Pain from biking | TITLE CHANGE DUE TO LUDES

[Fausto]

Gloves will definitely help. You may want to switch to a shorter stem or at least raise the one you have now a bit (they have a "max height" marker on them....don't go past that). If you're having to reach too far forward and down, you put a lot of weight on your hands.

Other than that, try to vary your hand positions whenever you don't need to be on the brake hoods.

EDIT-- hmm...looks like you have the stem pretty high already. Try gloves first and then a shorter stem.

EDIT2- how are you holding the brake hoods when out of the saddle? Try hooking your index finger in front of the lever and your middle and ring fingers under the hood. I find this to be much more comfy out of the saddle than having index and middle hooked under the hood. Just a thought.

 

[KaBudokan]

Definitely get a good pair of gloves. Try a few different ones on and see how they feel. More expensive doesn't necessarily mean they will work better for you. The last time I bought new gloves I bought a pair of fairly pricy Pearl Izumi and ended up not using them, because there was a seam on them (right in the crotch of my thumb/hand) that hurt when I would ride on the brake hoods like you are talking about. (Those are the brake hoods, not the grips. 😉 ) I picked up a decent pair of Performance brand gloves that I have been using, and they're great.

The other thing I would do is take your bike to a shop and ask them to help you set it up right. That may mean just adjusting the seat position, etc., or you may need to purchase a new stem. What I am thinking is that the stem is too long, so your reach is too long, and when you are riding the hoods you have too much weight and pressure on your hands.

Also when you are riding, keep your elbows bent slightly, rather than locked. That will help with shock absorption.

Good luck.

Edit: LOL fausto - you're quicker than me. I got interrupted by a phone call in the middle of this post. 🙂