Hurting hands w/ Cannondale T2000

[bishop]

Hi all:  I've been an avid mt. biker for years and wanted to
start touring.  So I bought (almost) a 2007 T2000
Cannondale and was all psyched to start riding but my hands
hurt like hell in the position the guy @ the shop said to put
them in (cradling my thumb up near the shifters).  I literally
have to put them near the turn in the handlebar to avoid so
much pressure and pain.  Any advice or solution?  I put 1/2 of
the $$ down but don't want a bike I can't ride comfortably.

Can I get different handlebars?  Could it be as dumb as my
gloves?


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[RussellSeaton]

Do your hands hurt from riding the hoods after so many minutes or miles?  Or do they hurt immediately when riding the hoods?

If after so long of a time/distance, then that speaks to bike fit.  You have too much of your weight being supported by your hands.  Saddle too far foward to compensate for having too long of a top tube and stem and bar reach is one possibility.  But this is a bike fit problem, which can be remedied since you can get a smaller/larger bike at the shop where you are buying this bike.  Or have the shop change stems or bars for a different reach.  This of course assumes the shop has some knowledge about fitting a person to a bike.

If your hands hurt immediately when on the hoods, then its a nerve issue in your hands I would guess.  Thicker gel gloves might help.  Changing the angle of the hoods, lower or higher, might help.  Or changing the bars and shifters from drop to straight might help.  You can easily swap the shifters and bars and have the same shifting performance.

[tracie]

You may have to move you set back or try raising your handle bars. This seems to help when we fit ours bike every year to new kids.  Tracie

[bishop]

Thanks so much for your meaningful replies.  My hands do hurt while "in the hoods" for only a short period of time (less than 5 minutes).  I go back tomorrow to re-try the fit.  Perhaps new, thicker gloves will help.  But it does feel like I have too much of my wgt. on my hands.  I'm 6' 2" and weigh 225 lbs.  So I got the XL T2000.  I tried the jumbo but the shop said it was too big.  Hopefully I can arrive at some arrangement of bar and shifters so I can actually "enjoy" the ride.  Thanks again for the helpful response.

[mtnroads]

Interesting. I had a T800 for a few months early in the year, and ended up selling it because it was a bit large and never quite fit me properly. One of the things that annoyed me the most was the pain from riding on the hoods. They are larger and more squared off on top than the ones on my Trek 520, causing me to have to change positions frequently. I have fairly large hands, too, so it isn't so much the size as the way it fits the web of the hand. You may need a bike with differently shaped hoods. My Trek in comparison, is extremely comfortable.

[bishop]

Grateful for the helpful inputs.  I did buy the T2000 and got new
gloves.  It's true that I cannot ride in the hoods for any length of time
but I'm finding that changing my hand position to a variety of different
areas is OK for now.  Of course I'm new to road riding so I'll know more
when it's a 4 hour ride!  The new gloves seem to help and alternating
my hand positions seems tolerable.  I'm sure there is also a "breaking
in period" for this sport.  When I'm conscience of my posture my sore
shoulders take the focus off my hands!

[RussellSeaton]

Does the Cannondale T2000 bike have 9 speed STI Ultegra levers?  I'll have to let others comment on the comfort of Shimano 9 speed STI levers since I do not use them in any speed variation.

You may be able to adjust how your hands hit the hoods by changing the handlebars and moving the STI levers up or down where they clamp onto the bar.  Changing bars adjusts how much flat area you have behind the hoods for your hands to hit.  More or less may affect where the bar digs into your hand.  Moving where the STI levers clamp onto the bars will affect the angle of the hoods to the bars and how your hands grip the hoods.

The XL frame has a 57.2 cm horizontal top tube.  I'm guessing this is effective length since it says horizontal on the website and the frame is compact in design.  If you are 6'2" this 57.2 cm top tube length seems awfully short.  I'm 5'11" and use bikes with 57.5 cm top tubes and 12 cm stems and the saddle all the way back on seatposts with setback.  You mention trying the Jumbo size and the shop saying it was too large.  And you mention feeling like you have too much of your weight on your hands.  I'm wondering if you still have a fit issue with the frame.  The 57.2 cm top tube seems too short for someone of your height.  Assuming you are a normally proportioned 6'2".  But usually if you are on a too small frame, your weight is concentrated on your saddle.  Your weight is usually on your hands if you are on too big of a frame and you move the saddle forward to reduce the reach to the bars and you are always tipping forward so your hands have to support your weight instead of having your saddle support your weight.  I wonder if you need to increase your reach to the bars by sliding your saddle backwards.  Maybe you are too far forward and tipping onto the bars too mcuh and forcing your hands to hold up your weight.  See if you can get some cyclists who know something to give an opinion on how you look when on the hoods.  You shoudl be at about a 45 degree angle and you should be able to take your hands off the hoods and not fall forward.  Sort of a neutral body position on the bike.

[bishop]

The T2000 does have Shimano Ultegra STI levers.  I'll certainly consider
a new bar and/or moving the position of the hoods if this continues.  
The new gloves help and moving my seat back does seem to be better.  
I have pretty 'slouchy' posture so remembering to keep my back
straight and my elbows bent (not locked!) while riding is really tiring
my shoulders and arms!  A distraction from my hands!  My butt also
hurt quite a bit towards the end of my ride today (#2) so I'm hoping all
these things are the typical 'initiation rites' of a new sport and
associated muscles.  Otherwise I'm doomed.  Shifting my hand
positions frequently keeps my hands pretty comfortable.  If I had to
'ride them' in the hoods for any length of time...NO WAY.

Thanks for the meaningful comments.

[pmspirito]

Buy a recumbent and all of your pain goes away.  

best wishes from the back of the pack,  Peter & Judy Spirito