Completed first 50+ miler today........

[DDYB]

...... And I have 3 questions, would be gratefull if anyone could answer any of them.

1. When does the bleeding stop?

2. Joking aside, I suffered quite a bit with pain from my wrists all the way up to my elbows. By about 35-40 miles I was having to change my hand position every minute or so because it was so uncomfortable, is this common? My @rse was pretty sore but I was expecting that however the pain in my arms was kinda unexpected.

3. Also, my right hand seems very weak - I struggled to start my car tonight because I couldn't grip the key properly. I'm assuming this is because I obviously use my right hand to change gear more than the left and the muscles are just fatigued?

Thanks in advance.

 

[MadoneRider1991]

maybe try some different gloves or changes your bar position

oh well done btw

 

[Tynan]

longer time in the saddle tests the fit of the bike, work on the various settings of the adjustable

that or you just aren;t used to riding that long

 

[jig-sore]

yeah, seems you have too much weight on your arms. possibly need to re-set your position.

all these extra pains seem to show themselves when you push your mileage, when i did my first 50 the other month my bum was hurting

i think it actually took me around six months to get my bike really comfy, with little adjustments happening all the time till i got it just right

 

[ACS]

Congratulations on the 50 only a short step to 100km

Sore anything is normally down to positioning. Saddle to far back? Handle bar height need adjustment? Truth told I do not have sufficient experience to provide any substantive advice but I do know that someone will be along soon who can.

 

[therams]

I did my first 50+ mile ride the weekend before last and I suffered in the last 20 miles with a sore right shoulder. The same as you moving hands every 30 seconds to stop the pain .

Since then I have been tweaking the seat and bar position, testing the results on my commute.

I have ended up with the seat about 5cm forward, 1 cm higher and have flipped the stem so the bars are also higher. 40+ miles today and no problems. (not suggesting these will work for you , but there is lots you can change)

I guess this means the bike may not be a perfect fit, but there are adjustments you can make. Its my first road bike, so did not really know what to look for, next time I will be more clued up.

Just a little at a time and you will get there.

 

[DDYB]

Thanks for the replies, it certainly feels like I am putting too much weight on my arms........... Although this may be because I am overweight!

I think my stem is too long so I'll have to get a shorter stem next week then play around with the various seat/bar settings.

 

[yello]

Well done on the ride!

It does sound like you've got a set-up issue. You shouldn't really be taking much/any weight in your hands, wrists or arms. You hands should ideally just sit on the bars. A bit of core strength helps too but I'd recommend you getting someone knowledgeable (club/LBS) to have a look at how you're sitting on the bike.

Moving the saddle forward can make you more upright and take the weight off the wrists but it's difficult to suggest that without seeing how you're sitting first. It might also introduce another problem!

If you're feeling confident, you can have a play (remembering how things were!) - after all, you know better than anyone else how your sitting and how it feels.

 

[Helly79]

congratulation on doing your 50 I did my first 50 last week and I had the same problem with my wrists, my finger tips went all numb and also my feet too. I think its because my position of my handle bars needed to be higher as all my weight were on my wrists rather that being spread out evenly between my bum and wrists.

 

[firemansimon]

Nice one on your 50 miler, try a good quality bib shorts or just shorts, I wear cycling tights and bib as they both have padded bits in makes the ride much better also never skrimp on the seat also helps having a good quality one, another tip make sure you have plenty of liquid with you and gel and high carb food, gives you the boost your body needs, as you burn on average 500-600 cals per hour.

I think thats it, but of course this is just the stuff that works for me!!

Simon