Newsgroups: rec.bicycles

In rec.bicycles, frobasky@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Frank Robasky) writes:

> The clinical term for this "hand numbness" is parasthesia, or handlebar
> neuropathy.  A study by Barry Weiss (funded by Bicycling Magazine) reported
> that nearly 10% of all riders on a 500 mile ride complained of significant
> problems with their hands.  
> 
> It would seem intuitive that the use of aerobars would reduce the pressure
> on the palm that causes this affliction.  Be advised, though, that you
> may introduce other problems with this kind of dramatic change in your
> riding posture.  Who was the professional racer that I read about in
> Bicycling that set his seat forward 2cm to emulate LeMond's position and
> would up decapacitating himself for 6 months with a back injury?  I have
> not seen much scientific research on the ergonomics of aerobars, but from
> working in one of the top laboratories for LBP [Lower Back Pain] - the OSU
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> Biodynamics Lab, dir. Bill Marras- I can tell you that the position that
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> the aerobars forces you to assume can probably do some nasty things to
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> your spine - there's a recent article in bicycling about bicycling back
^^^^^^^^^^^^
> injuries, too, if you care to look it up.  Personally, I'd take a little
> hand numbness over chronic LBP any day.  This is, due to the lack of research,
> a hot bed of controversy, and I'd love to hear from anyone who has other
> ideas - I will summarize and post.

I think you are way too quick to dismiss aero bars due to "possible back
problems".  Very many long distance cyclists use aerobars explicitly to
relieve hand numbness (and sore triceps).  The Nashbar catalog even has
a sidebar with a discussion of using aerobars to relieve numb hands.
Good aero bars can be adjusted or come in different sizes so that they 
do not force the rider to assume an unnatural position (of being 
stretched out too far or having the elbows too close together (better
aero, but less ergo).   

To dismiss aerobars because they might cause back problems is just as
bad as dismissing cycling altogether because it might cause knee problems.
Try them before condemning them.  I find properly set up aerobars
*VASTLY* more comfortable than drop bars alone - I will never do a long
tour again without aerobars.  So many cyclists (especially triathletes
and tourists) have logged so many miles with aerobars that I'm positive a 
correlation between aerobars and lower back pain would have been proven
by now, just as the introduction of *non-rotation* clipless pedals increased 
the rate of knee injuries amongst cyclists.

BTW, I fractured my T9 vertebrae skiing last year, which made cycling
in quite painful for some time.  It still bothers me occasionally,
like after a long mtb ride/race or a road race with lots of climbing.
My back has *never* bothered me due to using aerobars, in fact it
feels better than when using the drops.

There's good reason why Pete Penseyres helped develop aero bars
for Race Across America - they're fast *and* ergonomic.  
(Boone Lennon developed aerobars independently at the same time
as Penseyres, based on aero qualities of the tuck of downhill ski 
racers with their hands out in front.  Lennon holds the patent).

Keith Erskine
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles