Any advice for pain in hands and thumbs?

Tig · Nova Slayer Joined: 09 May 2010 Karma :

Specifically how to prevent it not treat it once it's already there?

I'm fine while I'm out riding as I don't ride every day. But later that day, overnight and the next day my thumbs and hands are really painful and I can't grip, hold or lift things properly so it affects my day to day life.

I'm also worried that as pain in the short term is the body's way of telling you not to do something, is riding the bike likely to cause excessive wear on the joints in my hands, leading to osteoarthritis - deformed and crippled hands are not a price I want to pay for riding my bike Sad

Is there anything I can do in terms of adjusting the bike or my riding style/grip etc - any advice would be very much appreciated, thanks in advance. Thumbs Up

cheers, Tig
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Wafer_Thin_Ham · Super Spammer Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Karma :

Are you gripping the bars too tightly?

Does it go away when you don't ride, or could it be caused by another activity?
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Tig · Nova Slayer Joined: 09 May 2010 Karma :

Am dliberately trying to keep my hands relaxed on the bars, and on the days I'm not riding they get better so it's deffo riding the bike that's doing it. Crying or Very sad

It's only got bad since i swapped to the zzr too but having said that I didn't ride the vara very much or very far before I swapped!
Laughing

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Wafer_Thin_Ham · Super Spammer Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Karma :

Try moving around the levers?

Adjusting the bars etc.
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ajbsmirnoff · World Chat Champion Joined: 09 Dec 2009 Karma :

Could it be the amount of weight your putting on your arms leaning forward ?

Teflon-Mike · tl;dr Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :

Hmmm......
Well I think you are probably conciouse of SOMTHEING not being right, and thats why you are conciousely trying not to grip tto tight.
and that might ACTUALLY be agrevating the problem.
But, it'll be in finding your 'seat', that the problem lies.
Get in a car, and you automatically pull the seat foreward or back to suit, tilt the back to the right angle, adjust the mirrors etc etc.
Get on a bike, and you tend to just ride it........
BUT there is adjustability in there, though not always not easy to find or obtain.
ZZR if I'm right in thinking has clip-on bars, that arn't 'keyed' to the yoke.
Have you tried slackening the clamps off and twisting them to a different angle or height?
Main one, though is getting the lever possition right.
Think you have span adjustors on teh levers themselves, but most dont find a big difference in that... but the one they dont change is again, slack the clamps off and twist them round so that the levers fall to hand nicely.
Starting point is to sit the bike, arms out, in teh 'rest' possition, hands on the bars, thumbs under, fiungers over the top of the lever.
lever should fall in line with your fore-arm, so its JUST below a straight hand, and falls, into the curl of a relaxed palm....
nip them up, adjust span, try, adjust to suit from there.
AMAZING how many people ride with the levers too high or too low for them, becouse they never thing to adjust them.
Thats the 'easy' stuff.
weight on your fore-arms is effected by the lean from the seat.
Adjusting where you plonk your bum on the saddle can make a difference, but after that, its down to adding or removing seat foam or messing about with teh foot-pegs, and getting into the sort of customisation where you try different handle-bars, riders and all that kind of stuff.
Worth doing rather than giving up bikes though.
Probably find more sit-up bike like bandit or fazer easier on the wrists too.
But try the basics, move your bum, adjust the levers, try different bar angles.
OH! with clip-ons, worth a thought, often they get fitted at different angles..... very slightly, but enough for you to 'feel' and put a strain on your wrists.
Last thought, GLOVES... you dont have gloves with a particularly tight wrist band do you? Or velcro tabs you tighten up a lot, for support?
If so, try a different pair, or not doing them up so tight...
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Tig · Nova Slayer Joined: 09 May 2010 Karma :

lozzypop1 · Certified MILF! Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Karma :

iooi · Super Spammer Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Karma :

Looking at your list of bikes, they have all been pretty upright sitting positions.
Now with the ZZR its all weight on your wrists/hands.

I found the same with my zzr. Ended up getting rid as I did not like the riding position.
Solved the problem for me.

Time might make things easier as you build up strength in the area needed. But if its affecting you after the ride, it maybe as you say a warning. Perhaps a trip to the doc's will put you mind at rest Thumbs Up

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garcia · L Plate Warrior Joined: 14 Jul 2010 Karma :

last year, I was also facing the same problem. When ever I went for a ride, my finger joints started paining. I went to doctor, he gave me dozens of tablets, but of no use, then I went to get my bike checked, and you know what, the problem was with the brakes of the bike. Mechanic slightly greased them, and now I am fine. but really that pain was terrible . now I am ok Very Happy

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lehua125 · L Plate Warrior Joined: 12 Jul 2010 Karma :

Am dliberately trying to keep my hands relaxed on the bars, and on the days I'm not riding they get better so it's deffo riding the bike that's doing it.

It's only got bad since i swapped to the zzr too but having said that I didn't ride the vara very much or very far before I swapped!
last year, I was also facing the same problem. When ever I went for a ride, my finger joints started paining. I went to doctor, he gave me dozens of tablets, but of no use, then I went to get my bike checked, and you know what, the problem was with the brakes of the bike. Mechanic slightly greased them, and now I am fine. but really that pain was terrible . now I am ok
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The Shaggy D.A. · Super Spammer Joined: 12 Sep 2008 Karma :

You might want to try different thickness gloves; my hands cramp with summer gloves on, whilst my winter ones are far more comfortable with the extra padding giving me a larger grip diameter.
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Tig · Nova Slayer Joined: 09 May 2010 Karma :

WD Forte · World Chat Champion Joined: 17 Jun 2010 Karma :

Ditto the riding position comment
I like the sit up and beg riding position
leaning over the tank would cripple me nowadays
and I can only ride my lads bike for short distances.
I know a lot guys who moved on from the sportier type bikes
because of hand/wrist pain due to riding position

the further back your butt is the more of the weight from your
upper body is on the wrists and hands so some adjustments
and cosying uo to the tank more may help.
Angling the levers downwards may take some pressure off as well
Fatter/softer grips can help too

failing that get some werthers orginals, bead seat covers and
ride a sensible bike while you tut tut at them young hooligans
like the rest of us old farts
Laughing

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