Chronic numb hands while biking

[hozn]

@KLizotte 56079 wrote:

Just found out tonight that thicker bar tape makes a big difference. Riding on the flat part of the bars is so much more comfortable now.

Have you also considered the bars that have a more flattened top? I think FSA does this, but have not tried any of their bars myself. You can also get gel strips to put under the tape. I hear that improves comfort too.

[KLizotte]

Yes, the bars that came with the bike have a flattened top but that is not so noticeable now with the cork tape. The tape that was put on by the bike manufacturer (Cannondale) was so thin that I had to keep re-arranging the tape to keep the metal from showing through and I could feel the cables running underneath. Blech.

[Amalitza]

@KLizotte 56078 wrote:

Also, being only 5’2″ I have very short fingers which means that I’m always stretching to use the levers. They have shims in them but I’ve always felt like they are a little too far away for my hands to be 100% comfortable. If you are on the vertically challenged side, you may also have this problem.

I do, and I whine about it regularly. Don’t encourage me.

I am not banned from anything, though I am supposed to wear the wrist brace thingy which is really annoying on the bike, and effectively prevents me from throwing clay,** officially banned or not. No diagnosis, going for x-rays and then whatever next, but I’m allowed to still do stuff in the meantime. And while my doctor said she could still tell a difference in grip strength between my hands, it does feel normal again to me after a few days’ rest, and I’m able to both shift a bicycle and crush aluminum cans with it again.

**talking about making pottery, not hiding around a corner of the custis and throwing dirt at people as they ride by or something. though that kinda sounds like it could be fun, too

[Tania]

@KLizotte 56059 wrote:

I have some moderately good news to report.

I’ve done 117 miles the past four days and my hands have felt much better in terms of numbness severity. I haven’t changed anything on the bike but have become obsessive about my upper body positioning. I have a tendency to bunch up my shoulders so now I’m constantly telling myself to relax and hang loose, change hand positions very frequently, keep pushing myself back in the saddle since I tend to scooch forward, hold the handlebars with the least amount of grip possible, etc. Hopefully this will all become unconscious habit soon. More core strength will help too.

The numbness in my left hand has disappeared (yeah!) but I still experience it in the right hand; unfortunately I get numbness in that hand off the bike (e.g., driving) so I think it is a lost cause. At least the numbness isn’t as severe as it was a few weeks ago. Unfortunately riding in the drops for any length of time causes the numbness to come back with a vengeance but I’m concentrating on the hoods for now.

I’m going to pick up some handlebar tape today that offers more vibration protection. I’m also going to see Clovis again for a checkup, probably at the end of the summer when he is less busy unless I can get some time off from work mid-week.

Yes I’m dragging up an old thread. And I think you’ve recently acquired another bike so this may all be moot.

My wrists ache like crazy and even now my entire right arm from elbow down is numb and tingling after a four hour gravel ride Monday during which I pretty much death gripped and/or rode my brakes the entire time (Ok, I’m exaggerating…maybe it was like 60% of the time). Anyway, I hurt. My wrists had been pretty achy going into the ride (from other activities) so the gravel ride either exacerbated a chronic thing OR because my wrists were sore I was in a wonky position and created a secondary issue. I didn’t have the numbness prior to Monday. I also hit a large pothole about mile 20 and that’s about when my wrist really started to get BAD.

I saw my PT this am and I’ve called Freshbikes the past two days to get a bike fit scheduled but no one has called me back yet (grrrrr…). If my arm is still this numb tomorrow I’m going to get it checked out further.

Did you find the tweaks you made above helped (after more than just a few days)?

[Sunyata]

@Tania 123888 wrote:

My wrists ache like crazy and even now my entire right arm from elbow down is numb and tingling after a four hour gravel ride Monday during which I pretty much death gripped and/or rode my brakes the entire time (Ok, I’m exaggerating…maybe it was like 60% of the time).

What about your hand? Are your fingers numb? Specifically your middle and ring fingers on that hand?

This sounds suspiciously like ulnar nerve entrapment, which is a fairly common cyclist injury/aggravation. There are a lot of stretches and exercises that you can do to help ease the swelling around the nerve.

If this is it, having a proper bike fit will most likely help prevent it from happening (I dealt with this last year and ended up buying new grips for my full suspension mountain bike that permanently *knock on wood* fixed the problem). In addition, moving around a bit on the bike and making sure to stretch that nerve before, during, and after rides will help also.

