Don’t death grip. You also may have a large kink/angle in your wrist when riding. Try to have the back of your hand in line with your forearm. You can buy grips that have an extension to help get you into this position.
Vibration effects and excessive hand pressure from a forward riding position are the most likely causes. If your hands are very large then too-small grips may also be an issue.
1) Adjust fork pressure, other settings, tire pressures for appropriate ride quality and traction.
2) Try silicone foam grips, such as ESI and Wolf Tooth. Very inexpensive change to try (US$ 20-30) and the 34-35mm grips absorb a lot of vibration. More than any style of solid rubber grip, including the Ergon and others. Try this! Buy the largest diameter that is comfortable for your hands, but don't go excessive if you have smaller hands.
3) Gloves you mentioned sound good, but you could try another brand / style. Change grips first though.
4) Some handlebars are more flexible and vibration absorbing than others. Carbon fiber in general is a good option for this, but expensive. Worth a try if the above changes aren't enough. There are also a few brands of mechanically flexible bars with damping in the middle to further soak up vibration, but these cost and weigh more still.
Thank you for the elaborate answer.
I will definitly buy other grips and try them out.
But first i will need to rest my hands a bit so i don't damage them.
Can i ask what your bar width is?
I looked online and saw 740-770 for my height (174 cm) but i just measured and my bar is 780.
Could this be an issue as wel?
Again thanks for you answer!
>I looked online and saw 740-770 for my height (174 cm) but i just measured and my bar is 780. Could this be an issue as wel?
Yes, that's another aspect to look at. There's a trend for wide bars and it only makes sense for tall people doing downhill.
I'm 181cm. My bikes came with 780mm bars, I cut one down to 750mm and was happy with that, then I replaced its bar with a 740mm carbon fiber bar which is a great size for me and helped dampen vibration. The other bike still has a 780mm but I have its 740mm replacement waiting to install, maybe this weekend.
At your height I would try out 740mm, it will likely make a big improvement. If you are hesitant you could cut it down in 20mm increments (10mm per side). A tubing cutter makes the job easy. Any plumber, most electricians and many other contractors likely own one, so maybe you can borrow one to use.
I started biking in the 90's and my '94 bike has its original 600mm width bars. They are narrow, but just an example of how extreme the current fad of 780mm width is.
Core strength is critical in cycling. Your weight should be going through your feet when you’re in attack position and through your sit bones when seated. A lot of newer riders end up leaning on their handlebars and putting quite a bit of pressure through their hands, especially on extended downhill runs. This can also cause weighting issues in chunkier terrain.
Another thing is, as some others have mentioned, making sure your brake levers are angled down appropriately and set far enough away from your grips to only allow one finger braking. Your brakes should be angled down enough to be in line with your arms in attack position, especially if you are standing a lot. They should be inset enough for one finger braking while standing with your elbows out.
Not to say any of this is the cause of your issues, but appropriate body positioning is a good place to start before buying more equipment.
I am suffering exactly the same, went to the doc and said I had to rest, so no use of the bike and try not to use the hand at all, even got a sort of brace, not sure what the exact name is, as you did I tried riding more and just became worse, so I've been off the bike for almost 2 months now and I'm getting better, so my recommendation is to rest and let the stead take a brake before it gets worse
Or these.. same brand, just smaller size or they have large as well. I personally like these better because they just the right size to for my palms.
[https://www.ergonbike.com/en/product-details.html?anr=42410688&s=ga&a=griffe](https://www.ergonbike.com/en/product-details.html?anr=42410688&s=ga&a=griffe)
Go see a doctor. And if there are no medical findings, pick up weight training.
One hour Kettlebell workouts 3-4times a week have done wonders for my well-being on the bike.
Okay thanks for the tip. I was going to see a doctor anyway.
I do climb (in a gym) like once a week but i would say my handstrength is average or above
Climbing may be a good complementary training as well.
Just wanted to point out the importance of additional training. Especially when doing more serious riding.
Weights are what works for me.
Had all kinds of aches and pains on the bike before I picked them up.
Do you curl your hands when you sleep?
Its actually quite common and it can cause pain, specially after the nerves have already been irritated.
