braced

I currently have an entry level Felt 80 although my sights are set on a Specialized Roubaix. Today I rode 43 miles solo...previous long ride was 31 miles July the 4th. The majority of the ride was in the drops. Toward the end of the ride both hands and definitely my left shoulder (2 surgeries, last one a bancart lesion)began aching. I live in Wilmington NC where it's flat, the roads were ok not too rough. My ignorant guess at the cause is that I have uncomfortable handlebars. Is that possible? Are there more comfy handlebars than the stock Felt 6061 alloy handlebar? I have been fitted for the bike and generally find everything to work well. I guess it is also possible that longer rides will produce more aches.
Thanks for all the help,
Tim

botto 

a few questions:

if it's flat (as you state) how often do you get out of the saddle?

if you're in the drops (as you state) how often do you change your position?

what kind of bar tape do you use?

what kind of gloves do you wear?

what's your core strength like?

braced

It's improving, in general I believe it is good. My neck could be stronger.

MONGO!

Vary up your hand position.
On a ride of 30 miles I spend maybe 5 miles in the drops.

Mellowman

What feels ok at 20 miles can become painful at 50 miles.

just guessing since there is not a lot to go on but with shoulder type pain I'd suggest raising your bars. I'd suggest level with the saddle to start and then try lowering it. If you can't make it level then do the best you can.

Some bars are more comfortable than others, I just switched to a 3T Biomorphe and can't believe how comfortable they are. The key to being comfortable with your hands and arms on long rides is frequent position change and these bars allow lots of positions. Work well with campy. In general though as long as the bars are shoulder width you should be fine.

Also strengthening your core helps as well, I do planks and some yoga as part of my routine.

mloywhite

Having had four shoulder surgeries (last one three weeks ago), including repairs for Bankhart tears in both shoulders, I will give you my entirely anecdotal experience with shoulder surgery and shoulder pain while riding: When recovering from any shoulder surgery, riding the drops hurts more, and for longer, it is the last riding pain that goes away during recovery; while recovering from shoulder surgery, I have to move my hand position a lot more often than when I am healthy; I am most comfortable riding on the hoods, the more stretched out the better; it always takes me at least a month to get completely pain-free, once the doctor says it is OK to ride, after arthroscopic labrum repairs, detached bicep-tendon repairs, and from A/C joint decompressions. Do what the doctor says, but it really will get better pretty quickly. Good luck with it.

John Wilke

You don't say how long you've been riding seriously (yeah, I'd say 40 miles is a serious ride ), but I think your body will adapt over the years (yeah ... years) to handle the stresses of riding. I used to get stiff shoulders and neck every spring, but now it never bugs me.

General tips:

- Relax the hands, keep a loose grip on the bars, but keep that thumb wrapped around the bar in case you hit something in the road you didn't see ! Davis Phinney said that's the key to riding rough roads like Paris Roubaix ... relax the hands.

- Spend less time in the drops. After looking at all the time trial bikes and experimenting on my own, I think it's more important to be narrow, than low, to cut wind resistance. Try riding the brake hoods or even keep your ands next to the stem, and keep your elbows in. Nothing wrong with being in the drops ... it's a powerfull position. But for cruising, be more upright, it will take some of the weight off your shoulders.

- Every few minutes, move your hands. Drops - hoods - tops - stem - out of the saddle - etc.

Lastly, how wide are your bars? Perhaps a wider bar like 44cm or 46 cm might help with your shoulders. This spring I changed the bars on a friend's bike from 42 to 46 cm. (He had crashed and dislocated a shoulder last spring.) He said the wider bars helped a lot.

Just my 2 cents on the subject.

jw

icon

I had a friend who had similar pains. The LBS turned his stem upside down for him and adjusts his seat height and hasn't had hand or other upper body pains since. Do you guys think that may be the solution?

evictionsurplus

Gloves are a must if you don't already have them. I like the Louis Garneau (sp?) with the biogel on the contact points. On flat sections try resting your forearms on your bars with your hands hanging above your front wheel (virtual aerobars). That seems to work for me on long treks. Just a suggestion, it may not work for you.
j

Campag4life

Tim,
It is a veritable litany of things that affects your issue:
- Bike set up...how aggressive...drop from saddle to handlebars determines pressure on hands, shoulders wrists...Reach from saddle to bars...saddle set back which determines your weight distribution...etc etc.
- Riding style...tension...again function of set up...how often you stand...change position etc.

Any static position will cause aches and pains...take it from an old racer.

If you are serious about cycling, try to find a local group and learn by association from those that understand the sport. Fit is key but riding technique and your fitness is big as well.
Good Luck.

braced

Thanks for the info. I've been riding on the assumption that the drops were more efficient and quicker. Like I said I have alot to learn. I will end up trying some group rides. I've swapped stems to bring my bars more upright but have questioned the width of the bars. The static position causing aches makes a ton of sense when I read it.
Tim

braced

I've googled these bars and they look very helpful. Where can you buy 3T Biomorphes in the US?
Thanks,
Tim