@#$@Dropbars and hand numbness

darkytoo said:

Apparently my riding posture is causing me some carpal tunnel related issues. I'm working on these and have made some good progress, but it seems the best way to fix the problem is to use the #$#$drop bars more often. But whenever I try I can't seem to get my fingers to reach the shifters and brakes. Is there any solution to this?

There are two approaches, aside from getting longer fingers. One is to get different shaped bars. The traditional radiused bars will get your hands closer to the levers than newer ergonomic bends. The other approach is to bring the levers closer to your hands. You can do this by putting a shim underneath the top edge of the brake body where it clamps the bars.

There may be another way to alleviate the problem altogether. Because I'm pretty involved in golf and the golf swing, I pay a lot of attention to grip. You probably grip your hoods or bars along the lifeline of your palm. At least, this is how I used to grip my hoods and bars and casual observation of others suggests that this is normal. In golf, the best golfers put the club between their knuckles and the first finger joints. IOW, they grip the club with their fingers, not their palms. And, they only apply grip pressure with two fingers of each hand, not all five fingers. I have fooled around with grips on my bike and have found that I am more relaxed and it is less stress on my hands when I grip my hoods or bars similarly, putting the bar or hoods between my knuckles and first joints. I also apply grip pressure with only my middle two fingers of each hand rather than all five fingers. And, I try to keep the grip pressure very light, like I'm holding an egg in my fingers.

darkytoo said:

Apparently my riding posture is causing me some carpal tunnel related issues. I'm working on these and have made some good progress, but it seems the best way to fix the problem is to use the #$#$drop bars more often. But whenever I try I can't seem to get my fingers to reach the shifters and brakes. Is there any solution to this?

Hand numbness - check you saddle tilt as it may be tilted downward causing you to slide in the saddle and making your hand support most of your upper body

Dropbars - try using a shallow drop handlebars

Good luck!

darkytoo said:

Apparently my riding posture is causing me some carpal tunnel related issues. I'm working on these and have made some good progress, but it seems the best way to fix the problem is to use the #$#$drop bars more often. But whenever I try I can't seem to get my fingers to reach the shifters and brakes. Is there any solution to this?

The frame may be too big or the stem too long forcing you to stretch out too much but this is only one other theory without actually seeing you on the bike.
This would force the elbows to be straight instead of bent and making the hands and fingers turn more outward when trying to reach the hoods.
It might be worth checking with a experienced bike mechanic or rider.