[Nerve compression symptoms after a long bicycle ride--the Great Test of Strength]

Every year a bicycle-race over 540 km is arranged from Trondheim to Oslo, attracting approximately 5,000 amateur participants. It is well known that nerve compression syndromes may occur in connection with cycling, affecting in particular the ulnar nerve in the Guyon's canal and the pudendal nerve. A questionnaire study was carried out to evaluate the frequency of such complaints (N = 260). 32 (20%) of the 169 cyclists who completed the questionnaire reported numbness in the innervation area for the superficial branch of the ulnar nerve and 11% in the area of the median nerve. Approximately 15% reported paresis in the hand. The problem seemed to be transient. There was a slight tendency towards more symptoms among the most experienced cyclists, indicating that chronic compression may be more serious than the compression related to a single long tour.