Wrist pain due to cycling

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umer76
umer76 Posts: 1,272 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have recently started cycling and only stressful area is the palm of my hands and my wrists. I dont have numbness yet but after every bike ride I feel the pain for next couple of days. It is quite uncomfortable during the ride. I have searched few websites but would like to hear different views. It seems like whatever I start new pain comes in as a new hurdle:sad: please share your experiences and any good tips.

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  • GetSoda
    GetSoda Posts: 1,267 Member
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    Possibly could use adjustment of handlebars/seat position relative to.
    Or maybe just need conditioning
    or perhaps you need to put more weight on your legs and less on your wrists.
  • Sqeekyjojo
    Sqeekyjojo Posts: 704 Member
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    You can get gloves with padded palms for this.
  • timeasterday
    timeasterday Posts: 1,368 Member
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    Gloves with pads helps. Also make sure the brakes and shifters are not angled up too much. And angle the nose of the seat up a tad to shift your weight back.
  • Nacho12
    Nacho12 Posts: 164 Member
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    Also keep your wrists straight when cycling rather than bent. Our spinning classes always have a stretch for the wrists before and after pushing hand backwards with wrist bent up and wrist bent forward. Hope that helps!
  • umer76
    umer76 Posts: 1,272 Member
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    I use the padded gloves. May be height of the seat has something to do with it. I had adjusted the seat height to keep the 10-20% bend in my knee. Due to that seat is higher than the handle bars. This results in more weight on my hands.
  • GetSoda
    GetSoda Posts: 1,267 Member
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    I use the padded gloves. May be height of the seat has something to do with it. I had adjusted the seat height to keep the 10-20% bend in my knee. Due to that seat is higher than the handle bars. This results in more weight on my hands.

    Saddle above handlebars isn't a bad thing, you just need to learn to shift your weight. Don't think of the bike as something you just sit/lay on. You have to actively keep your position. You may need to move your saddle fore and aft. And also just learn to keep your weight in your legs.

    Try consciously shifting weight to the saddle and keeping your hands light. Pretend there's something delicate between your palm and handlebar (And there is, you know, all that nerve/tendon junk in your hand.)

    Other handlebar positions might help too. I have no idea what kind of bike you have, or handlebars.
  • barb1241
    barb1241 Posts: 324 Member
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    If you can move your hands so that the part between the fingers and the palms-where the fingers meet the rest of your hand-and switch up the pressure to there instead of on your wrist so much, that may help while you get accustomed to riding. It's free and it seems to help me. You can keep your hand angle a little different that way-not always with the pressure pushing on the part of your hand just below the palm and above the wrist. Hope that makes sense-I don't know the correct names for the parts of the hand.
  • umer76
    umer76 Posts: 1,272 Member
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    I am using mountain bike with straight handle bars but I am using it on the roadside track.
  • GetSoda
    GetSoda Posts: 1,267 Member
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    In that case,
    tilting nose of saddle up is good advice. Just a little. A degree or two at a time.
    Try moving the saddle slightly closer to handlebars - just a few MM at a time. Try a few miles before adjusting again.

    And consciously set back in the seat. Support yourself with your legs, and eventually your body will automatically balance you.

    And for when you just have to hammer on the hanldebars: Ergon grips and bar ends.
  • sz8soon
    sz8soon Posts: 816 Member
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    I get wrist pain sometimes too- but it's not from cycling so I can't offer advice for that.

    Are you putting all your weight on your arms and not keeping it in the seat?
  • jsickman12
    jsickman12 Posts: 139 Member
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    I have a feeling that this pain is more due to posture and wrist pronation, than it is to your saddle tilt. When you ride, do you ride stiff armed, or are they bent at the elbow? Are your wrists straight? If your elbows are straight and you wrists are bent, then your wrist is acting like a shock absorber over every bump and bounce. You want to have bent elbows and straignt wrists.
  • umer76
    umer76 Posts: 1,272 Member
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    When I get tired then I try to keep my arms straight and then I agree my elbows are not straight and then the weight falls on them. I have seen various good tips which I am going to incorporate in my next cycle trip. Coming soon!!

    Elbows should be bent
    Try to keep the wrists as much straight as possible
    Adjust the breaks angle so when the wrists are straight it will be easier to apply the breaks easily
    I will tilt the nose of the saddle upwards
    Be conscious to shift the weight on the legs and the seat.
    There are 3 different type of stretches which I have found on the youtube would make the wrists flexible
    Use kettle bell keeping the wrists straight to work up the muscles around the wrists

    Great tips guys!
  • mikeatmichael
    mikeatmichael Posts: 92 Member
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    I'm noticing that as my core body strength improves I have less discomfort overall on a bicycle. You shouldn't be supporting you entire upper body on your arms the entire ride.
  • kjjbean
    kjjbean Posts: 23 Member
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    Sounds like a case of death grip syndrome ;o) Along with the other great tips you received I wanted to add that when your new(er) to riding it is easy to be tense, it takes time to get comfortable. What happens when your tense / rigid is you have no flex so your wrists are absorbing all the shock causing you pain. When you have a more relaxed grip you allow your upper body to absorb the shock. As time goes on and you become more proficient on your bike these little aches and pain will start to go away,
  • doc800
    doc800 Posts: 148
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    lighten up on the death grip lol and engage your core more for support

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