and I’m putting a lot of pressure on my hands (palms mainly)
This is one of the
MANY reasons that the "crotch rocket" lean forward biking position doesn't work for me.
A lot of people will focus on the hand position -- and yes it's important -- but if you feel like you're putting enough pressure on your hands it's worthy of mention, you're likely off balance, leaning too far forward, and aren't young enough to "put up with it" like a lot of folks who advocate for skinny seats and straight bars.
As someone who works in accessibility and ergonomics in the workplace, (and for websites) I'll say it again, this "sporty" lean the f**** forwards "everyone should ride like they're a pro racer"
bullshit does more harm than good, and reeks of the same type of snake oil peddling rubbish as those knee-busting "ergonomic" chairs from the '90's or the "standing table" rubbish that's all hot and trendy right now.
Irregardless of how many effete, pretentious, holier than thou snobs and marks get their panties in a knot or "want to puke" over the mere idea of riding upright.
If you've got that much pressure, you're probably also stressing the elbows and shoulder. In fact if you're riding with your arms out straight, you are guaranteed hurting more than just your hands.
Are your arms out straight?
Your bars are too far forward.
Pressure on your hands relying on grip instead of light friction with them just resting on the bars?
Bars are too far forwards and you're leaning forwards too far.
Are you waking up the next day with pain from the Altas (c1) down to C5?
You're leaning too far forward and looking up to see ahead is the cause.
Excessive pain in the coccyx whenever you get off the bike?
That's skinny seat and leaning too far forwards at fault. Something I experience first-hand as I'm just not built for those wafer thin narrow seats.
Because the whole "sitz bones" thing is a bunch of predatory bull when leaning that far forward, and your weight ends up distributed on the perennial and through the soft tissues straight to the coccyx and sacrum instead! Said "logic" of leaning forwards only working for people 6 foot tall or more with the BMI of an Indian cow or Auschwitz survivor.
And that's another thing to beware of, It's not just the pain while riding, it's the pain
caused by riding. You can do a lot of damage with bad posture that doesn't show up until the next morning.
If you are fully extending the legs whilst pedaling, you're risking injury. If you are fully extending the arms whilst riding, you're rising injury. If you have to crank your head back just to see straight ahead, you're risking injury
and limiting range of motion.
And thus sacrificing situational awareness.
It reminds me of the people who plaster their face 6" from their computer's display with their keyboard way up atop the desk, who then wonder why their eyesight is shot and they have both back problems and carpel tunnel and/or repetitive motion injury... as opposed to a comfortable 3 feet with the keyboard at minimum 5" over your lap, ideally ON your lap.
Basic real anatomy and ergonomics, not the garbage doublespeak market-talk used to peddle cheaper corner cut mass manufacture trash to you! As if it's some miracle cure-all because it's what some sports star uses.
We're not all sports stars. Honestly since I've gotten back into bicycle tech the past two years, the amount of outright gibberish unfounded claims that would/should make any doctor cringe is only rivalled by the likes of Paltrow's "Goop", Oz's hoodoo supplements, or the "healthiness" advice of that dirtbag calling himself an avocado.
Who knew the spandex wearing "cycling life" crowd were as gullible as the fools buying "organic foods", railing against GMO's, making up nonsensical chazerei like "gluten intolerance"? To the point we now have packages of chicken --
CHICKEN -- labelled "gluten free"
Oh wait, the people selling bicycle accessories.
They knew. Ah the power of propaganda and arbitrary societal norms.
