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Post by GALVinChie on Nov 21, 2007 11:22:49 GMT 8
Has anyone been experiencing this on your rides? My wife is very new to this sport and just after a couple of weekends, she notices that her hands are acting up again during rides. So what I did was to make the adjustments on the seatpost and stem height. Even the fore and aft movement of the saddle wasn't left out. The frame had a 14" size since she's a 5-footer. The last time she felt this was when she was still pregnant. The first was about 8 years ago and the last, which was the worst, was almost two years already. After all that, it never came back until this month. Will the stem length and bar rise help? Say........ longger /shorter stem and flat/low rise for the bars. Presently, the stock ones have a 70mm with zero rise and a mid-riser bar. I'm thinking baka it's just a breaking-in period for her. I may be wrong. Can you help me please?
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Post by dayuhan on Nov 21, 2007 11:59:40 GMT 8
A professional bike fitting might be a good idea, could turn up something that needs work. I had this problem after switching to a flat bar, just needed to raise the bar a bit. If you have extra steer tube on her fork, try some more spacers under the bar, or a steeper-angled stem, or a higher rise bar. No guarantee that what worked for me will work for someone else though. As a general rule you want to get some weight off the hands and onto the seat, and change the part of the hand that the weight is resting on. Is she riding with the seat unusually high?
Bar ends can also help, as they give an additional hand position option. Gloves with gel inserts and a soft, plush grip (like ODI Rogue) can also help.
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Post by gadgets88 on Nov 21, 2007 12:08:38 GMT 8
Ask your wife how long was she biking at one time before experiencing pain and weakness in her wrist?
30 minutes? or more?
Was she biking almost everyday?
Was she holding on to the bars with a death-grip?
Did resting for a week without biking make the pain disappear?
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Post by GALVinChie on Nov 21, 2007 12:58:38 GMT 8
Sir Dayuhan,
Her seat level is below the bar. Somewhat a DJ set-up. Originally, there are about 12mm spacer height below the stem but now there are 8 below and 4 above. I'll try to do them by increments before changing the stem and bars.
Can the bike fit still do much help/corrections if I've already purchased the bike?
Thank you Sir.
Sir Gadgets,
As of now, all she feels is the numbness and weakness but no pain yet. She bikes twice a weekday for almost an hour in our compound and 5 rounds in UP oval every Sundays as well. I don't think she has a death-grip on the bars since she rides in a easy pace. She's still trying to get a hang on the shifting though.
Definitely, rests help. But until the next ride and after a few rounds, it's there again.
Wawa nga eh.
Thank you sir Gadgets.
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Post by Ben Dover on Nov 21, 2007 13:17:25 GMT 8
obviously this is a preexisting condition and apparently aggravated only by her biking.
does she work?...operating a computer for extended periods?...i heard that wrong hand position, or table level can also cause this problem...maybe you should look into those factors also.
btw, discomforts naman yata are normal if you are just starting out...i experienced that too..sometimes it really takes time to get used to doing things...i just hope that's the case.
happy riding to you and your wife.
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Post by GALVinChie on Nov 21, 2007 14:43:51 GMT 8
In practice Sir Tolits, it hasn't bothered her. I'm really inclined in what you've said--positioning--but I can't really decipher. It might just a breaking-in period for her.
Thank you Sir LaMok.
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Post by angelobryant on Nov 21, 2007 15:21:02 GMT 8
maybe because she's having a hard time shifting (pushing the levers)?
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Post by dayuhan on Nov 21, 2007 16:32:07 GMT 8
If her seat is already low, that shouldn't be the issue... could she be squeezing the bars hard for long periods? That's fairly common with new riders...
