crab hand

[bluelagos]

Nearly half way on my Lejog, around 410 miles in 6 days. Am getting quite extreme stiffness in my fingers. Not painful but a pain in the buttock making it hard to do zips up, use knife and fork etc.

Any tips on reducing the stiffness. Am hoping flatter riding with less braked descents will help

[Jdsk]

Any pre-existing medical conditions?

Try changing your hand and wrist position somehow. Change it a bit every day. Don't put it off.

I'd try anti-inflammatory drugs. Precautions as as on the packet and the NHS advice website.

Jonathan

[scottg]

what kind of shifters ?

[bluelagos]

No preconditions.

Shifters are the ones you push in from the outside (part of the brake lever)

The position of my handlebars means I only really use 1 position 95% of time...

Is actually ok when am riding, its when I stop it's a pain.

[Jdsk]

Yes... but it's probably that riding position that's setting this off.

The easiest things to change are:
Your position on the bars: try consciously varying that.
Rotating the bars in the clamp: try 10mm up and down at the hoods and change that every day.

Jonathan

[Paulatic]

I doubt it’s any braking causing it. We must use our brakes <1%of a ride.
Sounds like you aren’t moving your hand position enough and just sitting on the hoods? Maybe the drops aren’t readily available but switch to the tops when you can I,e, sitting up along straight roads.
In my own case I got numb fingers when we reached Perth. Took off my gloves and didn’t wear again and cured by next day. I think the padding in gloves whilst cushioning can also exert pressure in to the hand.

[Jdsk]

Good point about gloves. Same principle: variation.

Jonathan

[Nickeveson]

As Paulatic said hands and fingers pain may well be exacerbated by the gloves. I ditched mine after the first hour of each ride, and did shake out my wrists on a regular basis

[Cowsham]

Are you wearing a back pack?

[bluelagos]

Quick update for anyone reading this with similar issues. A week post LeJog and fingers are now fully functional once again. Definitely not something I foresaw as had no issues whilst training. Guess 10 hours in the saddle day in day out with limited position was the issue...

[Jdsk]

Thanks for the update.

Did you change anything?

Jonathan

[bluelagos]

Thanks for the update.

Did you change anything?

Jonathan

Tried to move my hand position a tad, but not enough I guess. Kind of guessed it was nothing serious, just another thing to monitor I guess.

[Jdsk]

Thanks

Jonathan

[simonhill]

Do you have any aches in any other joints? Fingers, knees, feet/toes, shoulder, etc?

[bluelagos]

Do you have any aches in any other joints? Fingers, knees, feet/toes, shoulder, etc?

Coming up 2 weeks since finishing and all good.