# Managing wrist tendonitis while cycling?



## myersv (May 28, 2012)

I'm a casual cyclist that rides in regular paved streets. I usually ride during the weekend, about 30-40 miles. I have a regular road bike with a riser bar.

Two months ago the top part of my wrist began to hurt, specially when I moved my hand up & down. A doctor told me I had tendonitis and the pain during movement is due to the inflamed tendon passing under some tendons, as seen in the image below.

So I rested these two months and the pain was gone. I rode last week and the following day I started feeling the same pain, which means the bike's definitely the issue.

What can I do to? I can either change the handlebar or somehow inmobilize my wrist so that it doesn't move around.

What do you guys suggest? The bike already has good rubber grips, and I'm already using good gloves. Not riding _is not _an option.

Thanks.


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## jeffj (Jan 13, 2004)

I would like to see a pic of your handlebar and controls from the side, and another from behind the handlebar if you can furnish that. It is possible that the way your controls are positioned may be contributing to your wrist pain.


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## eb1888 (Jan 27, 2012)

Bars with more sweep could be an option.


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## Guest (Jan 24, 2017)

jeffj said:


> I would like to see a pic of your handlebar and controls from the side, and another from behind the handlebar if you can furnish that. It is possible that the way your controls are positioned may be contributing to your wrist pain.


 I think Jeff is on the right track. Very possible your controls are rotated too close to vertical. Can you have some one take a pic of your hands on the bars/controls in the riding position?


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## FJSnoozer (Mar 3, 2015)

The bike is probably not the issue, You are probably the issue. Let me explain.

This all starts with bike fit and seating position. You probably have terrible hand position and dont know it. You are also probably leaning in on the bars and putting even more weight on those wrists. sometimes if your brakes are angled too flat and you ride with your index fingers on the brake, this can cause additional bend in your wrist and this issue as well.

First try modulating your wrist position to keep your carpels flat relative to your arm.

If this is hard to achieve, try rotating your bar 1.5-2 degrees so that your grips sing up. If you have a flat bar, try a bar with more upward sweep and even adjusting your stack higher under the stem if possible.

All this should be done after your seat is set in the proper position. 

If your seat is set in the proper position and you are able to unweight your bar, your reach may be too far for your current condition and you may need to try a shorter stem. 

If you have a Belly, this far reach can add to the issue of you getting stretched out and extra weight pulling you into your wrists.


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## myersv (May 28, 2012)

Would a dropbar help? I'm essentially looking for something that will force me to keep my wrist straight.

With the straight handle bar, I know that eventually my wrist will not be straight.

Im essentially trying to avoid that wrist angle:


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## FJSnoozer (Mar 3, 2015)

That picture shows a terrible position and setup, especially those brakes. 
A road drop bar would give you multiple hand positions. I personally develop lots of pressure on drop bars and run a low rise. 

It is AMAZING what losining the stem faceplace and rotating the bar can do. If you dont have anyone to look at you when on the bike that knows enough, focus on a position that does not cause skin to fold on the top of your wrist.

Also, I forgot to mention that It may be worth it to try TOGS in addition for these longer rides. I just was given a pair for christmas and have no installed them, but there are riders in the racing forum who are running them. 

How heavy are you and much weight do you have on your torso? lowering your bar is going to just shift your weigh forward onto the bars more and make your wrist pain worse if you are not good at keeping your wrists level. 

Try moving the grip lower in the palm of your hand (closer to your wrist) when you place it on the grip.


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## Guest (Jan 24, 2017)

I would think you could "force" your wrists straight by using a properly adjusted ergon grip (the palm plate can be turned upward) and adjusting your controls to match the angle of your arms. If you think about the angle your arms form (to horizontal) as they meet the bars, typically you're at a 45 deg (+/-10 deg) angle. If your controls are less steep than that (even by 5 degrees) you're setting yourself up for failure. Properly adjusted drops can help too, but again, they have to be adjusted properly and it's a pricy conversion depending on what derailleurs and brakes you're using now. I would try someone else's bike first and decide from there. The Woodchippers on the Fargo will (depending on your height and arm length) turn your wrists outward on the hoods (not an issue on the drops).


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## 12:00 RIDER (Apr 2, 2016)

Cortisone shots work for me, I get a ganglion cyst that keeps coming back but I wont let doc operate, I've seen too many "oops" situations. I have a jones bar which helps, but years of football and olympic lifting, now riding and lifting has just added up. Good Luck!


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## jimbowho (Dec 16, 2009)

Lots of good advice here. I consider myself the master of the cockpit. The advice to have your bike setup well is very important. One of my favorite Trails is 3 miles from the house and I move my hands around a lot on that road section.

Some more tidbits to ponder is bar selection. Check out ( alternative handlebar Roundup) I tried on one Mary bars, on One fleegle bars, the Holy Grail bars for me ended up coming from Carver bikes. They are the miti carbon. Wide with 20% sweep. I have Carpel-tendon-old-syndrome. 

