Just been out for a couple of hours on the Trans Pennine Trail with the gravel bike.

Got back and found my wrists are sore, particularly the left one. Just where the head of the ulnar bone meets the wrist.

The shifters are Tiagra 9 speed and I spend most of my time on the hoods. They angle up rather than being flat.

Now, the bit of my wrist that’s sore, I’ve noticed I have on top of the bar with most of the palm.

Am I using the bars incorrectly? Do most people hook the thumb over the hood and have the palm to the side? Or ride 9n top of the hood like I do?

Thumb inside the hoods, palms flat against the outside for me

(I have no idea from your description what you are doing though! 😃)

Roll each hand in slightly so the palm takes the weight rather than the base of the thumb.

Flared bars also put you hands in a much more natural position on the hoods and drops compared to a traditional road bar

Like I’m holding a pistol on the hoods or similar on the shoulders of the bar. Hoods and bars positioned so my forearm-wrist-index finger are all falling naturally inline when in either of above grip-positions. Roughly speaking.

Sort of like this:

https://blog.bikefit.com/adjusting-hand-position-in-bike-fitting/

+1 onzadog. Let the palm take the pressure

And don’t wear MTB gloves they often have pads in places that are not good on the drops. My Specialized winter gloves have a pad thing on the palm and it is in just the wrong spot for my gravel bike bars.

I’d suggest roll the bars back down. I can’t ride drop bar with the bars rotated up. Just use the drops, and set your bike up so that the drops are comfy.

What I’m imagining is the hoods pointing fairly high up and the bit of your palm furthest from the thumb taking the weight on top. If that’s the case, get the top of the hoods level and that bit of the palm slightly to the side of the bar like in p7eaven’s picture.

I’d also disagree that flared bars make it better, I find they fight the natural rotation of my wrists and cant them inwards.

I have had issues with drop bars and shifter positions in the past. I’d maybe get someone to take a photo of you side on when on the bike, so you can see what your position looks like and where/if it needs tweaking.

And don’t wear MTB gloves they often have pads in places that are not good on the drops. My Specialized winter gloves have a pad thing on the palm and it is in just the wrong spot for my gravel bike bars.

I don’t find that at all – Spesh BG gloves work for me on all bikes.

I had this when I first got my drop bar bike.

With photos on here for advice I ended up rolling the bars back and dropping the shifters forward/down.

I’m also planning at some point to try some different shaped bars – the curve of mine doesn’t help in reaching brakes from the drops, aren’t flared etc.

Are you holding the bars or leaning on them?

Hard to say without seeing what you are doing and knowing your back ground.

Curly bar bikes tend to have a more foreward position and low front end. This tends to make me lean on the bars for support taking my weight through my arms. Position, saddle angle, body awareness and core strength stop this.

Less of an issue MTB as you are more upright, less static and often stood in the pedals.

I don’t find that at all – Spesh BG gloves work for me on all bikes.

Maybe I’m a freak then (or using a much older glove design) but mine had a little padded area near the base of the thumb that seems to twist my hand and create a pressure point.

Gloves are fox ranger, so no padding to speak of. Probably am putting a fair bit of weight through the bars but as a road/gravel bike, it is more stretched out than the mountain bike.

Background, pure mountain bike really. I’ve had this bike for over a decade but not really done too much on it. Only recently has it started going off road, plus I’m not getting any younger.

Hoods do rise up, about 15°. Was wondering if lowers the hoods a tiny bit, and turning them in ever so slightly might help.

15 degrees is a lot. Try them in a normal position (flat, pointing straight ahead) and the tweak from there rather than starting with a weird position.

Curly bar bikes tend to have a more foreward position and low front end. This tends to make me lean on the bars for support taking my weight through my arms. Position, saddle angle, body awareness and core strength stop this.

Needs repeated. I see so many folk riding road/gravel bikes with their arms straight, elbows locked. Your arms should be working like a suspension link, bending as the bars rise and fall. You should be taking more of your weight via your body core. With loked-out arms, the hoods are constantly crashing into the web of your hands. I’d even argue that flared bars help force the arms into more of an attack position, so something to consider.

I’m not locking the arms out. I do manage to keep a bend in them as well as reasonably relaxed shoulders.

I bet you’re putting too much weight through your arms. Saddle slightly too far back may be the problem. As you lean over you need to brace. You should be balanced on your saddle whilst pedalling in a neural weight bearing position. Then you lean over but the weight is taken through the legs not the arms.

If your bars are too far away you’ll have the same issue. You should be able to lean over and just rest fingers on the drops rather than brace yourself with your arms taking weight.

I prefer having the hoods flush with the bars, so just where the bar curves down the hood starts, giving a nice flat space to grip. I like a very slight flare too with the hoods slightly angled inward but barely noticeably. That feels like the most natural position for my wrist. I generally find being on the end of the drops is the most relaxed position for me, though also the furthest from the brakes.

Also check saddle angle, if nose tilted down it pushes your weight forward.