Sore Wrists and Hands.....

[ktee]

Hi Roks.

I have been riding for almost a year now.

I found that on my Kawasaki ZZR250 (Sport style bike) I get really sore wrists and achy hands ( they ache for ages afterwards) .... but on my Suzuki GN250 I'm absolutely fine. (I have now sold my ZZR, it was not suitable all round for me and my riding comfort).

Now I see you ride a similar style bike to the GN but maybe everyone needs a certain angle in their wrists or are more suitable to a different riding style.

If it doesn't go away .... try riding a friends bike and see if another style of bike is better.

Good luck with this.

[XTC]

My wrists and hands get a hell of a lot of exercise so I can't really offer any advice as I don't suffer from this affliction.

Seriously tho - Just relax....

[roks]

The keeping your wrists level thing is the same as for horse riding, actually much of riding a bike goes hand in hand with riding a horse. I'ts a beaut day in Christchurch, perfect for an open road cruise.

[Beemer]

I have sympathy for you Roks, I had the same problem when I started riding. Even after half an hour, I would have aching wrists and my hands would feel like I'd been squeezing rocks! It takes a while to get used to riding and as you gain confidence you will unconsciously relax more and the tension will ease.

The more you ride, the easier it will be - if I don't ride for a while, I still have sore hands when I get back. The Beemer doesn't have an adjustable clutch lever so I find it hard to reach it with my little hands - but the Goose is smaller all over and everything is within easy reach. If your clutch isn't adjustable, you can make an adjustment - my husband did that for my RG - it involved putting a nut or something on the cable to bring the lever in closer. Not sure how he did it, but most men would probably know!

[roks]

Thanks Beemer, sometimes I race off the bike, inside and get them into epsom salts, and at times I've gritted my teeth when riding thinking yeouch I can't take this for much longer, but reading some of the posts above about riding in less traffic makes sense. About the only time they didn't hurt as much was when I went for a longer ride but I think much of that was because I had my partner in front of me and I felt really relaxed, knowing he sort of like my safety blanket. After work I often go for a few miles around home, so I'm on my own and it's not the same as having an experienced rider with you ust up ahead.

There have been a couple of tears shed just at the disappointment, finally moving from wanting to ride for years and actually doing it....especially when I'm in my late 40's.

[crashe]

You don't want to develop Carpel Tunnel Syndrome

I developed it on my right wrist, from the throttle use....it was the vibrations etc... I could only ride 10kms and the hand and fingers were numb except for my little finger, which was great to control your bike with NOT.

Learn to relax your hands on the handlebars... being new to riding you are probably holding on too tight.... you will soon learn to relax, cos you dont want to have to be off your bike for 6 weeks if you have the CTS operation.

But if you think you have developed CTS please read the info below:

Get your Dr to send you to the hospital for tests.
The waiting time to get that test is a couple of months. You will get the results straight away... Then you will go on the waiting list to have the op... that list isnt too long... as they are trying to get all those with it back up and at work again real quick. I had the op and it worked.

In the meantime........
Put HOT water in the sink.... as hot as you can bear it. Then stretch your fingers out to full stretch.. hold for a few seconds and then close into a fist... do that a few times.. and it will help.
I had "Hand Therapy" physio after my op.... and they put my hand in special hot wax.... and man did that help. They told me to place my hand in HOT water in the sink at home as well. It is a relief but not a cure. If you are at the comp, get a bucket with HOT water in it.. and type with one hand/finger. Soak your hand in hot water doing the exercises as often as you like during the day even just before going to bed.
This really does help relieve any pain.

Another thing to do is drop your hand down beside you and give it a gentle shake... even when riding you can do that.. it again helps relieve the pressure.

[WINJA]

ok..so I'm a newbie to the wonderful world of motorcycling but I suffer from aching hands and wrists even after just a short ride. I do suffer from tendonitis but this is usually only minimal. Has anyone got any ideas or suggestions?? Wondering also if it's because I may be a little tense when riding and haven't quite relaxed yet.

