A pain in the a**e (and wrists)

[Lazy Fat Vegan]

Have you tried ergo grips if your bike has round ones. They make a world of difference IMO and don’t cost much.
Bar width could also be a problem for you, ask your lbs what they think.
Do you take your hands off the bars if stopped to give them a rest? Or ride one handed abd give each a wiggle in turn?

do you have gel padded mitts? Might be worth a try if you’re happy the saddle position is right. Unless the bike is simply way too big for you, a new bike probably won’t solve the issue.

presumably you’re bumping up and down onto shared use pavements and not ped only?

No, I've not changed the grips, but yes after reading advice I have started to ride one handed when I can when they start to ache and started moving my hands about on the bars a bit just for a change of position. I'm a bit surprised at how quickly the discomfort comes on tbh, but I believe I just need to make more of an effort not to put so much weight on my hands.

I think I just want a new bike and am trying to justify it to myself....just can't make my mind up between the gravel bike or a mountain bike style with front suspension. Yes the pavements I have been using are shared use

 

[DCBassman]

My 2p:
Ergo grips, as per @vickster . Do not go cheap on these, not worth it.
Gel mitts, also as per...
My flat bars are narrower than what's usually used these days.

 

[Reynard]

+1 for Ergon grips. They stop you from hanging onto the handlebars for dear life - a relaxed grip does make a big difference in the pins and needles / sore hands department.

I have the GP2 grips on both bikes with flat bars.

Ergons aren't cheap, but they're worth the money. There are several kinds to choose from, so you should find something that suits. Each type comes in small and large sizes as well.

 

[Arrowfoot]

I wish I can find the article that made so much sense by a bike fit guy. Here is the gist.

1. Saddles are seldom the issue, its asymmetrical sitting or the tendency to prefer one limb to dominate
2. If issues with saddle, knees, numbness on fingers, arms wrists, shoulders, drop the saddle to provide immediate relief. It is the pivot.
3. After dropping the seat, eliminate the unlikely causes while riding and then raise the seat in increments
4. Do not use clipless until elimination is done
5. Knee fix is the last step and you need to be in clipless if you always ride clipless

The best is to get a bike fit done. The pressure map will be helpful.

 

[boydj]

If you ride mainly on the road, then front suspension should be avoided.

 

[CXRAndy]

Its always difficult when beginning cycling. Padded seats feel nice for a little while, but invariably become sore the longer you ride.

I found that using saddles with a large central cutout, narrow front nose and correct sit bone width with a light bit of padding work well. Example Selle italia Superflow. So much so I can ride in normal clothes and not get problems from 20 mile rides. I do ride generally with proper cycle bibs.

Hand numbness can be too much pressure or lack of ride fitness. To help break in your riding, get a steerer tube extender, raise the handlebar so your hands are not using much if at all pressure to hold the bars. Also foam padded grips help immensely

With time you can if you want lower the height of handlebar as cycle fitness develops

 

[icowden]

I've never ridden with drop handlebars and think it wouldn't be wise seeing as my current hybrid makes my wrists ache and fingers go numb). I'm not confident riding on busy roads so spend a fair bit of time bumping up and down kerbs so I'm not sure either of those options would really be a good idea

I was nervous of moving to drops, but one of the nice things about them is you can change your hand position a lot. You can ride on the tops, or the hoods or the drops (I never use the drops - too nervous).

Brake position can be altered as can brake travel if you find that you are stretching a bit.
If you find your local bike shop, you should be able to take some bikes out for test rides around the local streets. Even if you don't go through with an actual sale, it can give you a good idea of which sorts of bike you find most comfortable*

*disclaimer, if you suffer from shortness of leg like me, they never have your size in the shop!

 

[richmace]

For me, a change in saddle solved my problem. I went from an extremely sore bum to comfort very quickly after switching.

I have got a saddle with a gel top, not overly expensive probably about £30 from Halfords. That cured my problem.

There is an aspect of getting used to it as well though. As with everything new, your body will need time to adapt.

Make sure you build in rest days early on to allow recovery.

I am only a commuter cyclist, not a hardcore cyclist.

 

[freiston]

When I use a flat(ish) handlebar, I tend to get wrist fatigue etc. quite quickly but not with drop bars and the reason is that I can use the part of the drop bar which runs same direction as back to front of the bike as opposed to across side to side of the bike (which is the only option on a flat bar). I just find it a lot more natural and relaxing to have my wrist in that orientation. I know that they're not currently in fashion, but bar-ends (something like these) might give you the diversity in reach and hand position to relieve some of the pain without switching to drop bars. In this context, the big difference between drop bars and straight bars (with bar ends) is the ability to get lower down at the front - which is probably, in terms of comfort, not a good idea until you've built up a lot more core strength and can support your upper body without transferring weight excessively to the saddle or the bars.

