arthritus :how to ride with it

Raphael Wolfson may have said:

I am former long-distance rider ( double-centuries,etc.) I am 53, having developed rheumatoid
arthritus in my right hand. I ride a eighteen year old Pro Miyata, carbon fork, Rolf Vector Pro
wheels. When I hit a bump it's like sticking my finger into an electric outlet.. ouch ! How can the
shock be dampened ? Appearance is unimportant . I gotta ride but I can't ride much longer like
this. Any and all helpful suggestions gratefully recieved

I don't think there's much you'll be able to do with that particular unit. You could try looking
around for one of the silicone-gel-padded gloves that are used by some machinery operators to reduce
the amount of vibration that is transmitted through from the equipment they operate, but that's
probably no going to do very much. A bike with a front suspension fork, or better yet a full
suspension bike, will take a lot of the jolt out. If you're not planning to be a high-mileage user,
you can probably get decent service from one of the mass-market full suspension mountain bikes.

And, while I still am not entirely convinced of its effectiveness, I've apparently had some
remission in what appeared to be developing arthritis in one wrist and one knee as a result of
taking glucosamine/chondroitin supplements. Whether it actually works or is just providing a placebo
effect is not something I can really address authoritatively, but enough people have reported
improvement from it to make me think it could be worth a try since it apparently has little or no
risk of harm attached. My S.O.'s orthopedist neither recommends in favor of or against it, but upon
request hands out a sheet stating that the dosage which seems to be needed to achieve any
significant theraputic value is two to three of the "triple strength" tabs per day, and that it may
take as much as 60 days to see any effect. The info he provides recommends against buying it
anywhere except where it's cheapest, and it also says that if no improvement is seen in 60 days,
none is likely, and there's no point in wasting any money by continuing with it. Info provided for
whatever you think it's worth.

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Werehatrack said:

I don't think there's much you'll be able to do with that particular unit. You could try looking
around for one of the silicone-gel-padded gloves that are used by some machinery operators to
reduce the amount of vibration that is transmitted through from the equipment they operate, but
that's probably no going to do very much.

They help a little but not much. I used to have some Spenco cycling gloves but Spenco doesn't make
them anymore. They eventually fell apart from years of use.

Quoted message said:

A bike with a front suspension fork, or better yet a full suspension bike, will take a lot of the
jolt out. If you're not planning to be a high-mileage user, you can probably get decent service
from one of the mass-market full suspension mountain bikes.

He could also try a suspension stem. They're a little hard to find but not impossible. They'll work
fine on a road bike. It's too bad they didn't catch on. They apparently aren't that great for
off-roading but they seem like a natural for touring, commuting and comfort bikes.

I also have arthritis and sometimes get it in my wrists from riding. I've found that putting a
little less pressure on the bars helps a lot.

--Bill Davidson
--
Please remove ".nospam" from my address for email replies.

Raphael Wolfson said:

I am former long-distance rider ( double-centuries,etc.) I am 53, having developed rheumatoid
arthritus in my right hand. I ride a eighteen year old Pro Miyata, carbon fork, Rolf Vector Pro
wheels. When I hit a bump it's like sticking my finger into an electric outlet.. ouch ! How can
the shock be dampened ? Appearance is unimportant . I gotta ride but I can't ride much longer like
this. Any and all helpful suggestions gratefully recieved

You could try wider tires at lower pressure. Also consider raising the bars so there is less weight
on your hands.

There was a thread here recently about using straight bars on road bikes. That might be another
option for you.

Art Harris

I have had similar problems with arthritis in hands besides carpal tunnel and tendonitis. Up till 5
yrs ago I only rode for transportation, rec was out as i got numbness and pain in hands and wrists
after 20 min. Then I went recumbent, and now I do long distance cycling (loaded touring) painfree.
Not only helped the hands but also the butt! Barry Davidson "Raphael Wolfson"
<[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am former long-distance rider ( double-centuries,etc.) I am 53, having developed rheumatoid
arthritus in my right hand. I ride a eighteen year old Pro Miyata, carbon fork, Rolf Vector Pro
wheels. When I hit a bump it's like sticking my finger into an electric outlet.. ouch ! How can
the shock be dampened ? Appearance is unimportant . I gotta ride but I can't ride much longer like
this. Any and all helpful suggestions gratefully recieved Ray

I have somewhat the same problem in both hands and I had considered a recumbent bike so my hands
wouldn't have to bear weight or shock from bumps. For the moment I have avoided buying the recumbent
with two measures:

1. I have greatly reduced the weight my hands must bear by raising my handlebars (shallow drop
ones) so that they are an inch or so above the saddle.

