sore palms after riding

windowsNT <[email hidden]> wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

It's been a few years since I've ridden a bike. I started again recently, and after about 30
minutes of road riding on a MTB, the lower part of my palms start to get sore. Is this normal for
someone who hasn't ridden in a while and will it stop after a few weeks ? I'm pretty sure the
bicycle fits me fine. Everything else is comfortable.

Are you wearing gloves?

Avoid bending your wrists; instead bend your elbows and waist..

Absolutely! I notice the same when I have not ridden for a while. Wear a good padded glove and keep
changing your hand position.

It will go away with more frequent riding--like anything else.

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

Quoted message said:

It's been a few years since I've ridden a bike. I started again recently, and after about 30
minutes of road riding on a MTB, the lower part of my palms start to get sore. Is this normal for
someone who hasn't ridden in a while and will it stop after a few weeks ? I'm pretty sure the
bicycle fits me fine. Everything else is comfortable.

Ken said:

windowsNT <[email hidden]> wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

It's been a few years since I've ridden a bike. I started again recently, and after about 30
minutes of road riding on a MTB, the lower part of my palms start to get sore. Is this normal for
someone who hasn't ridden in a while and will it stop after a few weeks ? I'm pretty sure the
bicycle fits me fine. Everything else is comfortable.

Are you wearing gloves?

Avoid bending your wrists; instead bend your elbows and waist..

Agreed. Most mountain bikes appear to have the brake levers rotated to '8 o'clock' or 'later'
(pointing forward) if you look at the bike from the left side. This causes you to roll the wrists
and forearms toward you and down to use the brakes. When I position the brake levers closer to '7
o'clock' or 'earlier,' (pointing almost at the ground)I get less palm pressure. Experiment with
this. Usually a 5mm allen wrench will be the tool for this adjustment.

Wed, 28 May 2003 00:27:02 GMT, <[email hidden]>, windowsNT

Quoted message said:

It's been a few years since I've ridden a bike. I started again recently, and after about 30
minutes of road riding on a MTB, the lower part of my palms start to get sore. Is this normal for
someone who hasn't ridden in a while and will it stop after a few weeks ? I'm pretty sure the
bicycle fits me fine. Everything else is comfortable.

Numbness is a concern if it continues after you're off the bike.
--
zk

Zoot Katz said:

Wed, 28 May 2003 00:27:02 GMT, <[email hidden]>, windowsNT

Quoted message said:

It's been a few years since I've ridden a bike. I started again recently, and after about 30
minutes of road riding on a MTB, the lower part of my palms start to get sore. Is this normal for
someone who hasn't ridden in a while and will it stop after a few weeks ? I'm pretty sure the
bicycle fits me fine. Everything else is comfortable.

Numbness is a concern if it continues after you're off the bike.

I don't really notice any numbness, and most of it stops after I am off the bike for a few minutes.
I think I am going to give it a few weeks, and maybe even get some padded gloves.

Finally, someone mentioned in plain terms that the presta valve needs a pump fitting that is of a
different size and configuration than what is used for a Schraeder valve. Most good pumps have
either two heads, one for each type or a reversable inner part to shift. I thought this was worth
repeating at the top of a short message, so it would be noted.

Steve McDonald

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

Quoted message said:

It's been a few years since I've ridden a bike. I started again recently, and after about 30
minutes of road riding on a MTB, the lower part of my palms start to get sore. Is this normal for
someone who hasn't ridden in a while and will it stop after a few weeks ? I'm pretty sure the
bicycle fits me fine. Everything else is comfortable.

Personally flat bars don't do it for me, I much prefer drop bars where I can use many different
positions. I find relief from wrist and palm pressure when my weight is not on my palms. Hands on
the hoods is my most used position.

Two fit elements that lessen the weight on your hands: changing your stem such that the bars are
higher and/or closer. Make sure your seat fore/aft is not way forward. (with your feet on the
pedals, pedal arms are parallel to the ground, a plum line from just below your knee cap should fall
in line with the forward foots pedal spindle, back a little from there is better than forward in
relation to the weight distribution on your hands)

I average about 40 miles a day and often, part of it is hard, uphill riding. That's when you really
put pressure on your hands and they can get sore or numb. I resolved most of this problem, by
installing the thick, black, foamy type of rubber grips. They are soft, but I still have full
control and they last about a year, before they start splitting. I usually put them on both the
upper and lower hand positions. I get them in packs of four at bike accessory racks for about $5.
Sometimes, even department stores carry them. The type I use are made of closed-cell foam, so they
don't absorb moisture. I also use these same foam-rubber sections on all the handgrips for my
videocamera shoulder-mount rigs.

Steve McDonald

Wed, 28 May 2003 02:44:57 GMT, <[email hidden]>, windowsNT

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Numbness is a concern if it continues after you're off the bike.

I don't really notice any numbness, and most of it stops after I am off the bike for a few minutes.
I think I am going to give it a few weeks, and maybe even get some padded gloves.

Yeah, it's probably just a matter of conditioning. Maybe think about relaxing your grip from time to
time. Gloves will cut the vibration.
--
zk

On Wed, 28 May 2003 00:31:54 -0700, Zoot Katz <[email hidden]> from Balsa Pacific Aero Ltd.

Engineering & Bicycle Mongery said:

Wed, 28 May 2003 02:44:57 GMT, <[email hidden]>, windowsNT

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Numbness is a concern if it continues after you're off the bike.

I don't really notice any numbness, and most of it stops after I am off the bike for a few
minutes. I think I am going to give it a few weeks, and maybe even get some padded gloves.

Yeah, it's probably just a matter of conditioning. Maybe think about relaxing your grip from time
to time. Gloves will cut the vibration.

I much prefer riding without gloves in the summer. Frequent hand position changes and good cork tape
are enough cushioning for me. Gloves and socks both annoy me when the temp is over 85 or so.

--
home.sport.rr.comcuthuluOpen ↗ human rights = peace I have accepted Provolone into my life!
12:56:51 PM 28 May 2003