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Post by gadgets88 on Nov 23, 2007 12:47:23 GMT 8
Summary: Like what Lamok referred, it could be a result of combined stress from using the mouse or keyboard all day, aggravated by bike gripping. It could be the angle of the shifter, angle of the brakes or the seat position vis-a-vis the stem height. It could be she's tensed and gripping too hard (even if you're going a slow pace). If the bike doesn't fit, then no choice but sell off the bike and get the right size. Getting polio from using wrong equipments is more expensive, obviously. When you say, numbness doesn't occur during practice, what are the conditions that differ from the actual rides? Maybe practice time is less stressful, or the level is flat and doesn't require constant braking or steering and balancing acts? Maybe practice time is shorter? The "obvious" solution is there, maybe it's just not too obvious, yet. Once you discover it, you'll tell yourself: "Ay! Yun lang pala..."
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Post by arcireyes on Nov 23, 2007 14:30:22 GMT 8
@galvinchie
have you toyed on the idea of a professional bike fitting for your wife? perhaps a well positioned and fitted bike can help in avoiding the aggravation of CTS.
my .02
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trance03
All-Mountain Rider
SockMan
Posts: 150
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Post by trance03 on Nov 23, 2007 16:55:27 GMT 8
hi doc. i used to have several new pains when i started riding with the munxsters inc...... numbnuts, soreknees,dokleng, and i also experienced numbing hands on long rides. especially the numbed hands. i think this is due to the weight of the body put into the palm because of the aero chuva.... eniweys, my point is, maybe your commander in chief 's dilemma is temporary. in transition to developing the build for the task... but then again... you're the medicineman.... im just a roughneck gearhead........u'd know better. ;D ;D ;D
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okidok
Bike Commuter
MiniMe
Posts: 67
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Post by okidok on Nov 23, 2007 21:21:28 GMT 8
Doc Norman,
Indeed what she has is a Carpal Tunnel Syndrome(CTS) based on your description, and previous history. Predisposing factors are as you mentioned: Pregnancy, DM, Rapid weight gain and Repetitive Strain Injury(RSI) to name a few. Most common of which is RSI.
All the above explanations are correct, but let me explain in more medical terms. CTS involves the Median Nerve. About 1cm distal from our wrist at the middle of our palm is the Carpal Tunnel. Inside that tunnel is yes the median nerve. This nerve supplies the intrinsic muscles of our hand. Thus, the numbness and weakness in grip strength not to mention the severe night pains.
Treatment? First and most effective, sorry, but AVOID any activity that is repetitive and involves the wrist and hands, MTBiking is one don't get me wrong there are predisposed individual and proper bike fit helps a lot in preventing. 2nly anti inflammatory medication. It could be oral NSAIDS and/or direct steroid shot inside the Carpal Tunnel. 3rd Physiotherapy Lastly if all of the above failed, Surgery. cutting the roof of the tunnel either open or arthroscopic will free the nerve.
Don't neglect the syndrome as it will cause an irreversible hand intrinsic muscle atrophy.
HTH ED
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Post by GALVinChie on Nov 26, 2007 17:13:58 GMT 8
Thanks everyone on your inputs--Sir Angelo, Sir Dayuhan, Sir Gadgets, Sir Arci, Sir Trance, and Doc Ed.
As per her last Sunday ride, repositioning her hands on, at the side, and in the middle have somehow lessen the numbness.
Doc Ed,
Do you know of any particular diet for prevention purposes?
Sir Arci,
About the bike fit, there's one in Joven's pero what I know is that that's for roadies di'ba? will it work just the same for mt. bikers?
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Post by arcireyes on Nov 26, 2007 17:22:33 GMT 8
hi galvinchie, AFAIK bike-fitting covers fit for roadbike, mtbike and in some case tri bike yata. perhaps king can comment on this one as he just recently had his bike fitting @jovens. HTH
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berns
XC Rider
He who does only what is ask is a slave but he who does more is a free man
Posts: 113
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Post by berns on Jan 21, 2008 22:57:00 GMT 8
After a bike fitting you will know what seat and head tube angle is right for you, lenght of the top tube and the seat tube, lenght of the crank arm, stem and handle bars. And also the height ot the saddle and type of seat post. Is this right? Any sample?
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