Palm pressure
10-07-18, 04:00 PM
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Palm pressure
Bike is set up with good size drop from seat to bars and riding becomes hard on hands is the aggressive drop thr issue, set up similar to road bike anyone suffering like me?
10-07-18, 06:00 PM
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Clark W. Griswold
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Probably. Don't ride an uncomfortable bike. Who the flying frederick cares if your stem is slammed and you are super aero, bro? If you aren't comfortable on the bike it doesn't matter what any other dipstick says it's not their bike and they don't have to ride it. Go see a fitter and see what they say about your position and component choices as far as bar, stem and saddle. Be comfortable and fk dem hateaz.
Me personally I don't mind some headset spacers especially when I can match frame colors or components or just be comfortable. If I cannot ride my bikes then what is all of this for?
Me personally I don't mind some headset spacers especially when I can match frame colors or components or just be comfortable. If I cannot ride my bikes then what is all of this for?
10-07-18, 06:55 PM
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An aggressive drop alone doesn't usually cause pain on your palms. Having too much weight on your hands caused palm pains. Make sure your saddle is level and is comfortable enough to put the majority of your weight on most of the time, then address handle bar drop if that doesn't fix the pain.
10-07-18, 11:34 PM
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Nobody can actually be of any true help, without a pretty broad range of information about your setup, your riding style, your bike frame size and your body size/demensions. Even how you place your hands, and wether or not you reposition often are all vitally important information. All of which, a good, properly trained bike fitter will use to help you. The best anyone could do here, is throw out opinions based on insufficient information. I will second the idea of providing some photos of your bike, even better if you could provide a profile photo of yourself, on the bike, as we might get lucky in being able to spot any obvious problems.
10-07-18, 11:42 PM
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Personally, I'm a little sceptical about "bike fitters" as it sounds like Feng Shui to me. We all have different styles and preferences, and different body proportions. There are a few simple rules/guides and after that it's a combination of experimental adjustments and riding more until the problem goes away.
I used to have a big thing about pain in my hands and chose a bike with a frame that gave a high bar position, and I even flipped then stem. I found it was slow and that I got discomfort in other areas. I now have that bike set up with the bars as low as they'll go and prefer it. Yes, I get discomfort in the hands but I deal with that by changing my hand position between "on the tops", on the bends, on the hoods and, rarely, on the hooks.
If you're pedalling hard then the natural "equal and opposite reaction" to the pedalling action will tend to lift your upper body reducing the weight on your hands very slightly. Also, concentrate on having a bend in your elbows. It feels easier to let your elbows "lock out" so you can just flop your bodyweight onto them, but that slight bend reduces the transmission of shock to your hands and makes them less uncomfortable.
Most of all, the more you ride, the less you'll think about it.
I used to have a big thing about pain in my hands and chose a bike with a frame that gave a high bar position, and I even flipped then stem. I found it was slow and that I got discomfort in other areas. I now have that bike set up with the bars as low as they'll go and prefer it. Yes, I get discomfort in the hands but I deal with that by changing my hand position between "on the tops", on the bends, on the hoods and, rarely, on the hooks.
If you're pedalling hard then the natural "equal and opposite reaction" to the pedalling action will tend to lift your upper body reducing the weight on your hands very slightly. Also, concentrate on having a bend in your elbows. It feels easier to let your elbows "lock out" so you can just flop your bodyweight onto them, but that slight bend reduces the transmission of shock to your hands and makes them less uncomfortable.
Most of all, the more you ride, the less you'll think about it.
10-08-18, 12:48 AM
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For me, the details of how my hands sit on the bars makes a very big difference. I take any new bike out for rides with no tape on the bars and all the tools until they pass the comfort test. I ride with real weight on my hands and have for many years. I also have dropped handlebars on all my bikes, brakes and levers//hoods on all my bikes, more than half of which are fix gears. I dial my bikes in by getting the handlebar rotation right to make the drops all day comfortable (for my hands; not necessarily my back!) so if I have to go upwind for hours I can. Only then do I fuss with dialing in the lever position. Then, with several good hand positions, I can change up those positions regularly as I ride.
I am fussy about the details of the handlebar and lever shape. There are a lot of each I simply stay away from. (I've acquired the experience re: those shapes via the 5 decades of riding I've done. The flip side is that with those decades comes a body far less tolerant of so-so fits.) Ride, play with the setup and observe. Your setup will evolve. Quite likely to something not quite like anyone else's. That doesn't matter if it works for you,
Ben
I am fussy about the details of the handlebar and lever shape. There are a lot of each I simply stay away from. (I've acquired the experience re: those shapes via the 5 decades of riding I've done. The flip side is that with those decades comes a body far less tolerant of so-so fits.) Ride, play with the setup and observe. Your setup will evolve. Quite likely to something not quite like anyone else's. That doesn't matter if it works for you,
Ben
10-08-18, 08:11 PM
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Clark W. Griswold
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Personally, I'm a little sceptical about "bike fitters" as it sounds like Feng Shui to me. We all have different styles and preferences, and different body proportions. There are a few simple rules/guides and after that it's a combination of experimental adjustments and riding more until the problem goes away.
