Carpel Tunnel?

OK - after riding for a few days, I'm getting numb wristed, particularly on my right. I used to get this mountain bicycle riding, and chocked it up to straight bars, and lotsa weight on the wrist (given the ride position of a mountain bicycle). I haven't had the $$ to get any motorcycling gloves yet, but I have been using my old mountain biking gloves with the gel palms - and it doesn't seem to help much. I never got any relief from this when I mountain biked either, and just lived with it - however there were no cars trying to kill me back then LOL.

Am I riding in a bad postion? (I know I'm still kinda stiff as I'm still half scared of what the hell I'm doing)

Maybe I need gel grips with the gloves?

Maybe my handlebars need adjusted up/down?

Something else?

Anyone with any similar experience please let me know what you did to help with the limp wrist.

 

Best I can tell it's all about position and the bloodflow to your hands. After riding my 750 for a solid 1/2 hour or more I find my right hand getting fairly tingly.

When I'm crusing around 55mph+ I usually crouch down behind the little windshield and peak over the top. My arms are at a 120 degree angle and my wrist usually sits a few degree tilt to that.

I don't know that any gloves would aleiviate bloodflow like that. When my hands get tingly, I sit up for a while to let the blood flow back.

 

I'm sitting up (as best as I can tell). Then again, Dad always hollared at me to "sit up straight" - so maybe I do slump and decrease bloodflow.

Wonder if the wife would let me ride it into the bedroom so I can check my look in the full length mirror? :lol:

I saw gel gloves - Olympian I think - maybe I'll try those - I'm sure the gel in the old mountain biking gloves is too old to make a difference.

 

Okay - I'm up to my fourth week back on two wheels (minus a week at the stealership) and I can honestly say that my death grip is starting to loosen again. The first commute my fingertips tingled by the time I reached the office. Today felt pretty great!

You may want to give it a few weeks before you declare it a real problem. Of course you may want to see the doctor to be on the safe side...

 

Doctor? Never! LOL - I've never met one I liked.

I'll give it some time, and try to loosen my deathgrip as well. Won't have $$ for gloves or grips for at least another week anyways. Isn't there a phrase about "you'll have to pry my cold dead fingers from the handlebars"? :lol:

 

You know - I dropped $6 on a pair of leather cycle gloves with padded palms when I got my helmet. That actually made my tingle worse from having to grab around the pad to get the bar. Now that they are broken in I can't imagine riding without them!

 

I think alot of people grab straight onto the throttle then start to crank closckwise.I tend to twist my wrist a bit then as i give her gas the back of my hand becomes even to my arm.So it is all flat.Meaning no wrist(hand) on a upwards or downwards angle.

 

I'll try the reverse twist as well.

I would say it's all just old age - but as we all know, it's not the age, but the mileage that counts ... Guess I just have high mileage - my wife surely would agree! :lol:

 

I tried holding the throttle differently, etc. but nothing worked until I happened to see an ad for the Throttle Rocker. No, I don't work for them but will gladly give them some free advertising. This little piece of molded plastic attaches to the throttle so you can rest the heel of your hand on it, enabling you to twist the throttle without gripping it very much at all. After over 30 years of motorcycling I sure didn't want to give it up now, and this little $10 piece of plastic has really made a difference! Throttle Rocker, PO

I would add one more possibility --- check the angle of the handlebars and your wrists. In most cases, it almost feels like your wrist is "cocked." Some individuals get into a repetitive motion syndrome or aggravate carpal tunnel syndrome (that they may not have known they have). If changing out the handlebars isn't an option, there are wrist flexibility and strengthening exercises that will alleviate most of the problem.

Stolen and edited from another site

 

the motorcycle safety foundation says the way I grip my throttle is not correct.Seems that way gives you to much throttle.O well better to much throttle then having to crawl my fingers arond a grip.http://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/Motorc ... Manual.pdf see page 10

 

beanflicker_98

What can we do to get a link to that document posted sticky somewhere!?!

I had no idea such a doucment existed - I hadn't started my search for a local MSF class yet (selling my house).

What a great link - that should be highlighted somewhere...

 

You guys should check out pictures of Nicky Hayden racing. It is amazing that he can have the bike leaned way out, and his hand looks like it is just resting on the grip. Literally, in some of the pictures, his hand is open and just sitting on the grip.

I have really focused on loosening my grip the past month, and WOW, what a difference.

My throttle control is much smoother. I am way more relaxed. My hands never get tingly now. I feel more like my body is driving the motorcycle, which I think is a good thing. I am not pushing on the handlebars when braking as much. I am not "holding on" during acceleration.

I think all of these things are good for riding!

 

I'm with you richard03 - just the past fwe weeks I have felt better on the bike. Less panic at a wind gust - just use my gut and legs more to lean into it. A month ago it felt like I was hanging off the thing!

 

relaxing sure does help a lot. I remember during my msf course, i was sore as heck while riding on the range for about 2 hours. The instructor told me that i was too "stiff." He said he can could tell by how my arms were; the elbows were sticking out to the sides and my shoulders were very hunched up. He told me to loosen up and relax my shoulders. So in my next run i let my shoulders down, loosened up my arms with elbows pointing downwards. The next time i got out on the range, it was a lot more comfortable and i wasn't as sore. SO i guess relaxing the arms might alleviate your wrist problem.

 

OK ... the cure is really simple! Get yourself one of these ... and modify it!

http://store.azmusa.com/nepcruiscon.html

Ditch the little Allen set screw and tool. Put a stainless steel Cap Screw in the drag adjustment. Treat the threads of the Cap Screw with a smear of NeverSeize so you'll be able to make fine adjustments "On-the-go."

Set the drag so precisely ... that it will negate the pull of the return spring; but still allow you to have COMPLETE control of the throttle grip. Your wrist won't be fighting the return spring and you can RELAX your grip on the throttle. Best 20-Bucks you'll EVER spend.

One of these ... anti-vibe gloves and stuffing the end of your handlebars with some plumbers bathtub caulk with a shit-load of bird-shot mixed-in ... will put an abrupt end to that "Carpel Tunnel feeling -- Grip fatigue" once and for all!

 

I think just relaxing on the grip a bit and allowing free motion without bindind your wrist or putting it at a strange angle would help. Everyones grip is going to be different as to what is comfortable to them, but how hard you actually grip is what can cause discomfort. I notice that most new riders grip it like it's gold and won't let go for nothing, I know I did. Now I have been riding for a few years and my grip has loosened greatly, needless to say I am much more comfortable and my hand doesn't start to tingle at all. So I don't know if it is the angle or actuallt how hard you are squeezing the grip, try relaxing a little and not squeezing so hard, Nerves will eventually settle as you get more comfortable on your rides and the tingle should go away. Just imagine your grip as something small that you can't squeeze to tightly or you'll kill it and use that to set your grip strength, see if this helps you out.

 

After about 45min on any bike(2 seperate ones in the last year) my wrist feels a bit buzzy. I work on computers in a call center all day, and have carpel tunnel like problems. Best solution I've found is gloves with gel in the palm, and lower my elbows, and force my shoulders to be looser. It doesn't help 100%, but makes the pain managable.

If your grip style change doesn't help, perhaps you have a tire that is unbalanced, or some excessive vibration from someplace on the bike.