General Cycling Discussion - my wrist hurt

Hi,

Recently I have been feeling some pain on my wrist and adjacent area. I spent my time either typing or cycling neither of which I think is very good. I wonder what I should do. I have a touring bike which may put more strain on my wrist (due to the road being in poor condition here, hence causing a lot of vibration in my arms).

Does anybody have experience with this? Is there a good solution

Perhaps I should use larger tires for a start, that might make a more confortable ride

The first, and most important thing to do is this:
don't lock your elbows when riding.
Also, using the drops more often will help, but you may need a higher stem (like a Technomic) to do this.

Dont grip the bars hard.
Try and ride with your wrists straight, not bent. Bent wrists tend to concentrate stress rather than transfer it. Elbows should be bent to provide some suspension, and shoulders should be relaxed and dropped down, not hunched up.
Get your bars in a comfortable position. Play around with your brake lever position, up and down the bars, and around. I like a little bit if inward cant in my levers.
I also prefer slightly narrower bars than usual, with a small radius drop. Wide bars are often recomended for comfort, but many people ride with their arms further apart than their shoulders. You will never get a good shock absorbing position if your arms are triangulated outwards.

Getting a good position involves a lot of subtle body awareness. Try taking up an excercise like Tai Chi, Alexander technique, yoga etc.

The above advice is sound. You should never lock your elbows so you can give your arms more flexibility when you ride. Maybe you've also got to ride a bit more carefully to avoid the potholes around there.

Thanks for the above advices. I have been watching the way I ride and I do tend to hold my handlebar tight probably locking my elbows.

Some bikes are easier on the wrists than others. I plan to get a recumbant when I can afford one. I've test-ridden in various recumbants, and it's nice the way that my weight is supported by my butt and back --- and not on my wrists/hands at all.