Correction for numb hands?

OK, another possible cause of numb hands, or H/B too low complaints:

I finally dug up the carpenter's level and spent a while trying to get the
saddle level on my Trek 7500FX, and discovered it was tilted downwards a
whole bubble off plumb!

When I went to level it, loosening the seat bolt, the saddle wouldn't tilt.
Finally took it completely off the bike, seat post attached, completely
removed the bolt, and discovered the place where the ridges and valleys
meet allowing incrementing the saddle tilt had almost fused together. It
would NOT budge!. I started looking for an additional set screw, never
imagining that the almuinum ridging on the post and matching underside of
the saddle would fuse.(?)

Noting it was not trim, but over to one side, I took the ball peen hammer
and with a couple taps, was astonished to have it loosen, and I could now
increment the tilt and bolt the whole thing back together, trimming the
spacing from side-to-side also.

In the end I upped the seat height almost an additional inch (in three
increments) and moved the seat forwards.

To my amazement, there was no longer the fairly strong sense of pressure on
the H/B! Turns out the downward tilt was forcing me strongly onto the palms
of my hands, even though it wasn't enough to make me feel I was slipping
forwards in the seat. I -had- thought the problem was inflexibility on my
part, and eventually I'd be able to lean forward better - or - that the
front stem was too short. But no, it was saddle tilt.

Now, a straight edge, which seemed to indicate the H/Bs too low, was now
perfectly level from H/B to saddle.

Pedalling got a rather big boost with the second of the three seat
raisings, no surprise, but a gain of a couple percent at least. I'm also
much more capable of getting the knees together (not easy with the left hip
injury - which tends to pull the left leg out at the hip).

No knee problems yet. I'll probably hold here for a week then try raising
the seat another 1/8".

So if you have too much pressure on the H/B and hands are numb, consider
the seat angle and get a level and check it. Eyeballing may not be
revealing.

HTH,
-B

What is H/B?

Badger_South wrote:
|| OK, another possible cause of numb hands, or H/B too low complaints:
||

"Roger Zoul" wrote in message
...
What is H/B?

Badger_South wrote:
|| OK, another possible cause of numb hands, or H/B too low complaints:
||



handle bar