YOU MAY JUST NEED A MASSAGE AHEM COUGH COUGH , OR THERE WAS A PRODUCT FOR SALE TO HELP COMBAT THIS , IT WAS A GYROSCOPIC BEE THING THAT CYCLETREADS USED TO SELL , IT WOULD HURT LIKE FUCK AT FIRST WHEN USING IT , BUT IT STRENGTHENED YOUR WRISTS HANDS AND FOREARMS , WAS ONLY ABOUT $30

[roks]

YOU MAY JUST NEED A MASSAGE AHEM COUGH COUGH , OR THERE WAS A PRODUCT FOR SALE TO HELP COMBAT THIS , IT WAS A GYROSCOPIC BEE THING THAT CYCLETREADS USED TO SELL , IT WOULD HURT LIKE FUCK AT FIRST WHEN USING IT , BUT IT STRENGTHENED YOUR WRISTS HANDS AND FOREARMS , WAS ONLY ABOUT $30

A massage huh??? So maybe I tell my partner than ALL of the aches

[WINJA]

A massage huh??? So maybe I tell my partner than ALL of the aches

IF YOUR A LESSY GET THE MASSAGE AND TELL US ABOUT IT IF NOT , GET THE GYRO BEE OR WHATEVER ITS CALLED

[Ixion]

Petal has my right hand numb after about an hour, from the vibration. I'd forgotten how those bikes vibrated.

If vibration is part of the problem, it may help to fit bar end weights (or different ones, if the Marauder has them as standard). They can move the handlebar vibes outside the rev range that you normally ride at .

If your handle bars don't have holes in 'em, you can fill them with water and plug the ends. That helps too.

Is the throttle return spring unnecessarily strong? A strong return spring can induce fatigue, holding the throttle open against the sping. With modern twin cable throttles only a very light action is needed.

If it's not vibration, your riding position may be wrong. Essentially, when riding at your normal speed, there should be NO load on the wrists. You should be able to relax them completely and flip your wrists about on the bars. Your weight should be taken by your back, your legs, and the wind.

Unfortunately, bikes today do not have such a range of adjustments as older ones, and it can be hard to get the position of everything right.

[trumpy]

Back on a road bike after a very lengthy layoff. Been riding dirt bikes bikes for a few years in the old "sit up and beg" position. My new road bike (Speed Four) has (horrors!) clip ons. It has taken a few weeks to get used to them and now I actually prefer this riding position. As mentioned elswhere, when you get out on the open road the wind pressure takes a lot of the weight off your wrists. Around town I find that if I grip the bike with my knees and then lean back very slightly and support myself with my stomach and back muscles, the pressure goes from my wrists entirely. (Added bonus....the exercise is starting to reduce my somewhat ample girth!! Two belt notches already ..yeehaaa!) This also allowed me to relax my initial "death grip" (while I had been over the bars on my dirt bike more times than I can remember, road rash hurts more than dirt bumps!) on the bars and lets me counter steer properly.
Good luck and have fun.

[thealmightytaco]

I had that prob on my FXR for a few weeks, soon passes, but now I've got it again on the NSR I've just got goin', scary piece of machinery. Being tense on machinery you're afraid of could be a big part of it, but in time it'll be sweet.

[skidz]

The keeping your wrists level thing is the same as for horse riding, actually much of riding a bike goes hand in hand with riding a horse. I'ts a beaut day in Christchurch, perfect for an open road cruise.

Yep, but it's a steel horse and they can both buck.

[roks]

Yep, but it's a steel horse and they can both buck.

A bike doesn't kick you in the head though, nor does it require daily feeding and grooming, at least motorbikes go when you turn the key (all being well) a horse?? pffftttt....goes when it feels like it and tends to take off in any direction it takes a fancy to, and also doesn't come to a sudden halt from a gallop when it sees water

[Macktheknife]

Sounds like most of your issue will be stress newbie, as previously mentioned just relax and trust your body and your bike, the harder you try to control it the more it will feel like work.
Try to get some older or more experienced riders to give you a few pointers to help you out, go on some rides and get your miles up.