rsmeed

Hi,

I am not an avid bike rider but I want to do it every so often. I did an 18 mile for the first time in a LONG time on a friends bike that was a little too tall for me. By the end of it both hands were completely numb. The next day it was just my pinky, ring finger and palm on both hands. 2.5 weeks later and they are STILL numb. I assume I need to go to the DR for that so my question to you all is... Can I change my grip if my bike is a GripShift? The ones I see on Amazon seem to be longer, so maybe I just need to cut them? I am in the process of getting a new bike and the ones I am coming across in my price range of mostly Gripshifts BUT if I can't change the grip then I need to look into ones with different shifts.
Also, does it matter if it dual suspension? I was told that since I am not doing crazy trails and stuff that I should stick with single b/c it will be easier to ride.

Thanks.

Wilfred Laurier

Often when experiencing excessive pressure in your hands, the root of the problem is not the bars or grips, but elsewhere in the way the bike fits. We know the bike you were riding is not a good fit in general, but there may be simple adjustments that can make it better.

The first thing I look for when someone complains of hand pressure is the saddle position - if the saddle is nose-down, your weight slides forward and your hands are then responsible for pushing you back, almost subconsciously.

rsmeed

Ok. So isn't going to make much of a difference with what type of bike I get and I want to make sure the seat is flat and not tilted down? Do you know if gripshift grips can be changed though?

Skipjacks

Probably. Usually the drip shifter is a separate piece from the rubber hand grip. The hand grip is just shorter than a normal grip so it fits with the shifter.

You can find short grips that are meant to be used with grip shifters.

You can also use a locking full size grip (as long as it's got a hard rigid core) that just hangs off the end of the bar. It will make the bar 2 inches longer but it'll work.

Wilfred Laurier

While this may seem possible, I believe it is a bad idea. If the grip is not fully on the bar you are essentially using the inner plastic tube of the grip as a structural part. I assure you it was not meant to be used this way. A friend of mine's city bike has an arrangement like this, and luckily he only uses that bike for ~10 rides per year of less than 2 km. Handlebars are made of steel, aluminum or carbon fibre and are designed to hold the weight of the rider. The plastic tubes inside grips are not made for this.

fietsbob

Grip, ..your hands, .. relaxed or tight? take 1 hand off the bars and let them relax , occasionally?


gloved hand with a padding gap in the palm si nerves not compressed..


Im a JRA type now , not s mountain bike guy , bit I fit the Ergon grip bar end for grip shifters , on my folding bike..


Is it a 1 to 2 thousand dollar plus dual suspension bike bought at a specialist bike shop ?

or was it a sub $400 one bought at a mass merchant / sporting goods Big Box store ?








...

rsmeed

I know my hands were tight b/c I was leaning forward since it wasn't the correct fit for me.

I was trying to get away from wearing gloves b/c of the heat but if I need to to prevent this from happening again then I will. I know once I get a bike that fits me better it shouldn't happen BUT I am leary since I am still numb 2.5 weeks later.

I will look into the Ergon grips!

I am looking for a used and/or one from mass merchant.

VegasTriker

It is called "bicyclist palsy" a form of carpal tunnel syndrome. Look it up. Don't ignore the symptoms. I go to the orthopedic doctor today to have the stitches taken out after carpal tunnel release surgery. It only gets worse. If you are still experiencing the symptoms after 2.5 weeks you need to see a doctor. I long ago switched to recumbents that don't put any pressure on your hands but it still got worse over the years until I could no longer ignore it.

Skipjacks

If you're using grip shifters though your hand should be far to the inner portion of the grip, thus nullifying the entended portion.

You certainly wouldn't want an ergonomic grip for this reason as your hand would be out of position if it's far to the interior. You'd want a uniformly round one.

For sure though....this is not an ideal solution. At best this is a stop gap until you can come up with something better.

Or just get trigger shifters and go to normal hand grips that have thousands upon thousands of options for every size and shape hand.

Skipjacks

Also, work out our core muscles. Abs and lower back.

Make those stronger (those muscles grow pretty quick) and you'll be amazing how much less you are leaning on the bars as your core and get you more up right.

McMitchell

https://www.bikeforums.net/hybrid-bi...-shifters.html

I just switched to a microSHIFT thumb shifter. I was having issues dealing with the two parts & extra room a grip shifter requires too. I have a SRAM Eagle, 12 speed, 1X group-set, which typically comes with either a grip or trigger shifter. The microSHIFT showed up on Amazon when I searched “12 speed shifters”.

The thread I ran explores the many benefits of this shifting system. They last longer, shift easier, can be used in indexed or friction modes....They take up the least space on handlebars too.

Sojodave

This post from BF has helped me tremendously with numb hands.

https://www.bikeforums.net/12953035-post7.html

Teamprovicycle

yeah , id say you just have to tough up , or you have a serious medical issue , you can pad and adjust but if you road once and had numbies for weeks thats not normal !!!

livedarklions

I've ridden several centuries with a grip shifter, and I'm of the opinion that they generally suck for distance riding because a) you really have to keep your hands at the ready in a numbing position to use them on the fly and b) the actual repetitive twisting motion of shifting very quickly gets uncomfortable on the wrists. For me, at least, it just really isn't a technology suitable for endurance.

Ignore @Teamprovicycle . This is a case where the bad fit of the bike probably caused the problem, and it's not necessarily a matter of "tough up" or "serious medical issue". Numbness is telling you not to do what you did again, but it's not unusual for it to take weeks to go away. There wouldn't be any harm in talking to a doctor, but I'll bet the doctor won't tell you anything you don't already know, and if it's like most doctors these days, you'll wait so long for the appointment that the problem will probably be gone once you get there.

iCollector

you can try Ergon grips, they may help.... I have them -and they make them for Gripshift compatibility. They may or may not help you, they are good for me... YMMV.

MRT2

Fix the bike fit problem first. Your hands should be resting lightly on the bars, not locked in a death grip.

Cl904

I’d recommend an aero base bar with added drop ends.

livedarklions

Hah!!!!!


OP--just in case you didn't see the other thread, he's joking.