Bar ends were another go to option but I can't use them with my carbon bars. I hope this info can be of use.


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## jeffj (Jan 13, 2004)

The pic illustrates one aspect of what I am hoping is not happening. The controls should be rotated on that bike closer to a 45° angle rather than the 90°+/- that is shown.

Straight bars (as in little to no backsweep) are what I call 'wrist wreckers', especially so as they get wider. For me, 8° or 9° of backsweep is about all I can deal with. Any less, and my wrists protest. 

As for ergonomic grips, I keep 'blob' angled down just slightly even though my brake levers are turned down further than 45° on the other side of the bar. I also move my controls inward enough that I don't have to put my thumb in an uncomfortable position to downshift with a trigger shifter.


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## myersv (May 28, 2012)

12:00 RIDER said:


> Cortisone shots work for me, I get a ganglion cyst that keeps coming back but I wont let doc operate, I've seen too many "oops" situations. I have a jones bar which helps, but years of football and olympic lifting, now riding and lifting has just added up. Good Luck!


Mine's not a ganglion cyst, but it's in exactly the same spot. I had a cortisone shot about two months ago and the pain was gone, but then I started cycling again and the issue came up. It makes sense, since the constant straightening & bending of the wrist will force the tendonitis to rub against the extensor. No matter how strong it is, this will exarbecate the tendonitis.


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## myersv (May 28, 2012)

Are you guys saying that my wrists are at that angle because I have to move my hands to brake/change gears?

I was under the impression that I did that naturally when I got tired or wanted to feel more comfortable.

In any case, here's a pic I took the other day of the bike:


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## terrasmak (Jun 14, 2011)

myersv said:


> Mine's not a ganglion cyst, but it's in exactly the same spot. I had a cortisone shot about two months ago and the pain was gone, but then I started cycling again and the issue came up. It makes sense, since the constant straightening & bending of the wrist will force the tendonitis to rub against the extensor. No matter how strong it is, this will exarbecate the tendonitis.


Get the bars and controls situated and you will be better. Learning to not ride with a death grip and ride with the elbows up will help.


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## noapathy (Jun 24, 2008)

myersv said:


> Are you guys saying that my wrists are at that angle because I have to move my hands to brake/change gears?
> 
> I was under the impression that I did that naturally when I got tired or wanted to feel more comfortable.


Your wrists should be in a straight line with your arms. If you're "relaxing" and putting your body weight on your hands it's not gonna matter if you have the perfect setup. Wrists are still gonna hurt. Your weight should be primarily on the pedals and the saddle when seated and only the amount of weight necessary to control the bike on the hands.

Your brake position looks at least OK to me in that image.


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## FJSnoozer (Mar 3, 2015)

Either your picture is at a super strange angle, or your bar is pretty jacked. The right brake looks tilted up more than the left.

Start with loosening the stem and rotating the bar so the brakes point more towards the ground. Also straighten out those brakes.

What we are saying is that most people ride trail with an index finger out on the lever while trail riding. When the brake is swept up too much, this forces you to put your hand at an angle which bends the wrist backward.

sit on th ebike in your normal position and look whether your hand is bent causing the skin to fold on the back of your hand, also see what angles it puts the side of your wrist.

Width of the bar will affect the sweep that is specific to your frame size.

I have swapped bars before a race and put them at exactly the same position (same brand and same bar, one carbon one aluminum). I really paid for it in the race with complete hand numbness. Turns out the printed labels were off by almost 2 MM.

Check out these hand models...

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n3otIcie2...Dk4/10UDTYrFj3o/s1600/2013-02-03+09.40.06.png

Ergons are a fix for people who struggle to control their hand position properly. I hate them for trail riding. They may work for you, especially the ones with the bar ends.
Try placing the grip in the top of the red area pictured here.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n3otIcie2...Dk4/10UDTYrFj3o/s1600/2013-02-03+09.40.06.png


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## alexbn921 (Mar 31, 2009)

Products ? ERGON BIKE
Best grips ever for wrist problems I love the GS2 with the bar ends. The grips change your hand position and mimic a bar with more sweep. They also support you whole hand while giving you different positions to move too. For really aggressive riding you want about an 8 deg sweep, but climbing and relaxed riding you want closer to 20 deg sweep.
They run big so get the small ones unless you have huge hands. I wear and L/XL glove and run smalls.


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

If you are completely shooting in the dark on cockpit setup, just loosen everything up so that you can move it around. First, assuming your stem is nearly at the correct height, rotate your bar to the most comfortable position for your hands. Next, locate your brake levers so that you do not have to move your hand to use them. You might even be able to adjust the reach and throw of the lever. Last, position your shifters. Admittedly, mine are a little off from "perfect" due to contact with the brake lever, but it is a very tiny compromise so it is not an ergonomic problem.