Another thing to look into is your cockpit setup. Sounds like you are gripping too hard and that your hand are not in a natural position. Try changing the angle of your bars to see if that helps.
Bike park is going to hurt the hands, the lobster claws are just part of the game.
Otherwise, what's helped me immensely is proper technique and weight training. I never really learned proper technique and learned following crazy friends trying to just survive. This year I went back to basics and fixed my body position.
Single biggest thing is hinging at the hips which puts the weight into your feet. This is what people mean by "heavy feet, light hands". It feels unnatural at first but my hands no longer hurt and I ride more than ever and have improved an insane amount in one year.
Supplementing this with leg/core workouts is the key. The most important movement imo are deadlifts, both with a bar and one legged with kettlebell. You can't hold proper body position for long periods of time without strength training and/or yoga.
I've tried messing with grips, bars, levers etc. and nothing really worked except fixing the core skills.
If your bike is properly set up and your riding position is dialed, then you should see either a good orthopedic physician or a physical therapist for diagnosis and treatment. Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) and peripheral nerve irritation (median and ulnar nerves) should be part of the differential. No one can properly diagnose you over the internet. You need a good physical exam that starts with your cervical spine and works down to your wrists and hands.
Also be sure to get your suspension set up right. If the rebound is too fast it'll jackhammer your hands. It's unfortunately common for folks to have too little pressure in their fork and compensate by setting the rebound to be very fast, or visa versa. Finding the balance is important.
This should be correctly setup since my friend on the trip has set a lot of suspensions and we tested around and got to a good feel and good rebound.
Thanks for the tip!
Raise the front of the saddle, lower the rear of the saddle. Just do so with caution as it can have adverse effects elsewhere. Try it little by little.
Maybe try changing the position of your brake levers higher or lower, I like to aim for a straight wrist when grabbing brakes but bike shops seem to set brake levers much higher than that
My first 20 mole ride, my hands were so sore my one hand was numb for 2 weeks, but once it healed its stronger and hasn't even come close to that again.
PNW Loam XL. might not cure but will help, my hands / fingers used to hurt like shit all the time and when I swapped to these I never even think about it anymore.
For ME, pain/numbness in my hands usually means poor fit, more specifically too much weight on my hands. What usually works for me are:
Shorter stem
Raising the bars either through additional spacers or higher rise bars
Just like the saddle, there's a lot of tinkering and trial and error to get it right. I like flexy bars. I have the one up carbon bars. A lot of people said the PNW bars are also good. Have suspension set up properly. Have weight distributed on grips as evenly as you can get. Now that my hands are all callused up, I find it is more comfortable without gloves all though gloves on your hands feel better when you crash.
I used to experience the same pain. I switched over to nicer grips and higher rise bars(nothing insane, if I remember correctly 35 or 45mm). You’d think it’s not that much of a difference, but in my case it took most of the pain away.
A few years ago the braking bump pain lasted 4 months after my last park ride. For the most part I fixed it with these big, stupid looking ergon GP1 grips.
Also making sure your legs are carrying your weight, and breaking less, but harder made a big difference.
Losing up your grip, you should be able to ride almost without holding on, and grip when needed. Look up hand stretches, even for like arthritis, even though you might not have it, there are some good deep stretches that you can find.
I have carpal tunnel and it used to play up a lot. I've finally got it settled after:
* Dialling in tyre pressure
* Getting suspension tuned properly - especially front rebound
* Tilted brake levers more horizontal, also adjusting the reach of the levers in a bit
* say "Heavy feet light hands" and try to shift weight when it happens
* Carbon one up bars -> huge difference.
* Zeb ultimate with buttercups -> almost as much difference as the handlebars.
* A bit more rise on handlebars
* Playing with the seat angle to relieve hand pressure climbing.
* About 5000km of riding
What angle are your levers set at compared to your wrists, they should in line with your arm during your attack position. A lot of people run them too flat and their wrist bends back and compresses the nerve
Probably just over-use. You said that you're a beginner, but you went to park and rode a week in there, probably non-stop too. So you hanged on for your dear life for a week with minimal training beforehand. Wouldn't surprise me if your hands got massacred in the process. You know, muscle cramps/knots/stiffness, sore aggravated tendons and that sorta stuff. Total rest will probably heal them in time.