I used to have a big thing about pain in my hands and chose a bike with a frame that gave a high bar position, and I even flipped then stem. I found it was slow and that I got discomfort in other areas. I now have that bike set up with the bars as low as they'll go and prefer it. Yes, I get discomfort in the hands but I deal with that by changing my hand position between "on the tops", on the bends, on the hoods and, rarely, on the hooks.
If you're pedalling hard then the natural "equal and opposite reaction" to the pedalling action will tend to lift your upper body reducing the weight on your hands very slightly. Also, concentrate on having a bend in your elbows. It feels easier to let your elbows "lock out" so you can just flop your bodyweight onto them, but that slight bend reduces the transmission of shock to your hands and makes them less uncomfortable.
Most of all, the more you ride, the less you'll think about it.
I used to have a big thing about pain in my hands and chose a bike with a frame that gave a high bar position, and I even flipped then stem. I found it was slow and that I got discomfort in other areas. I now have that bike set up with the bars as low as they'll go and prefer it. Yes, I get discomfort in the hands but I deal with that by changing my hand position between "on the tops", on the bends, on the hoods and, rarely, on the hooks.
If you're pedalling hard then the natural "equal and opposite reaction" to the pedalling action will tend to lift your upper body reducing the weight on your hands very slightly. Also, concentrate on having a bend in your elbows. It feels easier to let your elbows "lock out" so you can just flop your bodyweight onto them, but that slight bend reduces the transmission of shock to your hands and makes them less uncomfortable.
Most of all, the more you ride, the less you'll think about it.
Sure everyone is a bit different but a good fitter can realize that and make changes and suggestions based on that. You can do some trial and error stuff but a good fitter can real dial you in all over and really watch you pedaling and some can go really deep into it with computers and such.
It is way more than just some voodoo magic or just being Feng Shui as you mentioned. There is a lot of training that goes into it at least if you want to be good at your job and get certified. We are developing a fit studio at my company and our fitter has been doing it a while at other shops but has to go back and get re-certified so he is current and keeps at the top of his game. Kind of like a doctor.
10-09-18, 01:27 PM
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10-09-18, 02:40 PM
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The reach looks really short for that amount of drop. Could be part of your problem.
10-09-18, 02:46 PM
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10-09-18, 05:58 PM
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Yes I tend to agree not sure how to set it up as wanna ride mostly in drops and having issues getting it dialed in
10-09-18, 06:15 PM
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I'd try a longer stem first. Like a lot longer. Probably with a positive rise considering how high your saddle is, and maybe a compact drop bar if you're going to be spending a lot of time in the drops. Looking at all that seatpost, I feel like it could be the case that the frame is too small for you. This is all guess-work of course.
10-10-18, 10:19 AM
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I usually mess with my fixed gears myself but on my road bike I had a proper fitting and it is not BS. I was totally skeptical but the guy I worked with was no joke and I love how my road bike fits. Made a big difference.
I sometimes do bike tours on rented bikes in various places and I'm always happy to get back on my own bike. The bikes I rent are nice, sometimes significantly nicer than my bike, but the fit is always approximate even if I bring my measurements off my bike at home. It does make a difference.
Regarding the OP. I've had problems with palm pressure before and a lot of times it's from being not stretched out enough. If you're too upright, your core works more and inevitably tires and you end up supporting yourself with your hands.
I sometimes do bike tours on rented bikes in various places and I'm always happy to get back on my own bike. The bikes I rent are nice, sometimes significantly nicer than my bike, but the fit is always approximate even if I bring my measurements off my bike at home. It does make a difference.
Regarding the OP. I've had problems with palm pressure before and a lot of times it's from being not stretched out enough. If you're too upright, your core works more and inevitably tires and you end up supporting yourself with your hands.
10-10-18, 11:37 AM
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How tall are you? And do you have longer legs or a longer torso? What’s your inseam length? Unless you’re riding a time trial bike, or you have freakishly long legs for your height, you shouldn’t have that much seatpost. I think it’s pretty likely that your frame is several sizes too small for you and you’re likely putting far too much of your body weight forward onto your bars. I’m not really sure why you want to spend most of your time in the drops, unless all you’re doing is sprinting, but I wouldn’t recommend this. If you insist, I would insist on getting bars with more shallow drops. But honestly, I think you need to be looking for a larger frame. I’m sure that’s not what you’d like to hear, but I’d have a real hard time believing that’s not your primary issue.
