So - who has in the last few years suffered from loss of sensation at the tips of their thumb, index, middle and half of their ring finger, possibly as a result of too many hours at the Puffer 24 (or any other MTB endurance event).
I started suffering after this years, and just thought it would go away .. trapped nerve etc ... when it didn't after a few weeks I got it checked out... "relatively minor, don't worry, can go away in 2-3 weeks, though sometimes might take 2-3 months. And no problem with carrying on riding if you're on a bike with suspension, and given you've changed grips, modified your riding position etc you should be fine, just might not want to go and do a 12hr MTb event for now". He talked about going out a couple of times a week on a bike with suspension wouldn't be a problem. All very reassuring.
4.5 months later - no change.
Anyone else experienced this? When did it 'go away'? What did you do?
I actually ignored medical advice ... stopped cycling to work, and only go out once a week on the npunciest bike I've got just to keep the legs turning.
Unbelievable impact on fitness, but that's life....
I screwed my hands at SiTS in, ooh, 2004(?). Did both hands, couldn't really move my little and ring fingers for a few days, couldn't even hold a toothbrush. I'm positive this was through using gloves with no padding, very thin grips and slumping over the bars a lot.
I just assumed I'd bruised them badly and didn't bother seeing a doc. (I am now beginning to suspect it was a little more than that)
That passed quickly enough, but anything that put pressure on my palms (even driving!) was pretty painful. It took several months (best part of a year) for that to even begin to pass. I did carry on riding though.
Then I had several years where long rides would hurt, using a spade would hurt etc etc. It's only been in the last couple of years that I'm totally fine after long rides. Although I did a lot of digging for a mate (not literally, he wasn't buried) a couple of weeks back and that aggravated them again - so they're not really totally better even now, 8 years later!
That said, in that time I've done a huge amount of riding (including 3 more 24 solos (one of which was this year's Puffer.) and several stretches of riding for 7 days+) - so it's not really stopped me.
I make sure I used those massive flat Ergon grips for 24s, (I use ODI Ruffians the rest of the time - so hardly padded!) and always use Specialized gloves with padding on the palm the rest of the time. I also move my hands around a lot when I'm riding - holding the ends of the bars (as if with bar ends), thumbs on top of the bar, hands resting on the brake reservoirs, that sort of thing.
Just try and work round it!
two things
you have damaged it now - it needs to repair fully before carrying on or itll never heel.
second - have your position looked at.
after my first mayhem my last 3 fingers were fully numbed for over a week - front end too low and too much weight on my hands - even with ergons and changing position - took about a month to get over it
sorted my position and at relentless and the puffer that year never had any issues with it.
That's really interesting. Ta.
Seems to be much more common to get the ulnar nerve problem (from checking Web and according to my consultant) - which is te one that road cyclists often suffer from for some reason.
It runs down the inside of the hand where the inside gel
pads on gloves usually cover.
The median is the one in the middle which is 'protected' in the carpal tunnel but you'd think once damage is done it would be same type of recovery as its still just nerve damage.
Pain in the bum.
trail_rat
ta - yes, appreciate damage is done and time is needed ... and to use the consultants words .. if you're going from 8hrs a week on a hardtail to a weekly 2hr trip on a full suss bike, then his opinion was that would be fine.
But aye - for periods of thr last 4 months I've actually just done nothing as it happens. And interested to hear whether anyone else cycled through these things too (or not).
I've changed by bars (to more rise), i've changed grips, and i've raised front end (as I strongly ssupect the low position on the HT put mpre weight on my hands and will have significantly contributed). So that's a good bit of backup to that theory. Cheers.
I might actually (if and when i ride cos going thru a non riding phase again) raise the bars a bit further and move the saddle yet again if there's any more room to, and see if can get even more weight off the hands.
Also been toying with moving to road bike as hand position is completely different ...
And mebbe going back to consultant and seeing if there's any views now that it's been going on for so long. And messing wigth keyboard/desk position at work ... bah.