Less pain!

[Ken]

I did my two lap ride this morning (total 23.86 miles) on the hardtailed
mtb, after making some small adjustments to the grip positions on the flat
bars. I moved all the shifters, brake levers and grips in towards the stem.
This feels like a much more natural position versus the grips way out at the
end of the bars. Seems to me that that would be okay if you are a gorilla
with wide shoulders. Anyway I still have an issue with my thumb going a
little numb, but much less that before. No wrist pain, no elbow or shoulder
pain!

So anyway 23.86 miles, slow average speed of 11.1 mph, ride lasted 2 hours
and 8 minutes. Or at least those are the numbers that my cheap schwinn
cyclo-computer spit out for this ride. Yeah I know its a cheap brand, but
being a newbie I thought it would be okay for now. I am sure with more
riding these numbers will improve. But seeing as how three months ago or so
I probably couldn't even ride 10 miles without feeling exhausted! I think I
am improving.

Ken

--
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My personal webstie: http://kcm-home.tripod.com/
My blog: http://mind-dribble.blogspot.com/

[GaryG]

"Ken" > wrote in message
...
> I did my two lap ride this morning (total 23.86 miles) on the hardtailed
> mtb, after making some small adjustments to the grip positions on the flat
> bars. I moved all the shifters, brake levers and grips in towards the
stem.
> This feels like a much more natural position versus the grips way out at
the
> end of the bars. Seems to me that that would be okay if you are a gorilla
> with wide shoulders. Anyway I still have an issue with my thumb going a
> little numb, but much less that before. No wrist pain, no elbow or
shoulder
> pain!
>
> So anyway 23.86 miles, slow average speed of 11.1 mph, ride lasted 2 hours
> and 8 minutes. Or at least those are the numbers that my cheap schwinn
> cyclo-computer spit out for this ride. Yeah I know its a cheap brand, but
> being a newbie I thought it would be okay for now. I am sure with more
> riding these numbers will improve. But seeing as how three months ago or
so
> I probably couldn't even ride 10 miles without feeling exhausted! I think
I
> am improving.
>
> Ken
>
> --
> Remove "-dispose-trash" for email address
> My personal webstie: http://kcm-home.tripod.com/

You are improving. Right now, you're in that "golden" time when
improvements in fitness and endurance come fast. Enjoy it while you
can...after a couple of years of riding, it gets much harder to squeeze out
dramatic improvements.

FWIW, you'll have less pain, and a lot more speed, on a proper road bike. As
for hand pain - mtb's are rather notorious for that, because there's only a
single hand position (unlike road bike drop bars, which offer several
positions that you can switch between).

--
~_-*
....G/ \G
http://www.CycliStats.com
CycliStats - Software for Cyclists
> My blog: http://mind-dribble.blogspot.com/
>

[Joe Canuck]

Ken wrote:

> I did my two lap ride this morning (total 23.86 miles) on the hardtailed
> mtb, after making some small adjustments to the grip positions on the flat
> bars. I moved all the shifters, brake levers and grips in towards the stem.
> This feels like a much more natural position versus the grips way out at the
> end of the bars. Seems to me that that would be okay if you are a gorilla
> with wide shoulders. Anyway I still have an issue with my thumb going a
> little numb, but much less that before. No wrist pain, no elbow or shoulder
> pain!
>
> So anyway 23.86 miles, slow average speed of 11.1 mph, ride lasted 2 hours
> and 8 minutes. Or at least those are the numbers that my cheap schwinn
> cyclo-computer spit out for this ride. Yeah I know its a cheap brand, but
> being a newbie I thought it would be okay for now. I am sure with more
> riding these numbers will improve. But seeing as how three months ago or so
> I probably couldn't even ride 10 miles without feeling exhausted! I think I
> am improving.
>
> Ken
>

Cannot argue with less pain, but won't you have less control over the
steer when in the rough stuff with the grips closer to the stem?

[Pat]

And concentrate on keeping those elbows in and not out flapping around.
That'll help with the hand pain as well.

Pat in TX

[Ken]

"Joe Canuck" > wrote in message
...
> Ken wrote:
>
> > I did my two lap ride this morning (total 23.86 miles) on the hardtailed
> > mtb, after making some small adjustments to the grip positions on the
flat
> > bars. I moved all the shifters, brake levers and grips in towards the
stem.
> > This feels like a much more natural position versus the grips way out at
the
> > end of the bars. Seems to me that that would be okay if you are a
gorilla
> > with wide shoulders. Anyway I still have an issue with my thumb going a
> > little numb, but much less that before. No wrist pain, no elbow or
shoulder
> > pain!
> >
> > So anyway 23.86 miles, slow average speed of 11.1 mph, ride lasted 2
hours
> > and 8 minutes. Or at least those are the numbers that my cheap schwinn
> > cyclo-computer spit out for this ride. Yeah I know its a cheap brand,
but
> > being a newbie I thought it would be okay for now. I am sure with more
> > riding these numbers will improve. But seeing as how three months ago or
so
> > I probably couldn't even ride 10 miles without feeling exhausted! I
think I
> > am improving.
> >
> > Ken
> >
>
> Cannot argue with less pain, but won't you have less control over the
> steer when in the rough stuff with the grips closer to the stem?
>

Perhaps, but seeing as how I don't really ride this bike off road, I am not
too worried, I use this more like a city / comfort / commuter than a mtb.

Ken