I just don't understand this one. When I first acquired this mtb, I took it for a few short rides and it felt fine. Then I started riding as my daily around town bike, for the upright, wide position with nice easy to use shifters and brake levers. But now I seem to be having MUCH more pain and discomfort in my hands, wrists and fingers. And I just don't get it. I have never had as much pain and discomfort while riding a bike with drop bars. Is this common with mtb ridden in the city or is it just my body telling me to forget the flat bars and go back to drop bars?
"Ken" <kcmarcet-dispose-trash@hotpop.com> wrote in message news:1187c2po9qnc272@corp.supernews.com...> I just don't understand this one. When I first acquired this mtb, I took
for a few short rides and it felt fine. Then I started riding as my daily> around town bike, for the upright, wide position with nice easy to use> shifters and brake levers. But now I seem to be having MUCH more pain and> discomfort in my hands, wrists and fingers. And I just don't get it. I
have> never had as much pain and discomfort while riding a bike with drop bars.
this common with mtb ridden in the city or is it just my body telling me
forget the flat bars and go back to drop bars?>
Ken
When you're riding on the trails, your hands are changing positions all the time. A flat bar is perfectly satisfactory. When riding on the road, you have to remember to change the position of your hands. That's why road cyclists use the curved bar.
Adding bar ends to flat bars makes for an enormous improvement. Plus, you don't have to worry about people thinking you care about being cool!
"bfd" <bfd853@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1115928324.500287.22770@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...> Further to the above, how low is your bar positioned? If you're seat is> higher than the bar and you're leaning your weight forward on your> hand, you'll have problems. Moreover, with a flat, straight handlebar,> your wrist are turned down and in, not a natural position.>
What you want are to get a handlebar that are curves in like on this> mixte bike here:>
Well I thought I have tried everything. I have tried different grip positions, on the end bars, off the end bars. I tried raising the and lowering overall bar height. I have tried with cycling gloves, without gloves. I have even tried a couple of different set of grips. The best feeling it got was wearing gloves, with my hands way in towards the stem, like the bar top position on a set of drop bars. I am just about ready to retire this thing as my daily ride, and go back to the road bike for my around town needs, and just keep the mtb of some occasional off road use.
On Thu, 12 May 2005 15:35:25 -0400, "Ken" <kcmarcet-dispose-trash@hotpop.com> wrote:
I just don't understand this one. When I first acquired this mtb, I took it>for a few short rides and it felt fine. Then I started riding as my daily>around town bike, for the upright, wide position with nice easy to use>shifters and brake levers. But now I seem to be having MUCH more pain and>discomfort in my hands, wrists and fingers. And I just don't get it. I have>never had as much pain and discomfort while riding a bike with drop bars. Is>this common with mtb ridden in the city or is it just my body telling me to>forget the flat bars and go back to drop bars?
The road bike is a highly evolved ergonomic sweetheart with over 100 years work and fuss over all the necessary compromises.
My guess from your complaint is that your wrists don't like the angle. I'm surprised bar ends don't fix the problem for you since the hand position isn't dissimilar.
"Ken" <kcmarcet-dispose-trash@hotpop.com> wrote in message news:1187eu1fhvpu5d8@corp.supernews.com...>
"bfd" <bfd853@yahoo.com> wrote in message> news:1115928324.500287.22770@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...>> Further to the above, how low is your bar positioned? If you're seat is>> higher than the bar and you're leaning your weight forward on your>> hand, you'll have problems. Moreover, with a flat, straight handlebar,>> your wrist are turned down and in, not a natural position.>>
What you want are to get a handlebar that are curves in like on this>> mixte bike here:>>
Well I thought I have tried everything. I have tried different grip> positions, on the end bars, off the end bars. I tried raising the and> lowering overall bar height. I have tried with cycling gloves, without> gloves. I have even tried a couple of different set of grips. The best> feeling it got was wearing gloves, with my hands way in towards the stem,> like the bar top position on a set of drop bars. I am just about ready to> retire this thing as my daily ride, and go back to the road bike for my> around town needs, and just keep the mtb of some occasional off road use.>
Try a bar like the one pictured. It may look like one of those old-school 3 speed, but if you look at the hand position, its more natural than a straight bar. That is, if you drop your hands to your side, the palms are turned in towards your body. A bar shaped like the albratross, Rivendell's name for this style of hbar, does the same thing. I bet it will reduce the wrist and hand pains you are experiencing. Try it, you might like it!
"RonSonic" <ronsonic@tampabay.rr.com> wrote in message news:gsu781lt3pamanvoo2h71ajodq8vm3o147@4ax.com...> On Thu, 12 May 2005 15:35:25 -0400, "Ken" <kcmarcet-dispose-trash@hotpop.com>> wrote:>
I just don't understand this one. When I first acquired this mtb, I took
for a few short rides and it felt fine. Then I started riding as my daily> >around town bike, for the upright, wide position with nice easy to use> >shifters and brake levers. But now I seem to be having MUCH more pain and> >discomfort in my hands, wrists and fingers. And I just don't get it. I
have> >never had as much pain and discomfort while riding a bike with drop bars.
this common with mtb ridden in the city or is it just my body telling me
forget the flat bars and go back to drop bars?>
The road bike is a highly evolved ergonomic sweetheart with over 100 years
work> and fuss over all the necessary compromises.>
My guess from your complaint is that your wrists don't like the angle. I'm> surprised bar ends don't fix the problem for you since the hand position
isn't> dissimilar.>
Anyway, maybe try trekking bars or something.>
Yeah maybe, but as I have said this is a cheap x-mart quality used $5.00 bike, so spending much more than the cost of the bike is hard to justify. I just thought for $5.00 I would give the mtb's another try. I rode one some years back and didn't like it. Now I think I remember why.
