Too stretched?

"Paul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

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I been riding for around 18 months including a number of 40 mile+ rides. Recently I've begun
getting a slight tingling in my fingers and sometimes

a

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slight ache in the heel of my palms, it has been suggested that perhaps

my

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riding position is a bit too stretched.

In ride a 22" framed comfort mountain bike - mostly on road with some

light

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off road and tracks/trails. I'm 6' tall with a 34" inseam and was measured up for the bike before
buying. I have a fairly upright riding position, probably around 70 degrees to parallel (not a
ninety degree sit up and

beg)

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with weight spread over the saddle and bars. Although my position is

fairly

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open I have a slight bend in my elbows and my shoulder come mid-way

between

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the saddle and bars (not directly over the bars as I've seen some MTBers

in

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photos).

The current position feel comfortable and I get no knee or back trouble

and

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I've been checked out by a guy at the LBS who I trust who seems to feel

that

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the position looks ok.

Does there sound a problem with my position or have I worried too much

about

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the suggestion of too stretched a position? There's plenty of advice on

bike

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fit on the internet but there seems to be lots of slightly differant

views.

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If I do need the position shortened any do I need a shorter stem or could

I

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get by with just rolling the riser bars back slightly?

Potential strain injury is always a fun one. IANAD (I am not a doctor) but:

1) Consider wearing gloves if you aren't already. This can reduce trail buzz, which might be part of
your problem.

2) 22" is a big bike for somone your size. I am the same size as you (6'1/34"😉 and ride an 18" bike
with a long seatpost. This is partially personal preference but the fact that you have a problem
is indicitive.

3) Consider changing the grips. I have found in the past that some grips put undue pressure on parts
of your hands, which can make riding uncomfortable.

4) Try moving your saddle forward on its mount, or replacing the stem for a shorter one, or as you
said try moving the bars back a little.

The bottom line is that since you have a problem, the best thing you can do is to try things and
see what works for you. This sort of thing is very personal and what works for one might not work
for another.

Hope this helps 🙂

John

Paul said:

I been riding for around 18 months including a number of 40 mile+ rides. Recently I've begun
getting a slight tingling in my fingers and sometimes a slight ache in the heel of my palms, it
has been suggested that perhaps my riding position is a bit too stretched.

My wrists used to become numb when riding my mountain bike (20" or 21" frame, IIRC). I'm 6'4" and
have had CTS (and associated surgery). I tried gloves and moving the seat forward and back with
no result.

On a suggestion from this group, I got new bars with a 2" rise in them (replacing a flat-bar) and
the problem was completely solved. I later added bar-ends to give me a wider variety of hand
positions.

Apparently the weight on my wrists from having to lean too far over caused the numbness.

Sam

Quoted message said:

Recently I've begun getting a slight tingling in my fingers and sometimes a slight ache in the heel
of my palms, it has been suggested that perhaps my riding position is a bit too stretched.

As with another post, I think carpal tunnel may be at play. An NCS (nerve conduction study) can ID
CTS in 30 minutes.

Doug

Thanks for the thoughts John. 22" does sound big for a mountain bike I know but the 'Comfort'
Mountain bike label makes it more of a hybrid (albeit with 26" wheels) than a true mountain bike. It
has more road orientated gearings (48,38,28 rings) and was sized more as a hybrid as I do most
riding on-road. It's also a general purpose workhorse, luggage carrier and shopper.

There's a good 3"-4" or standover clearance and apart from the hands the fit feels comfortable on
long rides so I hope it's not too big. A shorter stem or twisting the bars back may help but it
feels that doing this might push the ride position more upright than I'd like.

One thing I did forget to mention is that is an aluminium frame with a rigid fork so a fair amount
of buzz does make it through the bars and I've recently changed tyres from 1.95s to 1.75s (running
at a tad higher pressure) which has made this a bit more noticable.

The chap at the LBS has suggested that before changing bars/stems etc. I might like to try a pair of
Specialized Body Geomatery Grips and since my current grips and getting a bit rough I have a pair on
order to try.

Thanks again for taking the time to give me some advice. Kind Regards, Paul.

In article said:

2) 22" is a big bike for somone your size. I am the same size as you (6'1/34"😉 and ride an 18" bike
with a long seatpost. This is partially personal preference but the fact that you have a problem
is indicitive.

I'm exactly the same size as the OP and my MTB is a 19.5". 22" would be kind of large for me.

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3) Consider changing the grips. I have found in the past that some grips put undue pressure on
parts of your hands, which can make riding uncomfortable.

40 miles in the same hand position is tiring. Get a set of bar extensions.

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4) Try moving your saddle forward on its mount

Set saddle position for best pedalling, then use a different stem to get the reach right.

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The bottom line is that since you have a problem, the best thing you can do is to try things and
see what works for you. This sort of thing is very personal and what works for one might not work
for another.

Yep. Also try some gel gloves. I like Pearl Izumi but there's lots of makes. And move your hands
around frequently.

Eric