On Saturday I sort of accidentally rode 115 miles. I "guestimated 90" but when I got to my turnoff to start heading back home, I was so close to Picacho Peak that I decided to just ride on up to the park. Well, that added 12 miles (round trip to get back to the turnoff), but more important was the sunlight that I lost. By time I turned onto Park Link Pkwy the sun had set, and by 5 miles in, it was pitch black. Oddly enough, my bike doesn't shift as well in the dark! I thought I'd maybe bent my derailleur hanger, but it shifts pretty well in the work stand. But this is neither here nor there. It was by & large a very good ride, marked with challenges and successes, and in the end I could've ridden further.
But there was one problem; and there still is. My right hand always has a little numbness in my outside fingers when I ride even short, 50m rides. But this time it was both hands, and the 3 outside fingers. I'm thinking 6/10 fingers is a bad thing. The left hand I didn't notice as much until after I was done. Kinda weird. Sometime Sunday I regained normal sensation in my middle fingers on both hands, but now, on Tuesday, I still have that tingly sensation on my 2 outside fingers on both hands. It would appear that I have a mild case of Ulnar Neuropathy obviously caused by trauma.
So this is a problem that I've got to figure out! I was riding the Talon with a carbon ergonomic handlebar, my Aerospokes w/28mm tires @110psi, and the Aquarack behind the seat. I wore plain leather-palmed gloves until it got too cold, & then I rode long finger gloves with insulation but no specific padding.
Possible easy fixes:
1. Try Ksyrium SL's which might have more compliance than the Aerospokes.
2. Lower air pressure to 100 to smooth out the road just a bit.
3. Try wearing padded gloves to protect the ulnar nerve.
4. Aquarack may be pushing me forward because my thighs contact it on every revolution. If I'm riding too far forward, it will put more pressure on my hands and wrists. Perhaps the Xlab Carbon Wing is worth a try?
The best suggestion is probably for me to ride over to Miles Ahead & have them look at me on the trainer. Perhaps something in my fit is obviously off? The guy I talked to there suggested that a nose-down saddle would shift me forward & cause more pressure. So maybe I should do that tomorrow?
There is a complex solution that would require some mechanical changes to my bike. I could switch to standard shaped 26mm alloy bar to which I could attach my aerobar. The only problem here is that I would also have to change stems, and the only 26mm d. stem is only 85mm long, whereas the stem I use now is 100mm long. However, a shorter stem may improve my fit when I'm down in the drops or on the aerobar. So who knows? I can say that I think the vibration dampening of the carbon bar would be made up for by bar fat and Lizard Skins DSP tape (and besides, I'm still riding a carbon bike with a carbon fork, and if I get the fit worked out, I can always get a carbon stem of the correct length). I also think that the ergo shape of the E3 bar that's on there now, while cool looking, doesn't help me very much. The ergo only helps if you're riding on the top of the bar, which I don't do very often anymore. When I'm not in the drops or hoods, I'm usually in the corner with my pinkies towards the hoods & my thumbs towards the stem. The is the position I go to for some relief, but I wonder if it is actually causing me more harm than good. That position seems like it would open up the palm & expose the ulnar nerve. But really, the tingling starts when I'm in the hoods, which might indicate that it is, after all, a bike fit issue. It's probably a very small adjustment that needs to be made. Hmm...
Perhaps right now my time might be best spent reading about ulnar neuropathy so I can best figure out how to fix and avoid it.
Much more to come on this, for sure.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubital_tunnel_syndrome
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guyon%27s_canal_syndrome
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