2. I avoid most of the shocks from bumps by releasing my hold on the handlebars just before I hit
the bump and just letting my hands hover an inch or so above the bars. My bikes (6 of them) all
track just fine over the bump for the instant before I grasp the bars again. This only works for
bumps that you see coming of course so you still get some jolts. I also try to grasp the bar
lightly (the raised bars help in this). In order to avoid taking the entire jolt on my sit bones
I often position the cranks horizontally at 9:00 and 3:00 and raise my butt a bit off the saddle
and let my knees flex to absorb the shock. I let my butt kinda hover over the saddle so I can
lift my hands above the bar for the necessary instant.

I can release my grip on the bar for more than just an instant by keeping my fingers against the
sides of the brake hoods but lifting my hands so I have an inch of so between the crotch of my
thumbs and the tops of the hoods. I do this when I cross a bridge on my favorite bike path where the
deck is made of crossways 2"x6" which have cupped. I can just let the HB jounce up and down all the
way accross without taking the shock in my hands or sit bones (because I lift and hover).

It works for me.

Bob Taylor

Raphael Wolfson <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I am former long-distance rider ( double-centuries,etc.) I am 53, having developed rheumatoid
arthritus in my right hand. I ride a eighteen year old Pro Miyata, carbon fork, Rolf Vector Pro
wheels. When I hit a bump it's like sticking my finger into an electric outlet.. ouch ! How can
the shock be dampened ? Appearance is unimportant . I gotta ride but I can't ride much longer like
this. Any and all helpful suggestions gratefully recieved Ray

Hi, Ray, I'm 63 and have problems with arthritis in my elbows shoulders and knee.

I've found that PK-5 ( pk5.compk5.comOpen ↗ ) works very well for me.

Lewis.

******************************

Raphael Wolfson <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I am former long-distance rider ( double-centuries,etc.) I am 53, having developed rheumatoid
arthritus in my right hand. I ride a eighteen year old Pro Miyata, carbon fork, Rolf Vector Pro
wheels. When I hit a bump it's like sticking my finger into an electric outlet.. ouch ! How can
the shock be dampened ? Appearance is unimportant . I gotta ride but I can't ride much longer like
this. Any and all helpful suggestions gratefully recieved Ray

Bill Davidson may have said:

He could also try a suspension stem. They're a little hard to find but not impossible.

One designed for a threadless 1.125" MTB steerer tube was on ebay last week; gone now, but they pop
up once in a while. Of course, it would need to be one that was designed for his type of steer tube,
so that particular one would probably not have worked.

Quoted message said:

They'll work fine on a road bike. It's too bad they didn't catch on. They apparently aren't that
great for off-roading but they seem like a natural for touring, commuting and comfort bikes.

I'd certainly agree, although I've only seen one in person once. I think the average rider might
find it disquieting that the bars *don't* stay at a constant height.

Quoted message said:

I also have arthritis and sometimes get it in my wrists from riding. I've found that putting a
little less pressure on the bars helps a lot.

Changing ride position did as much for me as anything else when I first got back on the bikes. Now,
amazingly enough, I don't have the problem at all.

---
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(Bob Taylor) may have said:

2. ... In order to avoid taking the entire jolt on my sit bones I often position the cranks
horizontally at 9:00 and 3:00 and raise my butt a bit off the saddle and let my knees flex to
absorb the shock. I let my butt kinda hover over the saddle so I can lift my hands above the bar
for the necessary instant.

[snippage]

Quoted message said:

It works for me.

You're not the only one! Until I can find a decent full suspension bike[1] to alleviate the jounces
of the really rotten surfaces around here (you could use some of our sidewalks as BMX/skateboard
stunt tracks), I've gotten into the habit of using the lift-and-let-flex maneuver when the bumps
come up. That's only useful, as you note, when you see them coming, but it helps a lot.

[1] one within my meager budget that doesn't have crappy welds, a crummy pivot, and front shock
seals that are going to blow out in <1000 miles, i.e. not a Mongoose or its ilk.

