Waaaah poor me :-(

pepperpat64

It appears I've developed a condition called handlebar palsy, which is caused by a compressed ulnar nerve and is common in cyclists. One of the treatments, unfortunately, is to stop cycling for a while. DISLIKE. I'm only about 6 miles short of my goal for this month so I plan to tough it out to make that goal. I can always switch to my beach cruiser for that because I sit upright and don't lean on my hands as much as my road bike. After that I'll have to take it easy for a while, so if there's a September cycling challenge, I might have to skip it. I hate not cycling but it's better to stop now and let the condition clear up rather than ignore it and possibly do more damage. Maybe I'll do a swimming challenge instead! :-)

caitastic24

It appears I've developed a condition called handlebar palsy, which is caused by a compressed ulnar nerve and is common in cyclists. One of the treatments, unfortunately, is to stop cycling for a while. DISLIKE. I'm only about 6 miles short of my goal for this month so I plan to tough it out to make that goal. I can always switch to my beach cruiser for that because I sit upright and don't lean on my hands as much as my road bike. After that I'll have to take it easy for a while, so if there's a September cycling challenge, I might have to skip it. I hate not cycling but it's better to stop now and let the condition clear up rather than ignore it and possibly do more damage. Maybe I'll do a swimming challenge instead! :-)

OH NO!! I hope you're not in extreme pain. I admire your dedication and I know you'll be able to finish your goal. I think you are making the right decision. I would like to run another challenge (aside from biking) but I haven't really thought about what it would. I need to slowly add other exercises into my schedule but I am not allowed to run quite yet. Let me know what you decide to do! Maybe I can find something that branches off of it. Unfortunately I don't have pool access but I encourage you do that if you have it :-)

pepperpat64

OH NO!! I hope you're not in extreme pain. I admire your dedication and I know you'll be able to finish your goal. I think you are making the right decision. I would like to run another challenge (aside from biking) but I haven't really thought about what it would. I need to slowly add other exercises into my schedule but I am not allowed to run quite yet. Let me know what you decide to do! Maybe I can find something that branches off of it. Unfortunately I don't have pool access but I encourage you do that if you have it :-)

No pain, thankfully, just tingling and numbness. I've been doing a home treatment program (from a reliable medical source) and it seems to be easing a bit. Luckily I do lots of other types of exercises, including strength training and swimming. The latter is especially good for these types of injuries. If it doesn't clear up in a month I'll see the doctor, who will probably give me a steroid injection. That worked great for my tennis elbow so it should work for this problem too. I think a big part of the problem is that I got a new bike recently and haven't quite gotten the saddle adjusted to the right height and angle, causing me to lean on the handlebars a bit too much, so I'm definitely going to tweak those before riding again. I also have a new pair of padded gloves on the way which are supposedly designed to help prevent just this type of condition. I may set a small goal that I can do in the last half of September - maybe just 20 miles or so.

SharonNehring

I have mild carpal tunnel normally but it's really being aggravated by riding. I bought padded gloves too and it's really helping.