Ok Mountain Bikers can you give me a hand...

[John Weber]

Ok if we have any mountain bikers around. I’ve been mountain biking over 10 years, however moving to Indiana, a wife, house, kids, and woodworking can take a bite out of my riding time. I’ve haven’t ridden much the last couple years. Recently I’ve had some trouble with my hands getting numb (the left more then the right). My wife says it looks like a bit of carpal tunnel. Anyway, my bike was very nice for its day, and I’ve kept up with a fair number of upgrades, so it’s still a decent machine. My question is this: when I bought my bike flat handlebars with bar ends and long low stems were the rage. Now the bars are risers, the stems seem shorter, and the bar ends are gone. So is this marketing, fashion, or what? My current stem is 135mm and I have a 105 mm stem I am going to try (both relatively low rise). I’m thinking a riser handlebar might also help, but don’t really know much about them. I think I’ll try the stem first since I have it and if that helps maybe add a riser bar as well. No need for latest greatest, but decent quality. I’ve always preferred non-padded gloves, so I’ve going to give some padded gloves a try as well. So is this new geometry better, or am I just throwing money away? Thanks for any thoughts.

John

P.S. I use to read all the mt bike mags and know all the latest stuff, but that was a long time ago…

[Lee Schierer]

Try gloves with a jell pad. They work for me on my road bike. They also give you a little extra protection should you ever have a close encounter with the road surface.

[Stefan Antwarg]

Although, I don't own a mountain bike (I ride a hybrid), I have some experience with numb hands. I just try to not put as much weight on my arms and hands. And, keep on changing hand position. Also, set up your bike how it is comfortable, not whatever is the current look.

Stefan

[Ed Falis]

Hi John,

I do the road bike when I get the chance.

The gel-pad gloves will help - a bit. But I think the issue is how you're sitting on the bike. As we get older or out of practice, we tend to have less flexibility in the trunk. You may be bracing yourself with your arms, putting more stress on your hands at the same time. In terms of the combination of seat, top bar length and handle bars, you want to find a mix that lets you bend forward with slightly bent elbows and relaxed arms. You want to balance your weight between the arms and your legs when they're pedaling.

Probably, it's just a matter of adjustment to what you already have. But if it's been years, then the higher rise handlebars may be an answer. Scott used to have a bar called the AT-4 (I think) that was flat most of the way, then had a horn shape that came back toward you. Because of the shape you had a bunch of different positions you could put your hands, much like a road bike. And that adds up to less stress on your arms and hands.

If you can find a good bike shop within a reasonable distance, see if they do fitting. Could be worth a few bucks in enjoyment.

- Ed

[John Weber]

Thanks guys, I'll start with some stuff we have. We went through a couple stems when I set up my wife's bike. Not trying for the latest greatest, but was wondering the reason for the change from the low flat bars to the risers. And hoping it might help me a bit. I'll start with the easiest: gloves, posture, stem, and then a new bar if needed. I think I can add another spacer or two as well.

Thanks - John

[jerry mauney]

riser bars are great. they help with control in technical terrain. bar ends are heavy and get in the way and can hook a tree. as far as numbness try th lighten the grip and wiggle the fingers when you arre climbing. you can also vary your grip some. you can also try to move your saddle either forward or rearward just a little at atime to put in a more upright position taking a little pressure off your hands. good luck. jm.

[Andy Halterman]

John,

Same thing here. Beating and banging on nails most of my adult life has left me with some carpal tunnel issues. I run a shorter stem with riser bars and even (gasp!) have bar ends on them. Now, the Mountain Bike Fiction (Action) fashion police say I'm a dork for that but I really don't care. I need to have different hand positions whilst climbing or the manos simply seem to not be there after a short while. It works for me.

Now, if I could just find some time to ride...................

Andy Halterman

Not proud that I have ridden only 10 times this year in Hendersonville, NC

[Bill Karow]

Finally, a question about a topic about which I actually have knowledge!! I'm a cycling nut, and I ride between 3000-8000 miles per year depending on my work schedule. Road bikes, cyclocross bikes, touring bikes, mountain bikes, I love em all. I've got 15 in the basement right now - you think woodworking takes space?? [See photos.yahoo.com/yamfaced for some photos of my new custom road bike (the Anvil Chisel) which was on display at Interbike, and also of a beautiful old 1991 Specialized Allez I sold recently.]

<i>Now the bars are risers, the stems seem shorter, and the bar ends are gone. So is this marketing, fashion, or what? </i>

Both. In the early days of mountain biking (early Stumpjumper, for example), riders were in a position where their hands were roughly even with the saddle, varying a few inches either way. The next trend was what you mention, long and low stems for speed -- but this sacrifices comfort by putting more weight on your hands. This is especially true when returning to a bike with that setup after a period of not riding, because you're not used to the stretched out position. This can definitely lead to numbness, and even worse, a reduction in your interest in getting back on the bike since it hurts!

There's a balance point you need to find, and it's based on what kind of riding you do. Cross country racing? Long and low. Easy trail rides? Hands high, the sit-up-and-beg position. I do a lot of aggressive trail rides here in the ME hills and over in the NH White Mountains, so I've got my hands even or maybe an inch above the saddle (it's dual suspension, so it's tough to be exact). I went to riser bars when I moved to Maine, since there are a lot of steep, rocky descents. I wanted to rotate more weight back, knowing the tradeoff is this same weight shift can cause wheelies on steep ascents. I used a slightly shorter 90 degree stem and riser bars with about 1.5 inch rise. It's a little more comfortable, but you can fine-tune your position depending on your results. Simply put, riser bars and slightly more upright stems will shift a bit of weight to your butt, take weight off your hands, and that will help with the numbness. Of course, you'd better have good bike shorts or you'll just be shifting the numbness to a worse spot :)

I also cut about an inch off each end of the riser bars, simply because I don't want the bike to be any wider than I'm used to. Catching a sapling with your bars at 30mph isn't a wonderful experience (DAMHIKT). I also ditched my bar ends, not because the fashion police said so but because on the trails I ride I never get a chance to get my hands away from the brake levers! Bar ends do give you variety of hand positions, so you may want to consider them. Cane Creek makes a nice set that's pretty cheap.

The most important change, though, is to get yourself some good, well padded gloves. Louis Garneau makes a set of gel gloves that will make a world of difference. I've had some that have been thrown in the washing machine weekly for three years, and they're still in great shape.

[Paul Downes]

I didn't know there was any mountains in Indiana. :D John, I used to bike a lot, and have both a road bike and a mountain bike. I also have had to deal with carpal tunnel thanks to 26 years with General Motors. Gel gloves help but so does haveing several hand positions available. Also consider a larger seat so you can shift more of your weight rearwards with out causing numdness in other areas of you anatomy. It is important to keep your wrists in a straight orientation if possible. Bending your wrists tends to make carpal tunnel worse. It causes the nerve in your wrist to stretch and stresses it sooner. I wonder if a slightly fatter grip would help spread the load your hand sees. I also use a foam type grip on my bars. You could ride "no hands" :D Good luck and safe riding!!!