i_wanna_giraffe

I just sold my old road bike that made my hands totally numb in less than 3 miles to help fund a hybrid bike. I'm 5'6" and 37 yrs old, I haven't ridden regularly in over a decade. I have about $400 to spend and have been browsing bikesdirect.com but I'm having a hard time deciding what to get. I rented a Cannondale last week but I still had numbing problems, I think having the bike adjusted better for me may have helped. I'm planning on renting another soon to get a better idea of what size to get. Please throw your recommendations and advice at me, I haven't bought a bike in 15 yrs.

Thanks

no1mad 

Once you find a bike, get you some Ergon grips. I've been able to keep carpal tunnel at bay, but I used to experience tingling/numbing hands while riding until I installed some GP-1's. https://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/home#

jon c. 

I found my problems were aggravated the least with drop bars. Straight bars killed me as there aren't as many position options. I started riding on a hybrid (hadn't ridden in 3 decades) but was much happier on a road bike. Hate to say that in the hybrid discussion, but that's my experience.

(Nothing to do with bikes, but I do find taking vitamin B-6 every days seems to lessen the severity.)

Notgrownup

I have CTS and just got a Cannondale Quick 5 , i am getting a stem riser ...if you have $400 look at the Giant Cypress...Get something with adjustable height bars to make sure you don't put to much weight on you wrist...Actually i think a road bike is better for CTS but that is a choice you need to make... See if you local shop will let you take some out for a test ride...

i_wanna_giraffe

I think that is the bike I rented. Maybe I needed to make some adjustment but there was too much weight on my hands on my road bike. I also should have mentioned that most of my riding is on poorly maintained county roads with lots of pot holes. I really want a front suspension to cut out some of the road vibrations. Every time I'd get some real speed going down hill, I'd start thinking about being thrown in to a ditch when I hit a pot hole, it kinda took the fun out of it even if I could feel my hands.

catmandew52

Try changing handlebars to either Velo Orange Postino https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...ar-22-2mm.html, or

https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...ar-config.html

they seem to work better(for me) than straight bars, when riding semi-upright

Notgrownup

I understand, i ride on country roads also and the very hard tires can be jarring on the wrists...I am getting a 4" riser this week so i will report back when i install it...i was seriously looking at a suspension hybrib but i wanted less moving parts. I have a very smooth highway that the local club also uses near my work , so i wanted a fairly fast bike so the Quick fit the bill...

i_wanna_giraffe

The bike shop guy also recommended the ergon grips, I'll have to try them. Now I have another reason to try to remember to take my B vitamins. I'm borrowing a bike that has handle bars that bend inward I didn't find it very comfortable I'll have to try it again since I've had a wrist adjustment extending my range of motion.

Notgrownup

That is what i have on my QUick and they work good but i am leaning a bit too forward on the bike so i ordered a 4" stem extender... i hope it will be a $30.00 well spent.

Wanderer

Consider Trekking Bars, and/or Ergon GP-1s. Either, or both, will give you many more relaxed hand/wrist options. Now that I've found a good rear view mirror for the trekking bars, they will be my next purchase. You can't have too many hand positions, and those Trekking Bars will allow you sit up more when you want, and to take more weight off your wrists.

i_wanna_giraffe

Thanks everyone for he great suggestions, y'all have given me lots of options to consider. Now I really need to find a bike to ride. I'd love more bike suggestions. Unfortunately I'm going to need to stay pretty close to my budget.

Notgrownup

Bikes direct Mercier Galaxy tour or the Motobecane Cafe latte was what i was gonna get (both under $400 with decent options)but got a deal on the Cannondale Quick 5 locally ...$500.00 with the computer and a bottle holder out the door...What i like about the Mercier or the Motobecane above is that they have adjustable bars..... You could look at the Giant Cypress, they are nice and have a model that is $385.00

i_wanna_giraffe

I'm thinking of this one, it looks like there is a lot of adjust ability.
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/rover3.htm

Notgrownup

I forgot you are looking for something with suspension...Yes it looks like a nice bike... Personally i am not fond of disk brakes,,, probably works fine... just something else expensive to break??? they might be very reliable but i am not acquainted with them, that's the only reason...Don't let my opinion sway you...There are way more experience people in here to give you advice and your LBS.

i_wanna_giraffe

Honestly I'm a little intimidated by the disk breaks, a few weeks ago I didn't even know they existed. I know I can adjust regular breaks.

Wanderer

Don't be afraid of disc brakes. They are the wave of the future, and possess awesome stopping power.

dynaryder

My first commuter bike had suspension because I was worried about my CT. I didn't need it,but I've no idea how bad yours is. Straight blade alloy forks bother me,but I'm ok with high pressure skinny tires on my roadbikes with carbon forks. I'm ok with flat bars and normal grips,but some townie bars bother me.

Unfortunately,it's hard to really know what's going to bother you until you ride different bikes. For me,the prob isn't the weight on my wrists,it's the vibration/impact from the road. Suspension is heavy and can soak up some of your pedaling effort,but it will give you a plush ride. I would test ride as many bikes as you can,both with and without suspension,and take note of what felt best.

Don't sweat discs;once set up,they're very easy to deal with.

Notgrownup

And really now that i think of it, if they are properly tunes and straight they would stop really good and i guess the technology has been around a while...

pierce

I found I had to cut my flat bars a fair amount shorter than stock for the ergon grips to work really well for me, and I have fairly broad shoulders. I ended up with the bars about 550mm wide (originally a bit over 600mm).

pre-cut,



also, these aren't the bars that came on this hybrid, the originals had a riser in them, I replaced them with a almost straight flatbar from my previous bike (which got smushed while on a car rack).

i_wanna_giraffe

I'm thinking with a bike with very adjustable bike and a lock out fork I'll figure out what bothers me. I'd like to be able to ride while figuring it out. If it turns out I don't need the suspension I may decide to ride on some of the dirt roads around here. When I was testing out the rental I noticed my hand position made a huge difference. I rode around the neighborhood I grew up in, those hills are a lot harder than they where 20 years ago but they where still a lot of fun down hill.

When I talked to the neurologist about the CT it was getting better since I wasn't pregnant anymore. I was told if it comes back to loose weight and take ibuprofen. Since I don't have my own bowling alley I need to get on a bike.

i_wanna_giraffe

That happened to the bike I put the most miles on. It was a $50 grocery store road bike, I'm sure it was a piece of junk but I rode it all over the place as my friends where ditching their bikes for cars. My first semester in college it got flattened in the parking lot in the bike rack. I'm pretty sure if that bike hadn't been flattened I probably wouldn't have quit riding. It took years to find another bike that I liked.

Notgrownup

You will find one you like and you want....

i_wanna_giraffe

Well crap someone forced me to think. From riding a very upright loaner with curved in handal bars on rough pavement and a rental with shocks on smooth pavement with a very short stretch of gravel road I've figured out handal bar height and angle make a bigger difference than the suspension. So how does a carbon fork compare to a suspension fork on very poorly maintained county roads with killer pot holes?

Notgrownup

If you are in a more upright position you will put less pressure on your wrist, that is why i am getting 4" riser for my steering stem.

Notgrownup

So i installed the riser and WOW... it reduces my pressure on the hands big time....I will try it out in the morning on my early Jaunt.