I also have to echo what others have said about reading and applying the bike-fit guide by Colin Thomson that is linked to up-thread. I also feel obliged to echo what has been said about padded saddles and suspension not being the solution. Get the saddle height and fore/aft position sorted, then sort the handlebar position. Handlebar position isn't always as cheap or easy to change as saddle position - to make big differences, a change of stem or bar is often required but bar-ends might be a quick and cheap way of achieving extra reach and positions without forsaking the existing shorter reach.

You will experience discomfort until you have built up enough core strength to support your torso - without that core strength, you will rely too much on saddle and handlebars to support your weight (plus until you lose the weight, you have more weight to support) and also, as you build that core strength, you are using muscles that haven't been used so much previously and so that will cause discomfort too. It's an unavoidable part of taking up any new exercise regime but it does get better.

 

[Lazy Fat Vegan]

When I use a flat(ish) handlebar, I tend to get wrist fatigue etc. quite quickly but not with drop bars and the reason is that I can use the part of the drop bar which runs same direction as back to front of the bike as opposed to across side to side of the bike (which is the only option on a flat bar). I just find it a lot more natural and relaxing to have my wrist in that orientation. I know that they're not currently in fashion, but bar-ends (something like these) might give you the diversity in reach and hand position to relieve some of the pain without switching to drop bars. In this context, the big difference between drop bars and straight bars (with bar ends) is the ability to get lower down at the front - which is probably, in terms of comfort, not a good idea until you've built up a lot more core strength and can support your upper body without transferring weight excessively to the saddle or the bars.

I also have to echo what others have said about reading and applying the bike-fit guide by Colin Thomson that is linked to up-thread. I also feel obliged to echo what has been said about padded saddles and suspension not being the solution. Get the saddle height and fore/aft position sorted, then sort the handlebar position. Handlebar position isn't always as cheap or easy to change as saddle position - to make big differences, a change of stem or bar is often required but bar-ends might be a quick and cheap way of achieving extra reach and positions without forsaking the existing shorter reach.

You will experience discomfort until you have built up enough core strength to support your torso - without that core strength, you will rely too much on saddle and handlebars to support your weight (plus until you lose the weight, you have more weight to support) and also, as you build that core strength, you are using muscles that haven't been used so much previously and so that will cause discomfort too. It's an unavoidable part of taking up any new exercise regime but it does get better.

Thanks, I'll try those bar ends - they might just do the trick. My saddle problem seems to have been solved by raising the saddle, fiddling with the fore and aft, and not having the tyre pressure at the maximum recommended.

 

[CharleyFarley]

I tried different saddles and finally settled for memory foam from a bike shop. I emphasize 'bike shop' because you don't want a cheap saddle that might soon become very uncomfortable. I bought a new Brooks saddle, rode it for 600 miles to break it in and it still felt like sitting on a brick, so I sold it.

I didn't like the bars on my new cruiser because they were so wide, so I changed the handlebars for narrower ones that sweep back and up because I prefer the sitting upright position. They rise upward about 4", and I also put an adjustable quill stem on the bike because the bars were too far away from me. [Cruisers tend to be longer than standard bikes.] I still get slight pins and needles but that disappears after a couple of miles.

I also ride a fat bike but the bars were too low, causing me to put much of my weight on my wrists, so I put a steerer extension on it which brings them up about 4". They are now about 2" higher than the saddle. It works well on 20 mile rides with slight pins and needles for a couple of miles. I think age has something to do with the pins and needles besides carrying a bit too much weight. I'm 75 and I don't remember ever getting pins and needles when I was young.

 

[Lovacott]

For me, a change in saddle solved my problem. I went from an extremely sore bum to comfort very quickly after switching.

I moved my saddle up about 40mm and cured my numb finger problem instantly which wasn't the intention when I moved my saddle up??

My understanding is that that you are trying to make a perfect stress free triangle between your feet, arse and hands when you set up the saddle and handlebars. You are trying to share the load evenly so that no one point takes all of the strain.

I do my adjustments using the "suck it and see" method which simply means I do random adjustments here and there to see how they work out.

As a basic rule of thumb though, you need your saddle set high enough so that your flat feet are a good nine inches above the ground and you can only touch the floor with your tippy toes.

Reach to the handlebars is also very important, but saddle height is the big deal.