Originally Posted by
Gibs
i never use gloves and never even thought about it to be honest. its a specialized hardrock mountain bike that im riding purely road. Gets so bad that after a few miles i cant shift and have to slap them on my thighs to get the feeling back. Ill try raising the handle bars. i bet that will work for me. dolanp man now you have me nervous about damage. maybe ill try gloves today if i go. Ill try raising the bars first cause i have a feeling that will make a huge difference.
A few suggestions with what you've got, ranked from easiest/cheapest:
1) padded gloves
2) add bar ends and use them to vary your hand position
3) Ergon-brand grips
http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/product/gp1
4) trekking bars
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/deakins/handlebars.html
Then there is the deep end,,,, that will usually fix seat pain, hand numbness and neck pain, all at once,,,, -if you dare,,,,
5) recumbent bikes (many different brands, several different types, all fairly expensive but the riding is
wonderfully pain-free)
6) RANS crank-forward bikes (still look fairly normal, but much much much improved riding comfort)
http://www.ransbikes.com/Fusion-N.htm (one model, but they also offer frame kits)
Yes recumbents are expensive--but a bike that hurts so much to ride that you won't use it is no bargain.