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Numbness in the hands


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Anybody got some advice for helping with numbness in the hands? After about an hours ride, my hands are numb to the extend that I struggle to shift.

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Anybody got some advice for helping with numbness in the hands? After about an hours ride, my hands are numb to the extend that I struggle to shift.

road or mtb ?

 

First off, probably bike fit.

 

But, what I've found aswell is if I wear the wrong gloves circulation in my hand gets affected and I get numb hands.

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Have you had proper bike fit? Sounds like you have a lot of weight on your hands...

 

Other things to consider

It can also mean that you are running to high tyre pressures...fork no real suspension dampening etc.

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Anybody got some advice for helping with numbness in the hands? After about an hours ride, my hands are numb to the extend that I struggle to shift.

 

Not an expert by any means, but my first thoughts would be to check your bike set up. Best is to find a professional bike set up expert (cycle lab with their 'lazer guidance' still got mine wrong).

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Also just throwing it out there.....

 

1. Can be too much pressure on hands

2. Stem to short

3. Stem / bars not high enough [use all your spacers]

4. Seat tilt, i have a very slight tilt up, helps with numb hands

5. Is your seat very high compared to bar height

6. Bar sweep angle, width.

 

As the guys said above, a bike fit will help allot.

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Rudolf, two things: bike fit and gloves, as everyone has said. 

 

A bike fitter is not just a bike fitter. There are a great number of people who claim to be bike fitters but are really a bit "hit or miss". So even if you have had a bike fit done, it may be worth your while to go to one of the more reputable fitters and have it checked out.

 

As to the gloves, if you are using gloves which have padding in the palm (those gel inserts or similar), try riding either without them or preferably with gloves with no padding. I find that I cannot use those gloves – they make my hands go numb, regardless of the fact that my bike fit is absolutely right. When I use gloves that have no inserts, I have no problems. It may be that you are similar.

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Rudolf, two things: bike fit and gloves, as everyone has said. 

 

A bike fitter is not just a bike fitter. There are a great number of people who claim to be bike fitters but are really a bit "hit or miss". So even if you have had a bike fit done, it may be worth your while to go to one of the more reputable fitters and have it checked out.

 

As to the gloves, if you are using gloves which have padding in the palm (those gel inserts or similar), try riding either without them or preferably with gloves with no padding. I find that I cannot use those gloves – they make my hands go numb, regardless of the fact that my bike fit is absolutely right. When I use gloves that have no inserts, I have no problems. It may be that you are similar.

I can't seem to find short finger gloves without padding, Farr used to have, but since they abandoned their home country they are no longer available.

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Anybody got some advice for helping with numbness in the hands? After about an hours ride, my hands are numb to the extend that I struggle to shift.

 

- Gloves too small.

- Hard grips (think ESI extra chunky or Wolftooth Fat Paw).

- Bike setup/fit (heavy upper body, too much weight on hands, saddle too far forwards, stem too low, etc)

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I also had success throwing away my gloves.  No more numbness.

 

Trying to find a glove in Pretoria that does not have a seam running between your thumb and your index finger (I think that is where my pressure issue lies) is impossible.

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Just to pay devils advocate..

 

How heavy are you from your waist up? My bike is fitted by SPOOK. yes i do ride a fairly aggresive setup with my handlebars below my seat height. my fike "fits like a glove". 

 

But then i got fat. 20kg fatter to be precise. so the weight on my hands got more and i had to move up 5mm on stem height to help shift weight back onto my ass.

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Knowing the OP I can give my observation:

 

Fit gent not heavy riding his dual suspension regularly and also looking for a road bike now. He has had several bike fits.

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Someone once mentioned to me the width of your bar...the wider it is the more your wrists turn inwards or something and this can cause numb hands...?




 

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Someone once mentioned to me the width of your bar...the wider it is the more your wrists turn inwards or something and this can cause numb hands...?

 

100% correct, causes issue with the ulnar nerve in the elbow. Natural hand position is inclined to rotate outwards.

 

Speaking from experience, this will generally affect the ring/pinky finger, but there may be transferred pain/numbness between nerves.

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