| Cycle Touring Health & Medical Issue |
| Cycle Touring Health | Hand & Arm Pain |
One of the most common complaints by touring
cyclists is hand / arm pain and numbness.
Possible Causes
Some things you can do:
cyclists is hand / arm pain and numbness.
Possible Causes
- Seat position higher than handlebars
causing increased pressure on hands.
- Seat tilted forward so that the rider slides
forward putting extra pressure on the hands.
- Riding with straight arms.
- Not enough padding in gloves.
- Not enough padding on handlebars.
- Riding with hands in the same position all
day.
Some things you can do:
- Wrap the handlebars with an extra layer of
cork tape or pipe insulation. Fatter bars
spread pressure over more of the hand
surface.
- Wear well padded gloves.
- Move hands around the bar to different
positions. Count pedal rotations and move
hands every hundred or so.
- If the seat is tilted forward or adjusted too
high, change it.
- Be conscious of riding position. Make sure
your elbows are bent to absorb shock.
- Take a rest stop every 45 minutes and do
hand and wrist stretches.
- Change your handlebars. The trekker bars
shown above allow for many different hand
positions.
Cycle Touring Health & Safety > Hand & Arm Pain
| Trekker or Touring Handlebars allow many different hand positions. |
| Amanda bought a good pair of cycling gloves with a thick, wide pad in the palm. |
