Good morning.

Anyway anyone that has real bad arthritis have any suggestions or have they used a certain glove in their riding that seems to help cut down on some of the inflamation and pain in their finger and hand joints.

I ride quite alot and have tried different gloves and hand positions as well as drop bars and different relaxing technigues when doing long rides as I do ride in the drops alot as well as on the brake hoods.

But usually by time I get home and afterwards i am really in alot of pain especially with the fingers.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Gary

The arthritis in my hands tends to flare up more in the right one than the left, sometimes so bad it's hard to grip and use the brake lever. In talking with my physician, he's recommended the same things you've outlined as having already tried. Not much relief for me either. There are three things that seem to help me... not sure if they'll do anything for anyone else, but here goes. One, I take ibuprofen before I ride (I know this helps, because on days when I forget, the pain is worse). Two, I use Tiger Balm on my hands before riding. To be honest, I don't know if this is more psychological than physical; there seems to be just a little relief. And, three, I keep my hands very warm. I'll start wearing full finger gloves when the temperature hits the low 70's. Related to this I find that coming back into the house after a ride and doing dishes by hand in very hot water seems to help a bit as well. In terms of regular riding gloves, I've come to like the Serfas Lycra Lite Gel RX gloves. It may be the shape of the glove or where the padding is placed, and it may be related to the shape of my handlebar (Specialized S-Works Carbon Road Bar), but the combination allows me to grip the handlebar in several ways that are less painful than other glove and bar combinations I've tried. And, its a small thing but the small loops built into the gloves make removing them much easier, which by the end of a long ride can in and of itself be a painful process. I, too, will be interested in how others respond to your post.

I have the same problem in cool weather. I swear by Ibuprofen Cream. You won't find it in a drug store, but a pharmacist once made some for me. You can but it at the link below. The jar lasts a LONG time. Just apply the cream an hour before riding. Next like mentioned above, take an ibuprofen , or 2 , about an hour before riding. I, also, have a pair of fingerless gloves made from wool.

thank you

i also have been using full finger gloves spring and summer and actually I have been thinking of using my winter gloves in the summer as well.
doing the dishes in warmwater, i have told my wife that the hotter the water is the better it is and I too enjoy doing the dishes just do too the fact of the hot water.

i have tried so many different gloves I could probably make a glove quilt
even though i use ibuprofen it is always after the ride and only when the pain becomes really intense anywhere from 4-6 tabs. I have not tried any before the ride,i read somewhere and I will try to find it that it can affect the free radicals in your body,but who knows

I ordered a pait of wool gloves earlier in the week to use with my winter gloves also

thank you
Gary

Not arthritis- but I use Voltarol cream for a back problem. The Doctor prescribed it to me as Those of us with Heart problems may have trouble with Ibuprofen tablets.

I Use it before I start putting the back starts to go under strain. Don't know if it works as I no longer have back pain.

And doing the Dishes!!!!

The only time hot soapy water and a mans hands should come into contact is when washing the bike down. Unless- you do the dishes while the wife does the gardening.

naw she cooks, i do the dishes,she does the house cleaning i do the yard work.

but believe me that hot soapy water feels well like.................... especially when ya really hurt

Best treatment I have discovered is to replace the DF with a recumbent. I expect this will work up to the point that I get inflamation in the joints in my butt; but, at least for the time being, the stabbing pain in my wrists is no longer an issue.

Gel gloves.

The gel pads that go under the bar tape. (really nice)

Padded bar tape.

softer tires.

A heavier bike makes the tires take more of the bumps instead of you.

Raising the bar reduces pressure on the hands.

Tipping your seat back a little reduces pressure on the hands.

Take your best pain meds an hour before riding, and right on time, if it's a long ride. If you need reminders set the alarms on your cell phone as a timer.

Some people do better with one very long ride, then two days off to let the joints fully recover.

Whew! You had me worried there for a while. I was afraid we wouldn't get the obligatory "get a recumbent" response.

What kind of bars are you using now. If straight bars, I found the Ergon Grips give me some relief, by keeping your hand in a slighly more open grip.

And, I volunteer to do the dishes almost all of the time.

I also, frequently, sit around the house in Polartec Gloves ------ LOL

1) Big tires and low pressure. I run 32c tires.

2) Specilaized Bar Phat (the thin ones) or similar

3) Off the Front Grip Shapes... I use 6.. I put one so the heel of my hand is supported in the drops. And I create a nice wide and flat area where the bar curves. Takes a while to get it right, but it helps.

4) Double gel tape (but not with Bar Phat, too bulky). I love Cinelli Gel tape but the price is insane now.

5) A light bar, my Ritchey Biomax has some give to it, which means it should absorb a little of the shock.

gel gloves I have used and seem to off-set when the gel seperates more pressure in other areas.

both of my bikes are steel and both have carbon bars for more absorption of road buzz.

tried the seat tipped back,put to much pressure between the crotch area/nutz

it is more my finger joints than anything else

thank you
Gary

how thick are those polartec gloves,can you wear them in the spring and summer also,
just checked those out

hey late.

tires I run 700x25
bar phat I have never tried that,will check that out.
Off the Front Grip Shapes,do not know what that is,but will search the internet
tried double deda but did not like the feel.
both drop bars are Easton carbon

thank you
Gary

i will check these ideas out something is workable here with all of the suggestions.

Thanks to all that responded

all I can is arthritis suc@s big time

Time to start looking into recumbents.

i have thought about it,but it was for a second,just not ready for recumbents.

For me aero bars are a huge relief for hand pain and numbness, wouldn't be without them on my road bike anymore. Nothing else helps, even Trekking bars.

Try the aero bars. It's a good suggestion. I did that for years. It takes all the pressure off the hands for a whille.

thanks to all and i am checking out aero bars would like to get either syntac or vision quest so kind of looking around and deciding which will fit my needs.

I appreciate everyones response thank you
Gary

Hmm,
I am having trouble finding Off the Front. They may have gone under.
I googled Off the the Front and just looked at 50 pages trying to find it.

Sorry, it was a good product, and I don't know of anything similar out there.

The phone number for Off the Front is 714-972-0515

If you manage to find them, please let me know.

For me the Louis Garneau Ergo-Air padded gloves are a lot more comfortable than than the gel padded ones. https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=1140

I forgot to add the link to Ibuprofen Cream. Be sure to get15% Ibuprofen. Wash hands in hot water Before applying.