Bikeforumuser0019

Good Afternoon.

I've had wrist problems (tendonitis or carpal tunnel, I'm not really sure of the difference except that I went to a doctor and they never told me to get surgery).

I'd like to get new grips for my bicycle, as I'm starting to commute and it's a couple of hours of riding per day round trip.

This is what I'm interested in:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=AQD9C7SVLHOWG
My first choice, mainly because of excellent reviews and the price point is more affordable
https://www.amazon.com/Ergon-Bicycle-...=bicycle+grips
Second choice, more expensive but I like that bit on the end there, whatever you call that.

How do I know if my bike has carbon handlebars? It seems that some grips cannot go on carbon. My bike is old, and probably pre-dates carbon fiber but I really have no idea what that means so I'm not sure.

Also, anyone got a grip or other adaptation that alleviates pain at the wrist? Mostly my pain is exacerbated by computer use, and the bike is not the cause of the pain. I'm always looking for affordable and effective ergonomic products for my hands.

Thank you.
Jessica

fietsbob

if you spent a lot of money for your bike it may have carbon fiber handlebars it will be a black woven fabric in epoxy ..

and not metal .. no ring when you tap on it ... but that is highly unlikely ..


carpal tunnel id 1st wear the Wrist Brace , as MD should have put on you ..

I do Like my Ergon grips but I never had a job that long that injured my wrist tendons . you filed a Workman's Comp claim?

Marcus_Ti

The deal is this...

You have a little hole (called the carpal tunnel) in your wrist with a bunch of tendons passing through it. That hole is ofc a fixed size....When you do an activity lots of hours a day and tense (like piano or violin playing to name some of the biggest self-inflicted victims), those tendons get inflamed and swell...first pain then leading to numbness and potentially further nerve damage in the hand. The issue fundamentally is poor technique (either typing or playing piano or what have you) and being too tense doing what it is you're doing. The "surgery" is a temporary fix. What they do is take a glorified dremel moto tool and drill out the carpal tunnel and make it larger. Problem being, it doesn't solve the root cause-your poor typing or playing technique. Being a musician and knowing a ton of musicians over the years, I can say IME that most of the time people who need the surgery once need it again and again until they quit playing due to frustration and being laid up for years....because the cause is poor technique.

An MD saying the same thing with more medical specificity: BW Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - The Orthopaedic Institute


If your issue is in the carpal tunnel, I doubt strongly that different grips on your bicycle will do much....as the problem is inside the carpal tunnel, not the contact point of palm and handlebar.


Quit typing so tense, and further don't have a death grip on your handlebars...and it will probably fix itself.

MichaelW

Consider a bar that puts your wrist in a neutral position. I switched to On-One Mary for this reason.
Ergon grips are excellent and the cork ones are really comfortable.
Carbon bars are never cold to touch. They generally have the word "CARBON" printed, with a warning about torque values.