[Anonymous]

Short term for the current discomfort, have you taken anything for it? Try 800mg of ibuprofen if you’re comfortable self-prescribing (that is prescription strength). You are taking this for its anti-inflammatory properties, not as a pain-killer, so if you do this you will want to keep up w/ repeating the dose every 4-6 hours for at least a day or two to give it a chance to bring down the swelling.

I was eventually diagnosed with chronic tendonitis in both wrist and shoulder. The wrist responded well to a prescription anti inflammatory (don’t remember what) but needed PT to help straighten out the shoulder. The wrist is still occasionally aggravated by stupid stuff (certain lifting/weight-bearing plus bending or twisting motions that I know to avoid but sometimes do without thinking) but can usually clear it up pretty quickly with care to avoid further irritation, and the above ibuprofen regimen.

Longer term bike positioning, I will VERY VERY STRONGLY second this:

@Dirt 55341 wrote:

I occasionally have problems with this. When I look at the times when I get numbness in my hands, it is usually when I’m tired and supporting my weight using the base of my palms anywhere on the handlebars (hoods, tops, drops, etc).

Generally I find that I don’t have problems when I’m grabbing the hoods or drops from the sides, using the muscles of my hands and arms to support my weight rather than the bone structure of my palms and wrists. When grabbing the tops, I do better when I support my weight holding the bars closer to my fingers… having the bar contact right where my fingers meet my hand. I try not to have my wrist bent way back when doing that. It takes a little more energy to hold the bars that way and that is difficult on a long ride, but, like everything, it becomes easier and more second nature with practice.

Dirt

Keeping wrists straight, weight off palms, and loosening rather than tightening grip when dealing with rough surfaces are essential for me. That last one was hard for me to learn and took constant self-reminders, but I eventually got it and also helps with better bike control in addition to increased comfort.

[Tania]

Not so much those two fingers as the entire outside of my palm and down along the outside of my forearm up through the elbow. I suspect when I hit that hole and got jolted, I pinched something that was already angry. It’s better this am.

And so I’ve decided to just get a new gravel bike. My Cannondale is awesome for commuting but it’s a little short when I go into the drops for rocky descents and the brakes and I have never really meshed. I love it otherwise and it will be my daily commuter/road bike.

Let the gravel bike shopping begin. (Dirt is helping me!) 😎

[DaveK]

@Tania 123923 wrote:

Not so much those two fingers as the entire outside of my palm and down along the outside of my forearm up through the elbow. I suspect when I hit that hole and got jolted, I pinched something that was already angry. It’s better this am.

And so I’ve decided to just get a new gravel bike. My Cannondale is awesome for commuting but it’s a little short when I go into the drops for rocky descents and the brakes and I have never really meshed. I love it otherwise and it will be my daily commuter/road bike.

Let the gravel bike shopping begin. (Dirt is helping me!) 😎

If FB isn’t getting back to you I really recommend Chris at Bike Doctor Waldorf. He’s one of the most knowledgeable guys around when it comes to bike fitting, helpful, not pushy in the least, and will bend over backwards to help a customer. It’s a drive to get there but it’s worth it.

[Crickey7]

@Tania 123923 wrote:

Let the gravel bike shopping begin. (Dirt is helping me!) 😎

I vote for at least looking at a Cannondale Quick CX. The Headshok models are very similar to the old-style Bad Boy.

[KLizotte]

@Tania 123888 wrote:

Yes I’m dragging up an old thread. And I think you’ve recently acquired another bike so this may all be moot.

My wrists ache like crazy and even now my entire right arm from elbow down is numb and tingling after a four hour gravel ride Monday during which I pretty much death gripped and/or rode my brakes the entire time (Ok, I’m exaggerating…maybe it was like 60% of the time). Anyway, I hurt. My wrists had been pretty achy going into the ride (from other activities) so the gravel ride either exacerbated a chronic thing OR because my wrists were sore I was in a wonky position and created a secondary issue. I didn’t have the numbness prior to Monday. I also hit a large pothole about mile 20 and that’s about when my wrist really started to get BAD.

I saw my PT this am and I’ve called Freshbikes the past two days to get a bike fit scheduled but no one has called me back yet (grrrrr…). If my arm is still this numb tomorrow I’m going to get it checked out further.

Did you find the tweaks you made above helped (after more than just a few days)?

Putting on thick, cork tape really helped a lot. I still get occasional numbness in my right hand so I end up having to shake it while riding. Remembering to relax my shoulders and loosen my grip really helps a lot too. On some rides my hand doesn’t go numb at all, and on other rides, it goes numb right away. I’ve never been able to figure out why. I know I put too much weight on the handlebars; also, I use my mouse constantly at work and that has caused a long term issue as well since my wrist tends to be sore all the time.

