Arm Pain

Secteur

Every time I cycle, I end up with (sometimes really quite severe) bilateral arm pain exactly in the place as shown on the diagram below.

I know that this as a "medial epicondylitis" or Golfer's Elbow - essentially an overuse or repetitive strain injury.

I suspect it's the way I hold the handlebars - I have a Specialized Secteur Comp 2010, and I find that it's when I hold the brake/gear "caps" (?technical term) - this is my preferred hand grip position (EDIT - see second photo below). If I am going uphill and am holding the flats near the stem, it feels fine.

It leaves me with terrible stiffness and an inability to fully straighten my arm for several days, but I am getting used to it.

I feel like I tend to hold very tightly, and I need to work on loosening this up.

Any advice?! Is this a "classical" newbie cycling problem?

Secteur

PS sometimes / to a lesser degree it affects the lower biceps, too.

nakita222

are your arms bent? If not it could be the road buzz, being absorbed by your arms. and the brakes gear cable thingiees are called the hoods/hoodz

Secteur

To be honest, when I'm in my standard position (hands on hoods), my arms are locked out straight

brin

Change your stem for a one 10mm shorter, and/or adjust your saddle so you are not sitting to far back

Monty Dog

Yup, you need to keep a bend in your elbows - if locked your forearms rotate inwards creating the problem you describe. Either flip or fit spacer / a shorter stem to reduce reach.

Secteur

No idea about spacers/tubes... will try making sure I keep my arms bent, and will be back for more advice if that doesn't help!

At least I know it's not just me going mad!

Would sliding my saddle forwards a little help?

Dmak

Whilst your figuring out the cause, I can suggest Glucosamine Gel for helping repair that kind of injury. It should help speed up recovery.

It's cheap and can be picked up from Holland and Barrett.

It seems to work for me and a friend who has mild arthritis associated with Crohn's disease.

Giant Phil

I'm almost certain the pain you describe is a result of having straight arms. Straightened arms act like locked out sus, they feel every bump in the road. Mustmust keep them alittle bent at all times, otherwise the condition will worsen. Saddle further forward, raised/shortened stem, and perhaps gel bar tape and wider rubber will help.

Phil

Secteur

Just done a hilly 25 miler, saddle further forwards and tried to remember to keep arms bent most of the time (a few lapses) - arms feel much less sore - I think that's the problem.

I think my stem might need making taller as it still takes almost full arm extension to hold the hoods, and I get a stiff neck/shoulders with trying to look up to the road.

Secteur

OK, 8 weeks on with my new (and first) road bike, this problem is no better.

For 8 weeks I have not been able to fully extend my elbows, so this needs sorting.

When I am in my normal cycling position, I can only reach the hoods with my arms in full extension.

The hoods feel like they are an inch or two too far away, as if the bike is slightly too "long".

I wasn't properly sized in the shop (Leisure Lakes), but the sales person said it was definitely the right size for me, and there is 1 inch clearance with the "stand over" test, which i believe is correct.

If I move my saddle forwards, then my knee wont be over the pedal when knee bent at 90deg.

So, will making the handlebars higher help? And if so, how do I do this (bike is specialized secteur comp 2010)

Getting fed up with the constant pain now, so any advice welcome!

nakita222

You need a shorter stem, if the reach is too for, not higher handlebars. Anywho, for higher handlebars, you'll nedd to buy some new spacers, and add them to your stack of spacers under the stem.

Secteur

Sorry to be thick, but which bit is the stem? I think I know, but just to be sure...

If it's the bit that joins the handlebars to the frame, then wont shortening that make me have to reach further?

Sorry if I am sounding think - I'm very new!

fortyone

I had problems when I started with a 11cms stem, but these were eliminated when I changed it to an 8cms one. As stated, you might also try to flip over the stem so it allows the handlebars to be raised. No-one should be too stretched on a bike, and I certainly would take very little notice of bike shops - every one fits differently.

Secteur

Well the bike is bought now, so not much I can do about that.

Need to figure out how I can modify it to fit...

nakita222

The stem is the bit that attaches the handlebars to the bike, shortening the stem, will bring the handlebars, closer to the bike, meaning your arms won't have too reach as far. You could also flip the stem. This is when you unattach the stem from the handlebars and steerer, and turn it upside down, this makes the stem point upwards, allowing your handlebars to be in a higher position. Their are instruction guides online.

This is what a flipped stem looks like

Before:



After

Secteur

will bring the handlebars, closer to the bike, meaning your arms won't have too reach as far

OK, I am probably going to sound even more stupid now.. but how does this make sense?

If I shorten the stem, and the handlebars are therefore dropped and nearer the bike frame, they are therefore further away from me as I sit on the saddle (a fixed point), so surely I'd then have to bend lower & stretch even further to reach the handlebars, which I am now having to fully extend & lock out my elbows to do...

nakita222

the stem is the stick from the bike to the handlebars

This part:


The bit that says ritchey.

If this bit is shorter, your arms don't havee to stretch as far to the handlebars if it is longer you have to stretch further.

rjh299

If your really not sure still, go to a decent bike shop and have a chat with them. They should offer some free advice and recommendations on what you can do, also they should have a stem or two for you to try.

Secteur

Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

The stem is the horizontal part, not the vertical part - now I understand!!!!!

Yes - I need a shorter stem! Thanks for persevering!

Secteur

Had a good play tonight - flipped the stem over in the end as using the Specialized stem-adjuster thingy didn't seem to make a jot of difference, despite trying all 4 positions (-16, -8, +8 and +16).

Having flipped the stem, it seems much better, although my garmin 800 now sits at an angle (towards me) rather than horizontal as it did before, but it's still readable.

Have moved the saddle forwards and I seem to have a much better position, although it is still a slight stretch.

The stem I have is 100mm, so I may consider speaking to a professional and possibly getting a shorter one fitted?

Cheers for the advice.

cyberknight

Once you have your seat forward/back position set a general rule of thumb is...

When on the hoods in your normal ride position then when you look down the bit of the stem where the handle bar goes through hides the front wheel hub ( the centre of the wheel where it attaches to the forks )..

I had the same problem and after a i bought a couple of stems of varying sizes i managed to dial in the fit, i keep the spare stems in case i want to alter the fit either way as my riding changes over time.At around £10 or less for a stem it pays to have spares .

this is a good site for bike fit guides and even gives you suggested stem lengths at the end of the calculations.

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CC ... ATOR_INTRO

Less technical

http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefit.html