Bike Fit, time to raise my bar position?

[Binky]

I still have the 1997 Kona Cinder Cone that I enjoyed when I was younger. After a good few years of not riding bikes I dug it out of the garage, fixed it up and have been trying to get back into riding, only to find that my thumb and forefingers go numb and I get wrist pain. I've upgraded to new Specialized dual gel gloves, Ergon grips and checked that my wrist position is as it should be with no improvement. Letting my body "Get used to it" doesn't seem like an option as I'm in pain after only a few miles.

I'll admit, I'm not as young or as fit as I used to be, it it worth trying to raise my bar position into a more upright stance to take weight off my wrists? I've seen a few retro MTBs and other bikes with 4" rise BMX cruiser style bars and I'm wondering if this could be the next thing to try. I'm not bothered about my bike build being "proper" or not, I just want to find a way of enjoying riding it again.

Any advice or experiences recommended.

 

[grantoury]

I would definitely try a higher bar. I have brought my bars up higher on my bikes too, but because of pain in my neck.

 

[doctor-bond]

Yes, you can adapt a stretched out MTB with higher front and more forgiving bars. And if you are fond of a bike you’ve owned forever, it’s fun to persevere with. I went full dork with my Specialized below, but you can fine tune for what you need.

Things to think about:
Higher rise shorter reach stem - like a dirt drop.
Bars that curve back: try starting with North Road bars - they are cheap and have lots of curve and sweep, you can also invert them like moustache bars - and when you know what you want, there are loads of tastier options for your final build.
Trial and error is key, so maybe start with a cheap stem with a face plate that allows you to try different bars without loads of fuss - and lock on grips that can easily be removed.
Oh, and when you move the weight off the wrists, it goes backwards, so think about saddles too.