have my hoods pretty
high, the saddle is above the bars, but not by very much, my back feels
great.
So I am puzzled, I never had this issue last year, though I am riding
more, and a year older (43). Maybe it really is overuse, but I'ld hate
to curb my training because of my hand.

Sounds like you've done the smart thing and got those bars up a decent
height. I was having hand and wrist pain after riding my restored vintage
racer last month, so I splurged on a set of fresh Ritchey Ergomax bars.
Totally solved my problem. The little ramp before the hoods was too steep
so I was stressing my hand by gripping like a demon, with the Ritchey's
it's almost flat so you don't have to grip so hard. So switching bars is
always worth exploring! Check out the Moustache Bars at the Rivendell
website as well. Goofy looking, but they might be just the trick.

What do your arms look like when you ride? Is your reach set properly? Are
you locking your elbows or coming close? I'd get another opinion from a
bike fitter, and take it with a grain of salt.

Oh yeah, what's your saddle angle? Is it angled down to "relieve
pressure"? You could be sliding down and putting too much pressure on your
hands.

R15757 said:

Craig,

I am not a doctor but it sounds like you might have a stress fracture from
lifting weights, or possibly some hairline fracture from a wreck a while back?

When I saw the doc. the first time, he took an x-ray and didn't see
anything.

Quoted message said:

<< Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado >>

How's the mud treatin ya this last week of April?

Actually, all the low trails are dry, finally. It was raining a bit last
week, some graupel hit while out, but not enough to make any real mud.
Horse Gulch and Ewing Mesa are in great shape now!

Quoted message said:

Robert

--
Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado
(remove ".nospam" to reply)

maxo said:

On Wed, 28 Apr 2004 09:13:58 -0600, Craig Brossman wrote:

Sounds like you've done the smart thing and got those bars up a decent
height. I was having hand and wrist pain after riding my restored vintage
racer last month, so I splurged on a set of fresh Ritchey Ergomax bars.
Totally solved my problem. The little ramp before the hoods was too steep
so I was stressing my hand by gripping like a demon, with the Ritchey's
it's almost flat so you don't have to grip so hard. So switching bars is
always worth exploring! Check out the Moustache Bars at the Rivendell
website as well. Goofy looking, but they might be just the trick.

What do your arms look like when you ride? Is your reach set properly? Are
you locking your elbows or coming close? I'd get another opinion from a
bike fitter, and take it with a grain of salt.

Oh yeah, what's your saddle angle? Is it angled down to "relieve
pressure"? You could be sliding down and putting too much pressure on your
hands.

All great suggestions, thanks. I feel my position is good, and that my
reach is correct, but what do I know. I think I will go to an LBS buddy
and get fit, perhaps he can help, I suppose it can't hurt.

--
Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado
(remove ".nospam" to reply)

Craig Brossman said:

All great suggestions, thanks. I feel my position is good, and that my
reach is correct, but what do I know. I think I will go to an LBS buddy
and get fit, perhaps he can help, I suppose it can't hurt.

On a similar note, I asked one LBS about this device that another shop had
which was a booth with a guide arm and a laser pointer for getting a 'fit'.

He said it cost $450 to get sized in that device and that this LBS didn't
use it for normal fitting ppl to street bikes. This seemed quite strange to
me, since the device didn't seem that high tech, just a bar and a laser
light, and a chart with like 5 or 10 params to measure.

Anyone seen one of these?

-B

Craig Brossman wrote in part:

<< Actually, all the low trails are dry, finally. >>

God is Great!

<< It was raining a bit last
week, some graupel hit while out, but not enough to make any real mud.
Horse Gulch and Ewing Mesa are in great shape now! >>

Man I get all shook up thinking about the mud receding
for a new season. It's been way too long since I went
up on the Ridge, over Telegraph and twisted down
Carbon Junction. Way too long since I cartwheeled
down Haflin. Forever since Farmington.

So go forth, Craig Brossman! Go forth and behold! For
Durango is the place where all trails begin and end. Go
forth and embrace a new season, and Rejoice.

You lucky [censored].

Good luck with the wrist. I have had similar injuries,
sounds like. Btw, are you racing the road race or the
mtn or both? Obviously you don't want to take a week
off at this stage. I think you can keep riding, get your
fitness, and take care of your wrist all at the same
time. You might have to alter your riding some. Stay
on the pavement for ten days or so, don't grip the
bars with it, and you might need to stay in the saddle
more than you would otherwise, just resting that
wrist. Sneak up on it.

Robert

R15757 said:

Craig Brossman wrote in part:

Quoted message said:

You lucky [censored].

Luckier than you can imagine, I work out of my home, a SW engineer for
IBM, living in Durango 🙂

Quoted message said:

Good luck with the wrist. I have had similar injuries,
sounds like. Btw, are you racing the road race or the
mtn or both? Obviously you don't want to take a week
off at this stage. I think you can keep riding, get your
fitness, and take care of your wrist all at the same
time. You might have to alter your riding some. Stay
on the pavement for ten days or so, don't grip the
bars with it, and you might need to stay in the saddle
more than you would otherwise, just resting that
wrist. Sneak up on it.