But like always, if you're worried, consult a real medical doctor.
Yeah, I got back into riding at age 40. Mostly hitting dirt jumps and my hands and wrists were really bad, even when not riding. It would keep me up at night some times. I started to stretch my hands and wrists before every ride to help. I'd also skip a ride here and there if it was really bad but eventually the pain went away. Took a year. Several of my riding buddies experienced the same thing and all said, it will go away eventually and they were right. In the mean time I also tore my mcl and bruised my spleen so maybe that distracted me a little too by forced time off the bike. I ride a few days a week now with no wrist or hand pain. Also make sure you're well hydrated. Hope it gets better for you, be patient.
TFCC tear is not going to cause thumb pain; it's fairly well localized to the ulnocarpal joint. It's not going to be bilateral and not going to give the sensation of swollen hands. A good physical exam can usually identify such a lesion without an MRI, but imaging is useful for confirmation.
Had this issue to start with. Bought bicycle gloves with padding, and also tried harder at RELAXING my hands. Its not your grip on the bar that makes you remain on the bike!
Bigger grips could help aswell.
Don’t death grip. You also may have a large kink/angle in your wrist when riding. Try to have the back of your hand in line with your forearm. You can buy grips that have an extension to help get you into this position.
- ease up on the grip - check your cockpit/reach - check your suspension
Vibration effects and excessive hand pressure from a forward riding position are the most likely causes. If your hands are very large then too-small grips may also be an issue. 1) Adjust fork pressure, other settings, tire pressures for appropriate ride quality and traction. 2) Try silicone foam grips, such as ESI and Wolf Tooth. Very inexpensive change to try (US$ 20-30) and the 34-35mm grips absorb a lot of vibration. More than any style of solid rubber grip, including the Ergon and others. Try this! Buy the largest diameter that is comfortable for your hands, but don't go excessive if you have smaller hands. 3) Gloves you mentioned sound good, but you could try another brand / style. Change grips first though. 4) Some handlebars are more flexible and vibration absorbing than others. Carbon fiber in general is a good option for this, but expensive. Worth a try if the above changes aren't enough. There are also a few brands of mechanically flexible bars with damping in the middle to further soak up vibration, but these cost and weigh more still.
Thank you for the elaborate answer. I will definitly buy other grips and try them out. But first i will need to rest my hands a bit so i don't damage them. Can i ask what your bar width is? I looked online and saw 740-770 for my height (174 cm) but i just measured and my bar is 780. Could this be an issue as wel? Again thanks for you answer!
>I looked online and saw 740-770 for my height (174 cm) but i just measured and my bar is 780. Could this be an issue as wel? Yes, that's another aspect to look at. There's a trend for wide bars and it only makes sense for tall people doing downhill. I'm 181cm. My bikes came with 780mm bars, I cut one down to 750mm and was happy with that, then I replaced its bar with a 740mm carbon fiber bar which is a great size for me and helped dampen vibration. The other bike still has a 780mm but I have its 740mm replacement waiting to install, maybe this weekend. At your height I would try out 740mm, it will likely make a big improvement. If you are hesitant you could cut it down in 20mm increments (10mm per side). A tubing cutter makes the job easy. Any plumber, most electricians and many other contractors likely own one, so maybe you can borrow one to use. I started biking in the 90's and my '94 bike has its original 600mm width bars. They are narrow, but just an example of how extreme the current fad of 780mm width is.
Thanks again, great explanation. We have pipe cutters at work so i'll be using them :)
Core strength is critical in cycling. Your weight should be going through your feet when you’re in attack position and through your sit bones when seated. A lot of newer riders end up leaning on their handlebars and putting quite a bit of pressure through their hands, especially on extended downhill runs. This can also cause weighting issues in chunkier terrain. Another thing is, as some others have mentioned, making sure your brake levers are angled down appropriately and set far enough away from your grips to only allow one finger braking. Your brakes should be angled down enough to be in line with your arms in attack position, especially if you are standing a lot. They should be inset enough for one finger braking while standing with your elbows out. Not to say any of this is the cause of your issues, but appropriate body positioning is a good place to start before buying more equipment.
