arms sore when riding

mosa · June 2016

Hi All. I've recently returned to cycling and tried to set my new bike up to me previous fitting settings. My average mph is ok for the time I have been out of the saddle however I notice that my arms feel heavy on the bars when I'm riding. I have had one instance of my left hand getting pins & needles.
Everything else seems fine although ive only covered 160 miles over 4 trips out
any thoughts?

Alex99 · June 2016

mosa wrote:

Hi All. I've recently returned to cycling and tried to set my new bike up to me previous fitting settings. My average mph is ok for the time I have been out of the saddle however I notice that my arms feel heavy on the bars when I'm riding. I have had one instance of my left hand getting pins & needles.
Everything else seems fine although ive only covered 160 miles over 4 trips out
any thoughts?

A few options:
- double check your setup vs what you (were?) used to. Is the position really the same (same saddle etc...?)
- has your body changed since you were riding previously (weight, core strength, general condition?) - if yes, then you might need something to change.

Things that will ease pressure on hands:
- Saddle move back on the rails
- Bars raised up higher
- Getting fitter (more pressure on the pedals releives the upper body)

singleton · June 2016

The angle of both the saddle and the bars will affect weight distribution as well, putting more or less weight onto your hands/wrists/arms.
It's not enough to just check the height of the saddle and bars - you need to check the angles too.

drlodge · June 2016

IME moving the saddle back is the most likely solution, to that your CofG is moved back and relieves weight on your hands and arms.

debeli · June 2016

This might (or might not) be age and general condition.

I have a bicycle that make my hands/wrists/arms ache if I ride it after a long lay-off. All the other bikes are fine.

The bike in question has super-hard tyres, minimal tape and pretty stiff quill-stemmed bars. It is also quite 'front-wheely' in terms of weight distribution.

Now that I'm in my 50s, I do feel the odd twinge, creak and ache that didn't exist before.

Move around on the saddle and move your hands around on the bars. It may (or may not) get better after a few more rides.

BTW, 160 miles in four rides is a big mileage for starting back up again.... You may just need to build up slowly.

Hope it goes well....

mosa · June 2016

Thanks for all the comments. I have recently been attending a boot camp which has made me more fit & I assume my core may be better. I was supprised that I could do 40+ miles straight away at 16mph whilst talking the whole way so I can't complain

I'll try the seat back a few mm & see how that goes. I believe I only have 1 ring to go up on my stem so I will try that after seat adjustment.

Would it make a difference if I flip stem over as I currently have it upwards.

Thanks guys.

ForumNewbie · June 2016

mosa wrote:

Thanks for all the comments. I have recently been attending a boot camp which has made me more fit & I assume my core may be better. I was supprised that I could do 40+ miles straight away at 16mph whilst talking the whole way so I can't complain

I'll try the seat back a few mm & see how that goes. I believe I only have 1 ring to go up on my stem so I will try that after seat adjustment.

Would it make a difference if I flip stem over as I currently have it upwards.

Thanks guys.

You should really get the saddle in the right position first to get the best power to the pedals, some say with the Knee Over Pedal Spindle position, and then alter your reach by a shorter stem. I have made the mistake before of trying to move the seat too far forward to get a more comfortable position.

I would think flipping the stem downwards would mean more weight on the bars. Maybe you need a shorter stem?

fenix · June 2016

If youve only done 4 rides you might just need a bit of time to adapt.

arms sore when riding

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