Changing hand positions helps me a lot, even though I only have straight bars. I just lean on different parts of the bars with different parts of my hands when I am in a static position for too long.

If that doesn't help, your bike may be too big or something, causing you to reach too far.

-F


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## TwoTone (Jul 5, 2011)

As stated the picture you posted was horrible hand position.

Here is a picture of my controls ( sorry, MTBR keeps rotating it no matter what I try). I can comfortably keep one finger on the brake while maintaining a straight line from my arm through my wrist. Try rotating your controls so that your wrist in more of a straight line with your arm. That is a start.

I also use what's referred to as alt bars.

I have a Answer Protaper 720 Enduro 20/20 bar. The larger backsweep helps. Niner used to have a similar bar.


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## Guest (Jan 25, 2017)

Fleas said:


> If you are completely shooting in the dark on cockpit setup, just loosen everything up so that you can move it around. First, assuming your stem is nearly at the correct height, rotate your bar to the most comfortable position for your hands. Next, locate your brake levers so that you do not have to move your hand to use them. You might even be able to adjust the reach and throw of the lever. Last, position your shifters. Admittedly, mine are a little off from "perfect" due to contact with the brake lever, but it is a very tiny compromise so it is not an ergonomic problem.
> 
> Changing hand positions helps me a lot, even though I only have straight bars. I just lean on different parts of the bars with different parts of my hands when I am in a static position for too long.
> 
> ...


 Start here. Get the bar position where your wrists are as neutral as possible, then adjust everything else (generally brakes, then shifters). I would also get a photo from the side. If you body is leaning more than 45 degrees forward, you're reaching too far.


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

Forster said:


> Start here. Get the bar position where your wrists are as neutral as possible, then adjust everything else (generally brakes, then shifters). I would also get a photo from the side. If you body is leaning more than 45 degrees forward, you're reaching too far.


I think a rule of thumb is that your arms should be 90 deg. to your body at most. If your arms are past 90* then your reach is too far. I did this once due to swapping a seatpost with extra layback and it resulted in huge fatigue on my lats and shoulders.

-F


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## Guest (Jan 28, 2017)

Fleas said:


> I think a rule of thumb is that your arms should be 90 deg. to your body at most. If your arms are past 90* then your reach is too far. I did this once due to swapping a seatpost with extra layback and it resulted in huge fatigue on my lats and shoulders.
> 
> -F


 Sure, arms 90 degrees from your body but 45 degrees from vertical. I think we're talking about the same thing in different terms.


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## Guest (Jan 28, 2017)

myersv said:


> Are you guys saying that my wrists are at that angle because I have to move my hands to brake/change gears?
> 
> I was under the impression that I did that naturally when I got tired or wanted to feel more comfortable.
> 
> ...


 The thing is, when you're bending your wrists upward to grab the controls you're extending your wrist while they're bearing a load. Then when you brake, you're putting even more stress on your wrist. I think generally you want your wrist straight and flat as you're looking down your arm. That requires a bar that is upswept and rear swept with the controls in line with that same axis. I'd recommend (after some time off) following rides with anti-inflammatory med and ice to keep things under control once you're healed up. Just a thought.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

I've got a couple of different stories about wrist pain. 
Mine: I broke my right forearm 23 years ago. It was a bad break and required plates on both bones and the outermost bone is slightly twisted, so my wrist is a little funky. It would hurt a little after long bike rides but not so much that it was a problem... Until, 
A few years ago, I started riding a rigid fat bike and even though I run the front tire pretty soft, my wrist was killing me after rides. The cure ended up being Jones Loop Bars. I can ride all day and no pain at all. 
My friend's wife bought a bike that I built for my son and he outgrew. It was a 15" Specialized Maya hardtail. She's 5"3 or 4". When my son rode the bike, I had it set up with a 60mm stem and wide (like 730mm Raceface riser bars). Also, a zero setback Raceface seatpost. My son was comfortable with that setup. 
When they bought the bike from us, I showed up with the original setback post that came with the bike and an assortment of handlebars and stems. We ended up swapping to the setback post and I felt we needed to install an 80mm stem and narrow the bars to like 680mm. She insisted she liked the bars wide and a 100mm stem. Her riding position looked ok but the bars looked wide. 
A few months later, she called complaining that her wrists hurt. I had recently discovered Salsa Bend Bars so I brought a set of them and some Ergon grips. The Salsa bars were 710mm. I took 10mm off each end and set everything up. So far, no phone calls but I don't know how much riding she may have been doing in December and January. She did say the bike felt much better that day.


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## yotaman (Sep 29, 2013)

Hi all, don't mean to hijack this thread but I also suffer from a mild case of carpal tunnel. My big issue when riding is that my hands are bent inboard when I hold the grip. I have shortened my stem to 70 from 90mm. My bars are 620mm with a 15mm rise. I do not know what the sweep but it isn't much. This is for a flatbar road bike. Would longer bars with a generous sweep help me?


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