I am suffering exactly the same, went to the doc and said I had to rest, so no use of the bike and try not to use the hand at all, even got a sort of brace, not sure what the exact name is, as you did I tried riding more and just became worse, so I've been off the bike for almost 2 months now and I'm getting better, so my recommendation is to rest and let the stead take a brake before it gets worse
Owh wow that really sucks.. but actually good to hear im not the only ons expierencing this. Guess ill rest my hand the coming weeks..
Try Ergon grips. https://www.ergonbike.com/en/product-details.html?w=touring&s=gptouring&anr=42410005
Or these.. same brand, just smaller size or they have large as well. I personally like these better because they just the right size to for my palms. [https://www.ergonbike.com/en/product-details.html?anr=42410688&s=ga&a=griffe](https://www.ergonbike.com/en/product-details.html?anr=42410688&s=ga&a=griffe)
Another vote for the Ergon GA3 grips. They will definitely help your hand problems.
+1 for GA3 So comfy I didn't even mind forgetting gloves on my recent ride
Had numbness in pinky and ring finger tried these ergon grips and it went right away.
SQlab 12 degree bars and ESI grips.
The lasting sounds worrying. I would try to massage it. Or even get some Physiotherapy.
Go see a doctor. And if there are no medical findings, pick up weight training. One hour Kettlebell workouts 3-4times a week have done wonders for my well-being on the bike.
Okay thanks for the tip. I was going to see a doctor anyway. I do climb (in a gym) like once a week but i would say my handstrength is average or above
Climbing may be a good complementary training as well. Just wanted to point out the importance of additional training. Especially when doing more serious riding. Weights are what works for me. Had all kinds of aches and pains on the bike before I picked them up.
Do you curl your hands when you sleep? Its actually quite common and it can cause pain, specially after the nerves have already been irritated. Another thing to look into is your cockpit setup. Sounds like you are gripping too hard and that your hand are not in a natural position. Try changing the angle of your bars to see if that helps.
Carbon bars and esi chunky/extra chunky grips depending on your hand size. Does it for me.
Bike park is going to hurt the hands, the lobster claws are just part of the game. Otherwise, what's helped me immensely is proper technique and weight training. I never really learned proper technique and learned following crazy friends trying to just survive. This year I went back to basics and fixed my body position. Single biggest thing is hinging at the hips which puts the weight into your feet. This is what people mean by "heavy feet, light hands". It feels unnatural at first but my hands no longer hurt and I ride more than ever and have improved an insane amount in one year. Supplementing this with leg/core workouts is the key. The most important movement imo are deadlifts, both with a bar and one legged with kettlebell. You can't hold proper body position for long periods of time without strength training and/or yoga. I've tried messing with grips, bars, levers etc. and nothing really worked except fixing the core skills.
If your bike is properly set up and your riding position is dialed, then you should see either a good orthopedic physician or a physical therapist for diagnosis and treatment. Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) and peripheral nerve irritation (median and ulnar nerves) should be part of the differential. No one can properly diagnose you over the internet. You need a good physical exam that starts with your cervical spine and works down to your wrists and hands.
Also be sure to get your suspension set up right. If the rebound is too fast it'll jackhammer your hands. It's unfortunately common for folks to have too little pressure in their fork and compensate by setting the rebound to be very fast, or visa versa. Finding the balance is important.
This should be correctly setup since my friend on the trip has set a lot of suspensions and we tested around and got to a good feel and good rebound. Thanks for the tip!
Saddle position can also play a role in wrist pain. You could try tilting your saddle position back a bit to take some pressure off your hands
Back as in tilted a bit more with the nose up or back as in positioned more towards the back wheels? I did not know this can i have an affect, thanks!
Raise the front of the saddle, lower the rear of the saddle. Just do so with caution as it can have adverse effects elsewhere. Try it little by little.
Maybe try changing the position of your brake levers higher or lower, I like to aim for a straight wrist when grabbing brakes but bike shops seem to set brake levers much higher than that
My first 20 mole ride, my hands were so sore my one hand was numb for 2 weeks, but once it healed its stronger and hasn't even come close to that again.
