thumbs - what did I do wrong and how to correct?
#1
Rides again
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: SW. Sacramento Region, aka, down river
Posts: 3,282
Bikes: Giant OCR T, Trek SC
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
thumbs - what did I do wrong and how to correct?
Ok, I lowered my seat just a tad. I don't know if there is a cause and effect relationship. I've been noticing more tingling and buzzings in one thumb. I know the question may have been asked many times, but I'll ask.
If the top of one thumb is bothering you, how do you change your positioning? Lower seat, raise seat, change handlebar height? Or what?
FYI- changing gloves does not make a difference. 3 different pairs of padded gloves and same effect.
If the top of one thumb is bothering you, how do you change your positioning? Lower seat, raise seat, change handlebar height? Or what?
FYI- changing gloves does not make a difference. 3 different pairs of padded gloves and same effect.
#2
Senior Member
I don't have anything useful for top of the thumb. If you're sure it's related to cycling, check to see that the brake levers and shifters don't neet to be repositioned after the seat adjustment. I'm not expecting much from this idea, but it's cheap and easy, and who knows - it might help.
__________________
Some people are like a Slinky ... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
Some people are like a Slinky ... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
#3
.
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Rocket City, No'ala
Posts: 12,760
Bikes: 2014 Trek Domane 5.2, 1985 Pinarello Treviso, 1990 Gardin Shred, 2006 Bianchi San Jose
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 62 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 28 Times
in
13 Posts
Originally Posted by HiYoSilver
Ok, I lowered my seat just a tad. I don't know if there is a cause and effect relationship. I've been noticing more tingling and buzzings in one thumb. I know the question may have been asked many times, but I'll ask.
If the top of one thumb is bothering you, how do you change your positioning? Lower seat, raise seat, change handlebar height? Or what?
FYI- changing gloves does not make a difference. 3 different pairs of padded gloves and same effect.
If the top of one thumb is bothering you, how do you change your positioning? Lower seat, raise seat, change handlebar height? Or what?
FYI- changing gloves does not make a difference. 3 different pairs of padded gloves and same effect.
When you lower the saddle, it moves it forward a bit, too. This will move you forward, putting more weight on the bars. I suggest moving the saddle back, just a tad. Whenever you adjust your fit in one direction, it throws everything else off so make the adjustments small and go back and forth, closing in on the best fit. Raising the bars will reduce the pressure on them as will shortening the stem or raising its angle. A good rule of thumb is that while sitting on the bike and your hands are on the flat part of the bars, you should be able to remove your hands and still hold yourself up.
Try varying your hand positions on the bars, ride no hands where it's safe to do so. Make sure you aren't holding the bars with a death-grip; I've ridden with closed fists resting on the bars or my forearms on the bars and holding the brake cables.
__________________
#4
Infamous Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 24,360
Bikes: Surly Big Dummy, Fuji World, 80ish Bianchi
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
3 Posts
Bbattle called it right...but keep in mind that we're talking mm of adjustment here...a cm at most.
or...did you happen to remove your thumb from your okole before moving the seat?
or...did you happen to remove your thumb from your okole before moving the seat?
__________________
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
#5
Rides again
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: SW. Sacramento Region, aka, down river
Posts: 3,282
Bikes: Giant OCR T, Trek SC
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
thanks, I think the seat is close to back as far as it can, but I'll recheck. I messed up and changed the drop of that thingy holding the handle bars and changed the angle of the bars a tad. I don't know how it will work out, but a 14 miler today was fine.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 373
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The biggest factor is how you position your hands on the bars. Reducing weight on the hands is only reducing the symptoms, lessening the effects of the problem, but doesn't solve the actual problem itself. You're most likely putting weight on nerves of various kinds and may be cutting off circulation as well. The solution is to not put the weight, be it high amounts or low amounts of weight, on those spots.
#8
Prefers Cicero
When your hands are on the corners or hoods, the bar is placed in the groove in the centre of the heel of the hand where there isn't much natural padding, and where the median nerve comes out of the carpal tunnel in the wrist and splits into separate branches for the thumb and fingers. Maybe your bar is digging into your palm there and pressing on the sensory nerve supply to the thumb.
Last edited by cooker; 07-07-06 at 10:02 PM.
#9
Yet another vegan biker
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Trapped behind the corn curtain
Posts: 965
Bikes: Sakae Prism, Vintage Fuji bike(S), too many bikes, one from scratch bike.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
When your hands are on the corners or hoods, the bar is placed in the groove in the centre of the heel of the hand where there isn't much natural padding
https://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j7...letourbars.jpg
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 373
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by HiYoSilver
I'll bite, where exactly are "those spots"
I had some pain in my hands too, but it was in the soft webbing between the thumb and forefinger. What I was doing was gripping the corners of the bars just above the brake-hoods. I'd have my fingers wrapped around the outside of teh bars and my weight would gradually slide my hands forward until it hit the brake-hoods. But it would continue to slide forward and down until it put a lot of pressure on teh soft flesh between the thumb and forefinger. From Cooker's picture, looks like I may have been pinching a nerve in that area as well. And over time, it would hurt my thumb by bending it back as well... ouch..
Last edited by Mothra; 07-10-06 at 02:36 PM.
#12
Prefers Cicero
Originally Posted by HiYoSilver
thanks, I'll give the heel approach a try tomorrow.
#13
Rides again
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: SW. Sacramento Region, aka, down river
Posts: 3,282
Bikes: Giant OCR T, Trek SC
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Yeap, after researching ulnar and carpal nerves, I understand what I was doing wrong. So far feels funny not to put pressure in obvious spots, but my hand likes it more.