Road Cycling - My hands feel like a 90 yr. old's !

Ok, a strange problem is happening. My hands are killing me! In the last coule of days, my hands feel like I am a 90 year old arthritic man. Now I am only 25, why do my hands feel so stiff and so achy? I am pretty sure it's due to riding my bike and having my hands curled around the bars. I do wear gloves. Is this feeling going to go away with more riding? Get worse? Thanks.

do you have pain while riding? I'd check your saddle position (tilt) if it is point downwards then you might be sliding forward putting more pressure on your hands, this could be the cause of pain in your hands... :rolleyes:

Check your bike fit. Do you have a death-grip on the bars? My hands have been numb after really hard efforts, but the discomfort dissipates quickly.

If your core strength is weak, you may end up putting too much pressure on the bars.

You may be gripping the bars to hard.Just relax.

I have a tendancy to grip the handlebars way too hard- if you don't have aerobars, consider getting some. If you have straight handlebars, consider getting bar ends also. You'll probably need to vary your hand positons often.

I also started to ride one handed for a few seconds while I shake out my hands and clench and unclench my hands into fists while I ride. It helps. If it gets really bad, I'll rotate my whole arm in a circle until the blood rushes back to my hand. It always helps.

Koff

I've had a similar problem with my hands. Now I just change hand position from time to time, or at least move the hand-fingers while holding the bars or the hoods.


Just out of curiosity. How many times per mile, or whatever it takes you, do you change your hand position? I have to change it very, very often.

I change positions all the time. I have three basic places I go. The top of the bars, wrists strait, palms down. Top of the brake things. An in the third is down in the loop part. I am always switching because my wrists get sore in one position to long. I probably do hold to tightly when in a couple of the positions. The other good thing I got from the comments, is, I am going to tilt my seat backa bit. I do think I get pushed forward to the bars because I am constantly pushing myself back on the seat trying to stay cofortable. I have a little pain associated with being to far forward on the seat if I don't pay attention and keep scooting back.

If the blood circulation in your hands in unsufficient, or you ride the "hard" handlebars that transfer much shocks into the hands, it would contirbute to feeling of numbness in the hands.

As you become accustomed to riding, this problem will go away. Here is a summary of all I know to tell you. And BTW, it worked for me as I had the same problem when I started riding a drop road bar. Here's what I was told:

1. Don't "death grip"-relax.
2. Wear good padded gloves (I prefer PI Gel Lites).
3. Level your saddle with a "level" (toolbox)-no slant is best.
4. Good padded bar tape-Cinelli cork or gel cork is very good.
5. Frequently change hand positions.
6. Frequently sit up and relieve pressure of arms on handlebars.
7. Frequently stretch arms, shoulders, wrists while riding.
8. Try to keep wrists straight, not flexed.
9. Make sure your saddle is close enough that you are not falling forward onto the bars.
10. Make sure your saddle is not so HIGH that you are not falling onto the bars.
11. Try to flex your elbows and let your arms act like a shock absorber so that your wrists/hands do not take the beating.
12. Remember that this problem will go away the more you ride, if you do the above. Give it a few months...Trust me! :)

I just solved this problem for myself by getting a shorter, steeper stem. No numbness or hand pain since. May be that you're just having to reach too far. :-) Hope you get it solved soon!

Mine kill me to.Its like i dont have any padding on my bones.I figired out it was my cholesterol drugs i was and are still on.I stopped using it for a week and did a 30 miler on sat and sun with zero hand pain.Doctor says its not the drug so stay on it.Back on it and my hands are back to killing me.

Originally posted by shokhead
Mine kill me to.Its like i dont have any padding on my bones.I figired out it was my cholesterol drugs i was and are still on.I stopped using it for a week and did a 30 miler on sat and sun with zero hand pain.Doctor says its not the drug so stay on it.Back on it and my hands are back to killing me.


I think it is your cholesterol medicine, technically they are supposd to only produce myositis (muscle pain and inflammation) but I am starting to see alot of bone, arthritic complaints. These just are not as well documented in the medical literature. (Are you taking Zocor, Lipitor, Pravachol, Tricor, Gemfibrozil, Lescol, etc?)

Lescol,80mg

Are you riding an aluminum bike?

These are notorious for hand vibrations!

Its not the bike.They hurt when i do pushups but not as bad as on the bike.They start within 2 miles.Its the drug.

Just an update for everybody. I had a similar problem with my hands and arms hurting. Turns out my cholesterol meds..pravachol was the culprit. Just a heads up.

glucosamine chondroiton msm.