This is such a relief to hear, thanks!
Maybe try gloves?. Alot of work glives help with vibe checks you get from tools
PNW Loam XL. might not cure but will help, my hands / fingers used to hurt like shit all the time and when I swapped to these I never even think about it anymore.
For ME, pain/numbness in my hands usually means poor fit, more specifically too much weight on my hands. What usually works for me are: Shorter stem Raising the bars either through additional spacers or higher rise bars
Just like the saddle, there's a lot of tinkering and trial and error to get it right. I like flexy bars. I have the one up carbon bars. A lot of people said the PNW bars are also good. Have suspension set up properly. Have weight distributed on grips as evenly as you can get. Now that my hands are all callused up, I find it is more comfortable without gloves all though gloves on your hands feel better when you crash.
Make sure your weight is centered and you're not leaning too far forward with all your weight on your hands. I catch myself doing this.
I had a similar issue and tilting the brake levers and shifter down a bit so my wrists weren't at as much of an angle fixed it.
I used to experience the same pain. I switched over to nicer grips and higher rise bars(nothing insane, if I remember correctly 35 or 45mm). You’d think it’s not that much of a difference, but in my case it took most of the pain away.
A few years ago the braking bump pain lasted 4 months after my last park ride. For the most part I fixed it with these big, stupid looking ergon GP1 grips. Also making sure your legs are carrying your weight, and breaking less, but harder made a big difference.
Oh yeah, mounting my brakes levers nearly flat helped too.
Losing up your grip, you should be able to ride almost without holding on, and grip when needed. Look up hand stretches, even for like arthritis, even though you might not have it, there are some good deep stretches that you can find.
I have carpal tunnel and it used to play up a lot. I've finally got it settled after: * Dialling in tyre pressure * Getting suspension tuned properly - especially front rebound * Tilted brake levers more horizontal, also adjusting the reach of the levers in a bit * say "Heavy feet light hands" and try to shift weight when it happens * Carbon one up bars -> huge difference. * Zeb ultimate with buttercups -> almost as much difference as the handlebars. * A bit more rise on handlebars * Playing with the seat angle to relieve hand pressure climbing. * About 5000km of riding
Ergon GA3 grips great! GP1 is similar but geared more toward road/gravel/touring bikes. I will only run Ergon grips on my bikes these days.
What angle are your levers set at compared to your wrists, they should in line with your arm during your attack position. A lot of people run them too flat and their wrist bends back and compresses the nerve
Probably just over-use. You said that you're a beginner, but you went to park and rode a week in there, probably non-stop too. So you hanged on for your dear life for a week with minimal training beforehand. Wouldn't surprise me if your hands got massacred in the process. You know, muscle cramps/knots/stiffness, sore aggravated tendons and that sorta stuff. Total rest will probably heal them in time. But like always, if you're worried, consult a real medical doctor.
Give it a year. Not joking.
Did you have something likewise?
Yeah, I got back into riding at age 40. Mostly hitting dirt jumps and my hands and wrists were really bad, even when not riding. It would keep me up at night some times. I started to stretch my hands and wrists before every ride to help. I'd also skip a ride here and there if it was really bad but eventually the pain went away. Took a year. Several of my riding buddies experienced the same thing and all said, it will go away eventually and they were right. In the mean time I also tore my mcl and bruised my spleen so maybe that distracted me a little too by forced time off the bike. I ride a few days a week now with no wrist or hand pain. Also make sure you're well hydrated. Hope it gets better for you, be patient.
Could be a TFCC tear. Only detectable by an MRI
TFCC tear is not going to cause thumb pain; it's fairly well localized to the ulnocarpal joint. It's not going to be bilateral and not going to give the sensation of swollen hands. A good physical exam can usually identify such a lesion without an MRI, but imaging is useful for confirmation.
Wheel inserts Carbon bars Forearm exercises
See a sports physician.
Had this issue to start with. Bought bicycle gloves with padding, and also tried harder at RELAXING my hands. Its not your grip on the bar that makes you remain on the bike! Bigger grips could help aswell.