My best advice is to put on tape that will absorb the vibration and learn to loosen up your upper body as much as possible. Also, make sure your handlebar width is no wider than your shoulders (you need someone to measure you for that).

Lastly, your problem seems much more severe than mine so a good ortho doc and PT specialist is in order. Sorry to hear about your aches and pains!

[kwarkentien]

The gravel riding certainly puts more pressure on your hands. I definitely found that I was “riding heavy” on my hands (and feet!) during my GAP/C&O trip, much more so than normal. Even with s full carbon setup, the rougher ride certainly transferred to and through the bars to my hands. I would imagine that’s part of it as well.

[DrP]

I too get numbness in my fingers and hands when cycling. It sounds like you are all using drop handle bars. If that is the case, are there suggestions for folks with straight or risers? (I have hybrids, one is definitely a riser and the other seems too flat for a riser but too curved for a true straight). I have more issues when going downhill and needing to grab the brakes, but it seems to occur at other times as well. If I straighten up for a little bit and move my arms and hands around, the feeling comes back. I am a little further from the bar for my new bike and the problem is a little worse at the moment (I keep hoping that I am just needing to get used to a slightly different position). I have been attempting to hold on a bit more loosely, as was one suggestion. There were some comments about hand placement being wider than shoulders and that is definitely the case on these bikes, but I do not see too much of an option there without moving most of the gear (breaks, gears, bell, lights) inward to where I am not sure all would fit (at least the lights). How short can a set of handlebars really be?

I guess I am trying to figure out if there is a common/easy solution to this or if I really need a bike fitting or just a get a whole new upper back and shoulders (latter probably not actually possible since I think my parents skimped and did not get the full lifetime warranty for me) Any other suggestions to try from someone who has had the issue with the typical hybrid handlebars?

[vvill]

I’d try one or more of: better padded gloves; better padded grips; bending elbows more; adjusting the brake lever reach (maybe they are too far out?); a higher volume front tire at lower pressure; putting more weight elsewhere on the bike (ideally the pedals); increasing core strength/flexbility; adding bar ends or other grip positions to flat bars. That’s if you don’t want to go full bore on a bike fit, although I’d guess a bike fit might include one or more of those suggestions too.

I don’t think wide handlebars would really cause a ton of hand pain assuming you don’t have frozen shoulders or whatever.

Google Image Search a fixed gear hipster bike. They have some super narrow handlebars!

[DrP]

Thank you. Some of those I think I am already trying – the new bike came with ergonomic grips (they are not just round grips on the bar, but have a place for the heel of your hand) and I have padded gloves of varying amounts (so far, no difference). I can try the bending elbows more and thus be bent over more (only way to have bent elbows on this bike), but that puts more strain on the upper back, so I need to figure out how not to add strain. With the biking, weightlifting, and stretching/exercises I already do, I am not sure I have time to add more core work to my mix (3-5hr a day seems to be spent on exercising, so I do not have time for much more until I get to retire in too many years from now. Maybe it is too much exercise). I think I will actively try to not tighten my upper back as I ride for a couple of more weeks before I change a few things on the bike itself (with or without the fitter).

[streetsmarts]

So I’m trying to assimilate everyone’s advice – I’m having arm pain/numbness.
I’ve read threads that have been on here over the years .

I’m sure the pain and numbness is due to improper fit or changing from a mountain bike with knobby tires to my new commuter bike (which I like, other than this problem).
(It’s a “touring bike, a Kona Rova”). I used to ride an old mountain bike. I ride 7.5 miles, hopefully about 3 days a week or more, one way to work.

My new bike has
drop bars
no handlebar tape other than what it came with
a spacer to make it a little more upright
Schwalbe Road Plus w/Puncture Protect 700x35c (per the website)

I have gloves, with not much padding.

I’m taking a few days off because it’s scary to have pain, numbness and tingling in my hands. and I type all day!

So much advice is offered here on the thread.

What would you do *first*? (also – is it true that for every person I ask, I’ll get a different answer?!)

1. go to the bike shop where I bought it and ask them to add/change things to help me to a better fit? Expect to spend money on tape, spacers, etc.?
2. Ride with less air in the tires? I think the max is 70, and I’ve been using about 70.
3. spend $175-$200 for a bike fit? Not sure this is the answer before # 1.
4. See a doctor.
5. Do exercises? Stretch, strengthening.

What would you do?

[Author]

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