That’s almost always a posture issue, you have way too much weight distributed on your hands.
I rarely ride gravel as well, yet have a gravel bike. I do go on gravel sometimes, but never long stretches. I like having the option, and the ride is smoother than a normal road/hybrid bike with 120psi tires.
I have a gravel and a hybrid and one of the things I don’t like about the hybrid is the limited ways to hold on. Drop down bars are so much better just because they give you a way of moving your hands around so you can change it up during the ride. I wouldn’t want to do much more than 30 minutes on a hybrid for that reason alone.
Bikes of all kinds were hit especially hard by the covid disruption of supply chains and ebikes especially so because of the batteries and electronics. Then you add in the increased demand that came from people wanting a bike as an escape from covid lockdown and you have the perfect storm for major wait times on bikes. On the plus side, since restrictions are being lifted nation wide, the probability that a large percentage of “lockdown bikes” will be hitting will be hitting the resale market in the near future is pretty good.
I finally upgraded my 1997 Trek hybrid last summer to an entry level gravel bike. It’s a lot lighter and easier on my hands but I can still ride the unimproved segments that are frequent on my area’s (Boston) rail trails.
The self-help suggestions are helpful for numb hands. Like everything else in life a strong core is essential.
I had a vein in my palm that got sore and throbbed until I started using padded gloves, when I was riding a road bike on hard terrain.
My wife got me a deep tissue massage gun, based on the recommendation of her PT who is also an avid cyclist, and Jesus, Mary and Joseph it is amazing!
I used to use a rolling pin and a Triggerpoint roller for recovery after long runs or rides, but the gun gets in those hard to reach places and makes knots disappear.
The brand is Legiral and I bet it is pricey but it delivers the goods.
I have never heard of that but if it’s very effective perhaps it’s something my wife could use for a knot on her shoulder that just will not go away.
That’s what I am doing. I am always sore. Got to say though, I have had neck/shoulder problems for years, and the ball helps a lot. Wonder if I should get a gun instead?
A lacrosse ball works wonders, but the gun, oh baby…I love this thing!
After every ride I say a little prayer of thanks for arriving home safely. One too many bad falls.
Yesterday I was a little premature and caught myself from saying my prayer as I was not yet home.
As I pull into my driveway and doing my rolling dismount, which has gotten harder now that I’m 60, I lost my balance and fell over. A woman was walking her dog in front of the house. As I lie there I started to laugh at myself after saying something profound, like “You fucking idiot!”
Woman: “Are you okay?”
Me: “Yes, but I’m kind of embarrassed.”
Woman, after a beat: “I won’t tell.”
God has an odd sense of humor. I said my prayer of thanks for not hurting myself too badly as I dusted myself off…
I finally went to the closest bike shop. Turns out they were pretty awesome, the sales guy was really informed, and they actually had bikes in stock. Given that I’m looking for something for casual riding, they recommended a Giant Escape 3 Comfort, which is the same bike I picked in my research. The shop is a co-op also (not quite sure what that means in this context except that I infer they aren’t money-grubbing jerks), so that’s cool. I did not buy the bike but will probably come back in a couple days and get it.
So I will soon be joining the ranks of the great unwashed bike riders.
Nice! Grats on finding a nice ride and even bigger grats on it being in stock! Think you’ll enjoy it.
What are you waiting for? Order already!
I think Giant is one of the few brands that has their own factories. So in hindsight they are probably a good place to look.
I don’t need to order! I’m just gonna walk into the store, plunk down my money and get it. Probably today.
I went to the store Friday and purchased the bike, and a bunch of accessories. Picked it up this morning and ended up riding around 3 miles before I came home. So far so good!
This is a pic showing an especially good looking guy standing in front of the bike.
Damn, you were lucky some studly young influencer/model type just happened to be hanging around outside the bike shop to pose with your new bike! He’s kinda in the way of the bike though.
Congrats on the bike! Hopefully you get many miles out of it.
Interesting place. Drink some wine and impulse buy a bike?
Yesterday I tried the Eastern Trail.https://www.easterntrail.org/eastern-trail-maps/
A 40 mile loop through Old Orchard Beach and back. OOB is normally packed with tourists from Quebec but not this summer.
I am seeing a lot of wild turkeys this spring.
The trail is quite lovely and quiet in the early morning.
Your posts are starting to make me think Maine might be a nice place to live.