Riding with a splinted finger?

Bret

I fell of my cross bike last week and somehow managed to tear up my
little finger. I've torn an extensor tendon and some ligaments and so
I have to splint the finger for six weeks. Not a major injury, but
uncomfortable to ride with. I'm using a simple padded aluminum splint
and am then taping the splinted finger to the next finger for lateral
support. It really limits the hand positions and road vibration can be
painful. What works best is to pin the splint to the handlebar when I
see something rough ahead. Any advice on how to improve this situation
would be appreciated.

Bret

Howard Kveck

In article <9469a45d-9594-4340-b785-02100a6e052a@u69g2000hse.googlegroups.com>,
Bret <bret.wade@gmail.com> wrote:

> I fell of my cross bike last week and somehow managed to tear up my
> little finger. I've torn an extensor tendon and some ligaments and so
> I have to splint the finger for six weeks. Not a major injury, but
> uncomfortable to ride with. I'm using a simple padded aluminum splint
> and am then taping the splinted finger to the next finger for lateral
> support. It really limits the hand positions and road vibration can be
> painful. What works best is to pin the splint to the handlebar when I
> see something rough ahead. Any advice on how to improve this situation
> would be appreciated.

I had a broken fourth metacarpal and after the cast (which was on *way* too long)
I was given a fiberglass splint. This was a channel shaped thing that fit onto the
side of my hand and is held in place with a wrap of ace bandage. It started out
really long (past my fingertips and well up my wrist) but I trimmed it down a few
times. I thought that was alright to wear when riding. It did limit hand positions
but not badly - I could still shift Campy levers (it was my right hand) reasonably
easily. As for vibration, I think it was pretty decent at easing that to manageable
levels. The full cast was the same - I was riding in that three days after I got it.

When you see rough road ahead, try moving your hand so your first two fingers are
wrapped around the bar at the part that bends forward, thumb underneath, and the
other two are floating. It does ease the shock.

I hope it heals fast. Oh, get into physical therapy as soon as possible to avoid
having to spend ages trying to stretch your fingers into a full grip position. They
do tighten up surprisingly quickly.

--
tanx,
Howard

Whatever happened to
Leon Trotsky?
He got an icepick
That made his ears burn.

remove YOUR SHOES to reply, ok?

bjw@mambo.ucolick.org

On Apr 20, 10:56*pm, Bret <bret.w...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I fell of my cross bike last week and somehow managed to tear up my
> little finger. I've torn an extensor tendon and some ligaments and so
> I have to splint the finger for six weeks. Not a major injury, but
> uncomfortable to ride with. I'm using a simple padded aluminum splint
> and am then taping the splinted finger to the next finger for lateral
> support. It really limits the hand positions and road vibration can be
> painful. What works best is to pin the splint to the handlebar when I
> see something rough ahead. Any advice on how to improve this situation
> would be appreciated.

I got doored in the hand a couple of years ago (index finger)
and had to ride a mountain bike with bald tires for a couple of
weeks - couldn't manage the road bike hand positions, and
I think the fatter tires and grip padding helped. For the first
several days, I would actually take my hand off the bars
for bumpy stretches of pavement, which isn't really that good
an idea, but it beat the intense pain.

The pain will probably decrease a lot in a couple of
weeks although the splint will still be awkward.

Ben

Bret

On Apr 21, 12:14*am, Howard Kveck <YOURhow...@h-SHOESbomb.com> wrote:
> In article <9469a45d-9594-4340-b785-02100a6e0...@u69g2000hse.googlegroups.com>,
>
> *Bret <bret.w...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > I fell of my cross bike last week and somehow managed to tear up my
> > little finger. I've torn an extensor tendon and some ligaments and so
> > I have to splint the finger for six weeks. Not a major injury, but
> > uncomfortable to ride with. I'm using a simple padded aluminum splint
> > and am then taping the splinted finger to the next finger for lateral
> > support. It really limits the hand positions and road vibration can be
> > painful. What works best is to pin the splint to the handlebar when I
> > see something rough ahead. Any advice on how to improve this situation
> > would be appreciated.
>
> * *I had a broken fourth metacarpal and after the cast (which was on *way* too long)
> I was given a fiberglass splint. This was a channel shaped thing that fit onto the
> side of my hand and is held in place with a wrap of ace bandage. It started out
> really long (past my fingertips and well up my wrist) but I trimmed it down a few
> times. I thought that was alright to wear when riding. It did limit hand positions
> but not badly - I could still shift Campy levers (it was my right hand) reasonably
> easily. As for vibration, I think it was pretty decent at easing that to manageable
> levels. The full cast was the same - I was riding in that three days afterI got it.
>
> * *When you see rough road ahead, try moving your hand so your first two fingers are
> wrapped around the bar at the part that bends forward, thumb underneath, and the
> other two are floating. It does ease the shock.
>
> * *I hope it heals fast. Oh, get into physical therapy as soon as possible to avoid
> having to spend ages trying to stretch your fingers into a full grip position. They
> do tighten up surprisingly quickly.
>
> --
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * tanx,
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Howard
>
> * * * * * * * * * * * * Whatever happened to
> * * * * * * * * * * * * Leon Trotsky?
> * * * * * * * * * * * * He got an icepick
> * * * * * * * * * * * * That made his ears burn.
>
> * * * * * * * * * * *remove YOUR SHOES to reply, ok?

