Three or four months ago I started riding a hardtail for the first time ever, along with my FS bike. I now realise that I had the brake levers set wrongly for me, in that they were angled too far forwards, rather than pointing down in line with my wrists.

Riding a bike like this over gnarly trails has taken it’s toll. The result is that I’ve knackered my left wrist. The symptoms are that the wrist is sore and (more worryingly) I can’t seem to put any weight on my left wrist without it ‘giving way’ ie. if I try and sit up in bed, I can’t use my left arm to bear my weight. It feels like a similar injury to having twisted an ankle, when you can’t put much weight on that ankle and it hurts. I also can’t fully clench a fist, especially with my index and ring fingers. My right wrist hurts a tiny bit but nothing compared to the left.

I’ve reduced my riding over the last 3 – 4 weeks, only ridden my FS and made sure the brake levers are ok and my wrist has slowly seemed to be getting better. But a 12 mile stint round Gisburn at the weekend and the pain and weakness is back again.

Any advice on how to get better? this is really starting to frustrate me. Thanks.

If you must ride, make sure your levers are in the right position now. Still might be too low. Put some bar ends on (!) so you can change hand position regularly. Thicker foam grips. Maybe you need to change the height and position of your bars temporarily to keep your wrists in the right position.

And a decent physio. My rule of thumb is that if normal activity is still causing pain during and after, then the underlying issue needs to be worked out, and you might need to back off and let your body heal.

I have similar pain and problem but I went OTB and done the tendons/ligaments in my wrist.took 2 months to get and movement in my wrist and still hurts now and again and that’s a year later

@skydragon

one of these will do the trick, and very quickly.

used them for years with great results.

OK, the title of the thread is about Jones bars but a few pointers about setup in general – http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=8571 You may have already done them.

Give the powerball a go it’s a great way to strengthen lots of bits in your wrists/arms/hands and you can start off really gentle with it and gradually build up so it’s great for a recovery from injury. I’m on my third one now

I had polyps on my wrist tendons that gave the symptoms you describe. The docs can puncture them. I changed my forks and bars and no longer run thin grips and no outside lock rings. I bust one set of polyps in my left wrist climbing up a wall and nearly collapsed with the pain. So I recommend the doc option. The docs just prescribed ibuprofen and rest but can sort them out. Don’t get fobbed off like I did.
Defo go get them checked out. Check yr cockpit for pressure points and make sure you arnt weighting yr arms too much for too long.

Mark

I’m not sure what is more stupid inadvisable asking a bunch of strangers on the net for medical advice or the strangers suggesting exercising without having a clue what the cause/issue is.

Do yourself a favour, spend some money and ask a physiotherapist what is going on. They make you do things with the limb in ways which allow them to understand the biomechanical issues and apply tape/slings/massage as well as prescribing remedial remedies.

Without this you run the risk of getting a chronic life changing injury.

Example – I had knee pain, self and internet diagnosed as patella femoral tendonitis. Cure is mainly rest. Went to physio, diagnosed as quad musculature imbalance, taped knee, prescribed specific exercises and allowed to keep on riding. Had I continued down the self diagnosis route I would have stopped riding for weeks, come back and had the same issue.

Levers correct & fat grips. I ruined my wrist before realizing the grips where wrong on my DH bike.

The tld wrist support was a godsend for the 4 onths or so it took my wrist to recover.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/troy-lee-designs-ws-5205-wrist-support/rp-prod130951