---
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Yes, I have a killfile. If I don't respond to something, it's also possible that I'm busy.

I may try this.. how long does it last per application?

sc

"Lewis Campbell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi, Ray, I'm 63 and have problems with arthritis in my elbows shoulders

and knee.

Quoted message said:

I've found that PK-5 ( pk5.compk5.comOpen ↗ ) works very well for me.

Lewis.

******************************

Raphael Wolfson <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I am former long-distance rider ( double-centuries,etc.) I am 53, having developed rheumatoid
arthritus in my right hand. I ride a eighteen year old Pro Miyata, carbon fork, Rolf Vector Pro
wheels. When I hit a bump it's like sticking my finger into an electric outlet.. ouch ! How can
the shock be dampened ? Appearance is unimportant . I gotta ride but I can't ride much longer
like this. Any and all helpful suggestions gratefully recieved Ray

I tried using a Girvin Flexstem which has just 3/4" of travel (enough to take the sting out). It
works well while seated but not so well if you come up off the saddle to pedal. If you stand and
pull on the bars the Girvin mechanism lets them move upward a little and then stop with a clunk up
against the bolt that holds that mechanism together. It's safe but annoying. So long as you remain
seated to pedal it's fine but a racer might find that a problem.

A disclaimer in case somebody else had a different experience with one of these things: The
description above is how the one I had worked for me. I do not speak for anyone else.

Bob Taylor

Raphael Wolfson <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I am former long-distance rider ( double-centuries,etc.) I am 53, having developed rheumatoid
arthritus in my right hand. I ride a eighteen year old Pro Miyata, carbon fork, Rolf Vector Pro
wheels. When I hit a bump it's like sticking my finger into an electric outlet.. ouch ! How can
the shock be dampened ? Appearance is unimportant . I gotta ride but I can't ride much longer like
this. Any and all helpful suggestions gratefully recieved Ray

Well I bought some of the PK5, and as skeptical as I am about buying anything, it seems to work
well. I applied to my right wrist that was painful just sitting with no motion,and now it's fine..
took about 10 min to "work". This is not an endorsement of this product.. yet.. but it seemed to do
something .. but a few more days of testing this will tell me for sure if it was worth the $15..

sc

"Scott C" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:5BzQa.52070$OZ2.8814@rwcrnsc54...

Quoted message said:

I may try this.. how long does it last per application?

sc

"Lewis Campbell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi, Ray, I'm 63 and have problems with arthritis in my elbows shoulders

and knee.

Quoted message said:

I've found that PK-5 ( pk5.compk5.comOpen ↗ ) works very well for me.

Lewis.

******************************

Raphael Wolfson <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I am former long-distance rider ( double-centuries,etc.) I am 53, having developed rheumatoid
arthritus in my right hand. I ride a eighteen year old Pro Miyata, carbon fork, Rolf Vector
Pro wheels. When I hit a bump it's like sticking my finger into an electric outlet.. ouch !
How can the shock be dampened ? Appearance is unimportant . I gotta ride but I can't ride much
longer like this. Any and all helpful suggestions gratefully recieved Ray

I saw a few replies suggesting gel gloves, but were unsure of their availability. Nashbar sells a
plethora of them.

nashbar.comresults.cfmOpen ↗

Maybe these, called "Numbz": nashbar.comprofile.cfmOpen ↗
=&sku=6373&storetype=&estoreid=

Raphael Wolfson said:

I am former long-distance rider ( double-centuries,etc.) I am 53, having developed rheumatoid
arthritus in my right hand. I ride a eighteen year old Pro Miyata, carbon fork, Rolf Vector Pro
wheels. When I hit a bump it's like sticking my finger into an electric outlet.. ouch ! How can
the shock be dampened ? Appearance is unimportant . I gotta ride but I can't ride much longer like
this. Any and all helpful suggestions gratefully recieved Ray

--
Rick Onanian

Werehatrack said:

You could try looking around for one of the silicone-gel-padded gloves that are used by some
machinery operators to reduce the amount of vibration that is transmitted through from the
equipment they operate, but that's probably no going to do very much.

I just discovered that Cinelli makes a gel handlebar tape:

cinelli.it2003 GEL .htmlOpen ↗

I don't know where to buy it or how much it would help but it exists and might help.

--Bill Davidson
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