htrider, you are right about the length.
i got a new mtb yesterday for just normal offroad riding (the surly is being fitted with racks and guards for work and touring) and it came fitted with low risers and is nearly 2'' shorter than the surly with the barge like stem.
rode 20 miles offroad this morning, and my wrist felt fine, and also feels fine now. the surly is too long, and that must have been putting the strain on my wrist a fair bit, more than i realised.
so low rise bars, ergon grips and shorter stems will be getting used from now on, and see how i go.

thanks for all the idea's everyone.

and regarding the physio, when i got my ankle fused, the surgeon told me that my wrists were too far gone for surgery. he reccommended hot and cold treatment, and pain relief when needed.

I have knackered wrists too and just had cortisone injections which have helped for now.

Drop bars on the road bike are no problem when i ride on the hoods as the wrists are pretty neutral. I also have a shorter stem and no aggressive drop. Have tri bars fitted too which can give relief as well as the other benefits.

Off road on the 29er I've got ergons and swept bars with practically zero stem and not an aggressive postiton. The biggest tres i can fit are 2.4 but they help too. Making sure I don't hold the bars on rough stuff and just let them rattle around in an open grip helps massively.

Waiting for a review of MRIs with my consultant but I know there's arthritis in one and an old fracture but suspect knackered soft tissue too.

Been using a powerball for physio the last few months which seems to help a bit too as as above there's probably soft tissue issues too.

Good luck figuring it out.

Ton

Have you tried a stooge in your quest? Supposed to be easier on the wrists due to the high front end?

Burko

Burko73 wrote:Ton

Have you tried a stooge in your quest? Supposed to be easier on the wrists due to the high front end?

Burko

no mate, but the front on my Jones+ was very high. it didn't work for me.
I seem sorted for now. I think I was setting my bikes up to be too stretched. a more upright position seems to be working.

Looking at the picture there's a couple of things I'd try:

1. Tilt the saddle nose down by a few, five or so, degrees. Sounds counter-intuitive but it encourages (forces?) you to recruit your core muscles to maintain posture rather than rely on gravity to force you onto the bike. Badly explained I suspect, I would get numb fingers after long (12hrs or so) rides. Tried several things but it turned out to be a result of me shifting my body weight onto my hands because the saddle was constantly knocking <ahem, cough please>"soft tissue" </ahem> After this I also shortened the stem and stuck a load of spacers under the stem. This was on a new set of forks, rigid as it happens. Now even on multi-day rides I'm fine.

2. Try tilting the Jones bars nose up. This should align the sweep of the bars with your wrist joint.

2. Try tilting the Jones bars nose up. This should align the sweep of the bars with your wrist joint.

jones bars no more Bob. Easton 750mm low risers, with ergon grips.

How about this? Think JamesO has had a play on one of these??

the short reach on my new bike has helped. i think the Apps bike is a bit too short and high for me tho.
seen video's of Geoff riding and it does work.