10-10-18, 12:30 PM
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10-11-18, 05:33 AM
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I was not clear in original post the palm pain is from riding on top of bar in drops is fine.
longer higher stem maybe is answer but longer makes holding drops more difficult i am
just stuck. I have good flexibility in legs and back but reach is my problem. Bike was chesp craigslist buy correct size in height TT stem bars are issue fun to ride but not comfy
longer higher stem maybe is answer but longer makes holding drops more difficult i am
just stuck. I have good flexibility in legs and back but reach is my problem. Bike was chesp craigslist buy correct size in height TT stem bars are issue fun to ride but not comfy
10-11-18, 05:40 AM
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I was not clear in original post the palm pain is from riding on top of bar in drops is fine.
longer higher stem maybe is answer but longer makes holding drops more difficult i am
just stuck. I have good flexibility in legs and back but reach is my problem. Bike was chesp craigslist buy correct size in height TT stem bars are issue fun to ride but not comfy
longer higher stem maybe is answer but longer makes holding drops more difficult i am
just stuck. I have good flexibility in legs and back but reach is my problem. Bike was chesp craigslist buy correct size in height TT stem bars are issue fun to ride but not comfy
Which stem are you currently using? The stubby or the longer one?
10-11-18, 08:30 AM
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If you think that frame is the right size for you...well, have fun.
10-11-18, 12:27 PM
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Jack the stem up too... so it matches the extra long seat post!
10-11-18, 02:47 PM
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I'd try a longer stem first. Like a lot longer. Probably with a positive rise considering how high your saddle is, and maybe a compact drop bar if you're going to be spending a lot of time in the drops. Looking at all that seatpost, I feel like it could be the case that the frame is too small for you. This is all guess-work of course.
10-11-18, 05:37 PM
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Get on your bike, hands on the handlebars. You should be able to remove your hands from the bars with no change in position. If not, your set up has you too far forward and/or your core strength needs improvement.
Yeah, that bike seems too small for you. That drop is ridiculous, even by boneless pro cyclists' standards.
Push the saddle back and down a bit(visualize an arc; if you move saddle back, you must also lower it to remain on the arc. As said, you could get a longer stem, too.
As others said, you can tilt the nose of the saddle up just a bit. The part that your sitbones are on should be flat and right now, it's tilted a bit forward.
Back in the day, the cool dudes all rode with their handlebars rotated back 180 degrees.
It worked for Graeme Obree.
Yeah, that bike seems too small for you. That drop is ridiculous, even by boneless pro cyclists' standards.
Push the saddle back and down a bit(visualize an arc; if you move saddle back, you must also lower it to remain on the arc. As said, you could get a longer stem, too.
As others said, you can tilt the nose of the saddle up just a bit. The part that your sitbones are on should be flat and right now, it's tilted a bit forward.
Back in the day, the cool dudes all rode with their handlebars rotated back 180 degrees.
It worked for Graeme Obree.
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10-16-18, 01:01 PM
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I have some uncomfortable positions on my upper back, and sometimes hands, (However, ir may just be me because I've got m9re back issues than guns and ammo)even in risers right now, and I'm pretty sure I'm soon going to get a new fork with some spacers(I need a new fork for my new front tyre anyways) or one of those*or a new stem), but I'm not sure, because I don't really like how those things look with the extra, unnecessary part, but it's not a fashion show so I may as well when I have a bit o cash.
When buying my frame, I did pay attention to the geometry written on the site, but for my leg positions, I needed the seat higher.
Think one of these would benefit me,
(ignore the dragging fender, it slipps at times)
OP. Have you tried riding gloves to help with hand comfort? They seem to work wonders for me.
When buying my frame, I did pay attention to the geometry written on the site, but for my leg positions, I needed the seat higher.
Think one of these would benefit me,
(ignore the dragging fender, it slipps at times)
OP. Have you tried riding gloves to help with hand comfort? They seem to work wonders for me.
Last edited by Butthash; 10-16-18 at 01:08 PM. Reason: Typos
10-16-18, 01:12 PM
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I have some uncomfortable positions on my upper back, and sometimes hands, even in risers right now, and I'm pretty sure I'm soon going to get a new fork with some spacers(I need a new fork for my new front tyre anyways) or one of those, but I'm not sure, because I don't realky like how those things look with the extra, unnecessary part, but it's not a fashion show so I may as well when I have a bit o cash.
When buying my frame, I did pay attention to the geometry written on the site, but for my leg positions, I needed the seat higher.
When buying my frame, I did pay attention to the geometry written on the site, but for my leg positions, I needed the seat higher.
I have long legs/ short upper body, and have learned to size my frames per the leg, avoiding the situation you are in now. Stems can always be swapped to adjust the reach. I have one bike now that looks like yours that I will end up selling since I can't ride it for long.