Does using flared bars help reduce wrist pain?

I’m new to proper gravel bikes, having only used a 29er hardtail or a narrow tired road bike for riding our dirt roads and singletrack. This fall I got a gravel machine.

With my hardtail, I’ve never suffered from wrist pain or finger numbness. This is not true of my road bikes for the past 25+ years. I’m fine for the first hour but as the ride continues, I face increasing circulation issues.

I always got road bike fittings, and my hands again are fine for the first 60 minutes but gradually the numbness comes. I notice on my hardtail this is not the case as my handlebars have more backsweep and my wrists can relax in a more natural position. With traditional road drop bars with zero flare, this is not the case.

Would riding on the hoods with flared drop bars help with this situation, given the wrists are on more of an angle?

Before I go spend $200 on new flared bars and tape, could I see a major difference?

TheSubaruGuru wrote:My experiences with hand pain and numbness were related more to the geometry of the flats and corners than the drops, so I'm quite happy with The Wave and the Aussie clone. Each is more comfy than the more-flared but otherwise standard geometry newbies I tried. But if you ride in the drops a lot I can see where a moderate flare is attractive.

geofharries wrote:

I took notice of my position this morning while I was on the indoor trainer. My saddle to bar drop is about 3" (it's been way more in the past; I have a very long inseam) and it's the angle and pressure on my palms as they rest against the corners of the bars that causes pinching and pain.

I don't ride in the drops much, mainly because they are so far down.

TheSubaruGuru wrote:I revisited the top photo, noticing that it's a flared bar with an OPPOSITE top angle geometry to what I find optimal to both reduce pain and provide a third position. Riding on the tops with this bar would be quite painful for me; the tops should be angled slightly backward to provide a more natural angle for the hand and wrist to lie. Again, I find The Wave quite a fine iteration of my ideal.

I would like to have the angle on the tops, like the Wave, but the other bends are more important for me. 

25 years of wrist pain or finger numbness! I am surprised you haven’t looked for a solution by now.

I would expect the stack and reach of the hardtail have also contributed to the comfort level

Prior to the flared bars outlay, consider raising the bar height and using a shorter stem, both will release weight from your hands.

When looking at flared bars also consider the length of the drop, your road bike drop will have also contributed to this when riding on them.

geofharries wrote:
I don't ride in the drops much, mainly because they are so far down.