Thanks Howard. Letting the splint float free doesn't work well for me
due to the increase movement. It's better to pin it against the bar.
Maybe I'll try some extra padding on the bar so that I can prevent
movement, but soften the big hits.

Bret

Bret

On Apr 21, 12:19*am, "b...@mambo.ucolick.org" <b...@mambo.ucolick.org>
wrote:

> I got doored in the hand a couple of years ago (index finger)
> and had to ride a mountain bike with bald tires for a couple of
> weeks - couldn't manage the road bike hand positions, and
> I think the fatter tires and grip padding helped. *For the first
> several days, I would actually take my hand off the bars
> for bumpy stretches of pavement, which isn't really that good
> an idea, but it beat the intense pain.
>
> The pain will probably decrease a lot in a couple of
> weeks although the splint will still be awkward.
>
> Ben

Thanks Ben. I've been instinctively letting go of the bars at some bad
times too, but I think I've trained myself to stop doing that and
instead find a place to brace the splint.

Bret

Fred Fredburger

bjw@mambo.ucolick.org wrote:

> For the first
> several days, I would actually take my hand off the bars
> for bumpy stretches of pavement, which isn't really that good
> an idea, but it beat the intense pain.

Yeah. I rode with a broken wrist for a couple years back. I rested my
hand on the bar sometimes, but mostly rode one handed.
Good idea or not, it got me by.

Colin Campbell

Fred Fredburger wrote:
> bjw@mambo.ucolick.org wrote:
>
>> For the first
>> several days, I would actually take my hand off the bars
>> for bumpy stretches of pavement, which isn't really that good
>> an idea, but it beat the intense pain.
>
> Yeah. I rode with a broken wrist for a couple years back. I rested my
> hand on the bar sometimes, but mostly rode one handed.
> Good idea or not, it got me by.

Gotta ride, right?

Fred Fredburger

Colin Campbell wrote:
> Fred Fredburger wrote:
>> bjw@mambo.ucolick.org wrote:
>>
>>> For the first
>>> several days, I would actually take my hand off the bars
>>> for bumpy stretches of pavement, which isn't really that good
>>> an idea, but it beat the intense pain.
>>
>> Yeah. I rode with a broken wrist for a couple years back. I rested my
>> hand on the bar sometimes, but mostly rode one handed.
>> Good idea or not, it got me by.
>
> Gotta ride, right?

Yeah, but I apparently don't have to stop. I certainly wasn't braking
with that hand either.

Bret

On Apr 21, 12:19*am, "b...@mambo.ucolick.org" <b...@mambo.ucolick.org>
wrote:

> The pain will probably decrease a lot in a couple of
> weeks although the splint will still be awkward.

Good call. The finger was feeling pretty good today at two weeks and
the split was still feeling pretty awkward so I decided to go over the
bars today to see how good it really was. Well it wasn't really a
decision but thats how it turned out. No real harm done but I went to
the drugstore and bought a more rugged splint anyway. I now own four
different splints and the wife is getting annoyed.

Bret

ronaldo_jeremiah

On Apr 21, 12:56*am, Bret <bret.w...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I fell of my cross bike last week and somehow managed to tear up my
> little finger.... Any advice on how to improve this situation
> would be appreciated.
>
> Bret

Take some Midol. Wuss.

-rj

bjw@mambo.ucolick.org

On Apr 25, 10:19*pm, Bret <bret.w...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Apr 21, 12:19*am, "b...@mambo.ucolick.org" <b...@mambo.ucolick.org>
> wrote:
>
> > The pain will probably decrease a lot in a couple of
> > weeks although the splint will still be awkward.
>
> Good call. The finger was feeling pretty good today at two weeks and
> the split was still feeling pretty awkward so I decided to go over the
> bars today to see how good it really was. Well it wasn't really a
> decision but thats how it turned out. No real harm done but I went to
> the drugstore and bought a more rugged splint anyway. I now own four
> different splints and the wife is getting annoyed.

Is she annoyed because you have a garage full
of splints, or because you keep landing on your head?
She rides, right? It should be obvious that you need
one splint for each bicycle - you can't have your
splint and bike clashing. However, if you get a
carbon fiber splint, that's a sure sign your case
of Masters Fattism has gone terminal.

Ben

Bret

On Apr 26, 9:07*pm, "b...@mambo.ucolick.org" <b...@mambo.ucolick.org>
wrote:
> On Apr 25, 10:19*pm, Bret <bret.w...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > On Apr 21, 12:19*am, "b...@mambo.ucolick.org" <b...@mambo.ucolick.org>
> > wrote:
>
> > > The pain will probably decrease a lot in a couple of
> > > weeks although the splint will still be awkward.
>
> > Good call. The finger was feeling pretty good today at two weeks and
> > the split was still feeling pretty awkward so I decided to go over the
> > bars today to see how good it really was. Well it wasn't really a
> > decision but thats how it turned out. No real harm done but I went to
> > the drugstore and bought a more rugged splint anyway. I now own four
> > different splints and the wife is getting annoyed.
>
> Is she annoyed because you have a garage full
> of splints, or because you keep landing on your head?
> She rides, right? *It should be obvious that you need
> one splint for each bicycle - you can't have your
> splint and bike clashing. *However, if you get a
> carbon fiber splint, that's a sure sign your case
> of *Masters Fattism has gone terminal.
>
> Ben

I like both my bikes and splints to be aluminum. I do ride a carbon
road bike but that wasn't my decision. The wife rides a Ti Serotta and
both approves and disapproves of every decision I make.

Bret