Robert

I'm riding the road race, really hope to be about 2:50 this year, almost
30 min improvement over last years time, which was my first race.
After 24 hours, the wrist feels fine, but I know it can flair up again
quickly. Back in the saddle again today, Fruita Fat Tire festival the
next 3, and the last few weeks of trainig for the Iron Horse.

Are you local Robert?

--
Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado
(remove ".nospam" to reply)

Craig Brossman said:

I have been having a problem with my left wrist lately, it hurts in the
joint, so bad that the first time it occured, I went to the doc. because
I thought it was broken. Here is the story.
I've been riding a bunch (for me), for the past 2 months, 5-6 days/week,
150-200 miles, mostly road, a little mountain thrown in. I'm training
for the Iron Horse race, and it is Durango, so there are lots of long
climbs involved. About 1 month ago, during the evening, I couldn't
sleep, my wrist hurt so badly, I though it was broken. The doc. thought
it was just an overuse injury. At the time, I was lifting a lot, I
suspected that.
But since then, it flairs up every week or so. I ride mostly on the
hoods, but I do move my hands around a bit. I don't usually have any
hand numbness, and I like my position on the bike. No other parts of my
body (except legs) feel distressed.
These last 4 days have been a lot of riding, I've done 2-a-days 3 of the
last 4, about 100 miles of road (mostly climbing) and 20 miles of dirt,
but not all have been hard rides. But the problem has also occured after
one day of 50 miles, not a particularly hard day. I have my hoods pretty
high, the saddle is above the bars, but not by very much, my back feels
great.
So I am puzzled, I never had this issue last year, though I am riding
more, and a year older (43). Maybe it really is overuse, but I'ld hate
to curb my training because of my hand.

--
Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado
(remove ".nospam" to reply)

Sounds like arthritis. Try IBUPROFIN for pain relief.

(Robert Masse) said:

Sounds like arthritis. Try IBUPROFIN for pain relief.

Unh-uh. It's a tooham!

-B

Craig Brossman said:

Luckier than you can imagine, I work out of my home, a SW engineer for
IBM, living in Durango 🙂

ahh, ibm. given much thought to hyderabad?
--
david reuteler
[email hidden]

David Reuteler said:

Craig Brossman said:

Luckier than you can imagine, I work out of my home, a SW engineer for
IBM, living in Durango 🙂

ahh, ibm. given much thought to hyderabad?

Huh?

--
Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado
(remove ".nospam" to reply)

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

David Reuteler said:

Craig Brossman said:

Luckier than you can imagine, I work out of my home, a SW engineer for
IBM, living in Durango 🙂

ahh, ibm. given much thought to hyderabad?

Huh?

It's a reference to IBM outsourcing some of their development work to
Hyderabad, India.

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the
newsgroups if possible).

David Kerber said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

David Reuteler said:

Craig Brossman <[email hidden]> wrote:

>Luckier than you can imagine, I work out of my home, a SW engineer for
>IBM, living in Durango 🙂

ahh, ibm. given much thought to hyderabad?

Huh?

It's a reference to IBM outsourcing some of their development work to
Hyderabad, India.

Now I understand, my area tends to outsource to Romania, the stuff I
work on is usually custom code in the printing area, though I rarely
deal with printers ... anymore.
My personal opinion is that IBM and other companies will continue to do
this more over the next few years, until someone determines that all the
increased overhead in management of oversears groups as well as decrease
in time to market and quality ... swings the pendulum the other direction.
Perhaps that is wishful thinking, it matters not, I'm of the frame of
mind that if I become outsourced, I'll take it as a sign that it is time
for me to do something else. Until then, I like my job and my situation.
And, back on topic, the riding oppurtunities!

--
Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado
(remove ".nospam" to reply)

On Wed, 28 Apr 2004 09:13:58 -0600, Craig Brossman
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

I have been having a problem with my left wrist lately, it hurts in the
joint, so bad that the first time it occured, I went to the doc. because
I thought it was broken.

Same happened to me. I can't wait to get my recumbent back from the
shop - I'd forgotten how bad wedgies are for your [censored] and hands!

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

Craig Brossman <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I'm riding the road race, really hope to be about 2:50 this year, almost
30 min improvement over last years time, which was my first race.
After 24 hours, the wrist feels fine, but I know it can flair up again
quickly. Back in the saddle again today, Fruita Fat Tire festival the
next 3, and the last few weeks of trainig for the Iron Horse.

That's the life. Long overdue for a Fruita trip.

Quoted message said:

Are you local Robert?

In my dreams. I do know where to find the good stuff though, and I
guess that's the most important thing. I have an exhibit over at the
Durango Couch Surfers' Hall of Fame.

Robert