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General: Palm Pain

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    hey y'all,

    I have this nagging pain on the bottom of my palms. it's been with me now for over a month. I think it's coming from when I brake (I have aero "brake hood" brakes I don't really know how to describe them - check my profile) but I'm not sure.

    now it's hard to do other things - when I clap my hands hard, when I do pushups, or "try" to bench press it fvckin hurts. I noticed if I take my thumb out from under my handle bar and just rest it on top, it hurts less. I have new bont'r gel padded tape and I try to wear my full finger gloves as often as possible but it still hurts.

    about my riding habbits: been riding a lot since I finished building my fixie last year. Had a job over the summer where I ended up riding about 15miles 5 days a week and had no problems. now I ride a short distance to school, maybe about 5 miles total, since about septempber. the pain started about a month ago

    anybody have a similar pain? how did you alleviate this?

    Thanks
    • CommentAuthorSkidMark
    • CommentTimeOct 25th 2009 edited
     
    You have injured your ulnar nerve!

    Causes:

    Seat sloped forward causing you to put too much weight on your hands.

    Handlebars too low (fit).

    Top tube or stem too long (fit).

    Seat too far back, making seat to bars distance too long (fit).

    Holding on a little too hard (death grip). It may seem counter-intuitive but sometimes a more relaxed grip gives you more control, and definitely cuts down on fatigue.

    Looking at your setup, I'd say your handlebars are too low and oddly enough your stem is too short! It sort of makes sense because that would put your weight right on your palms instead of spread over your whole hand.

    I like that your bike is TT style, instead of the same boring tarck or even track setup.
  3.  
    You're describing a fairly common issue with track-ish bikes on distance rides.
    Track geometry is designed for sprinting, and thus more aerodynamic than road racing, which stresses distance and endurance more than sheer speed and acceleration. Track bikes therefore put more of the rider's weight on the front end to allow the rider to ride in the most aerodynamic position possible -- leaned far forward. Shoulders, arms, and hands are all common places to experience pain when using a track bike for something other than what it intended for.

    It's not a severe problem, it's just the effect of stress on your hands and arms over time. It will go away gradually if you adjust your bike to fit you better. I would suggest you start by trying to make your riding position higher in the front. You can also go to a good road shop and they can look at you on your bike and make some real suggestions.

    [edit] All the stuff that SkidMark said is great. Listen to him.
    • CommentAuthorSkidMark
    • CommentTimeOct 25th 2009
     
    I think if you are doing long commutes or are the least bit serious about cycling (like more serious than me) it might be good to go get fitted at a decent shop, one that caters to people that race.
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    OK, but who is more serious than you?
    • CommentAuthorSkidMark
    • CommentTimeOct 25th 2009
     
    Almost everyone, I am a casual cyclist (but a consummate bike nerd).
  8.  
    That's an interesting distinction. But I was talking about you having a serious attitude in general.
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    I started out with a long stem (110) and that was putting way to much pressure on my arms. I don't think my set-up is the problem like I said in my notes I have a very short torso so it looks odd, but works for me. as mentioned above, I used to ride three times as much/day, as I do now with no problems.

    now that I've been thinking about it today, I believe it might be those stupid backwards circles and track stands! I've gotten quite good at them, and I realize that I put a lot of pressure on my hands when I do them over and over (on top of the brake hoods). that's probably what it is. I'll try to grip it lighter too... I've been resting my hands on the aero-bar pads the last week or so, much softer! I'll also lower my seat a little. Thanks

    thanks for the injured ulnar nerve diagnosis though. It looks like the bottom of my palms are a little more "vein-y" then usual, is that a symptom?
    • CommentAuthorfilthpunx
    • CommentTimeOct 25th 2009
     
    if you feel your bikes set up right, and those circles and ratstands are indeed the problem, try different hand placements. ocassionally, when i have risers on my bike i get the same problem when fucking around( backy circles and what not) and its only cause risers suck unless im tired and its windy( i find them uncomfortable always, except when its windy, cause i dont get blown around much) this probably doesnt even make sense, but im pretty drunk
    • CommentAuthorSkidMark
    • CommentTimeOct 25th 2009
     
    I think the right stem is somewhere in between the 40 or 60 you have on and 110. Maybe an 80 or a 90. You need something that has more rise, there's just way to big of a drop for riding to be comfortable, especially if you have short T-Rex arms. 2" or 3" of seat-to-bar drop is the norm.

    I'm not a doctor, but I had the problem when I first started riding road bikes (again) and from my research (google and asking in forums) that was the conclusion I came up with. It went away when I got a frame that fit me, one with a longer head tube (my frame was too small). Basically I moved my bar position up and forward.
  12.  
    Posted By: SkidMarkI think the right stem is somewhere in between the 40 or 60 you have on and 110. Maybe an 80 or a 90. You need something that has more rise, there's just way to big of a drop for riding to be comfortable, especially if you have short T-Rex arms. 2" or 3" of seat-to-bar drop is the norm.

    I'm not a doctor, but I had the problem when I first started riding road bikes (again) and from my research (google and asking in forums) that was the conclusion I came up with. It went away when I got a frame that fit me, one with a longer head tube (my frame was too small). Basically I moved my bar position up and forward.


    thanks man I'll take your advice to heart
    • CommentAuthorRuffinit
    • CommentTimeOct 26th 2009 edited
     
    Besides what the guys have already said... nice advice BTW
    You state that you're wearing full fingered gloves, which doesn't mean much.... Have you tried gel padded gloves? If you are putting more pressure when you're doing your stunts, try getting a set and wearing them when you're doing that. Not all gloves are alike, so try different ones on and focus on padding where your palms hurt.
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    It's totally the fit, dude. Your bars are really low. Too much weight on your ulnar nerves. Take it seriously.
    • CommentAuthorfixedpuch
    • CommentTimeOct 28th 2009
     
    Ya, I agree with Joshua, that shit can cause serious nerve damage in your hands leading to CP and shit. I was riding my moustache bars with an aggressive Cinelli stem and after the 2nd mile on EVERY ride my hands started to go numb. The numbness started to work its way up my arms and got miserable. I put a taller stem on and my numbness went away.

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