Originally Posted by
SVTNate
I post this here because I don't know if this is due to my weight (270) or not yet having been properly fitted for my new Roubaix Expert.
After about 10-15 miles I start to feel numbness and tingling in my left forearm/wrist/hand. It's a minor annoyance, but I do need to shake it out and get the blood circulating every few miles after mile 15 or so.
It was raining when I bought my Roubaix a few weeks ago, so I just took the bike home and haven't been properly fitted yet. My LBS does great fitting, and I get a free 30-minute session with my new bike, but I haven't scheduled it yet.
I did have the stem flipped yesterday for more rise on the bars. It's more comfortable, but unfortunately today's ride revealed that the numbness was still there. It's only in my left arm, nothing in my right. No pain or numbness anywhere else on my body. It disappears immediately when I get off the bike. I do not get this doing anything except bicycling (not even on my motorcycle), and have no health problems that I am aware of. I'm 30 years old.
Does anyone have any ideas as to what is causing this? I'm calling my LBS this week to schedule a time to get properly fitted for the bike and make any adjustments they see fit.
Oh, and I should add that I do wear Specialized gloves with gel inserts.
What you are experiencing is called cyclist palsy. More technically, it's called ulnar neuropathy. It's from the vibrations of the road being transmitted through your hands. That constant vibration causes the ulnar nerve to become inflamed and to 'go to sleep' or tingle. Here's
a site that gives some information on the condition and what to do about it.
The problem is part fit, part technique and part equipment. Look at what the site says about fit. Try to hold yourself up a little more with your core muscles. Padding under the tape can also help. I have used Aztec Vibe wrap since about 2005 on my touring bike (long days of riding are tailor made for cyclist palsy) and have cut down my incidence of numbness greatly. I have tried gel under the tape but that hasn't worked for me. There's not enough give in the gel when tightly wrapped by the bar tape.
Vibe wrap is easy to put on but tough to take off so beware. The instructions suggest wrapping the bars in vinyl tape before applying the padding. Do so! A better quality handle bar tape...Cinelli cork or Deda foam...is also a welcome addition.
Shaking or moving your hands around is a good idea too. We tend to get locked into a position and forget to move which, for me, exacerbates the problem. Try riding on the hoods for a while, the the flats, then drops, etc. When all else fails, take a break for a while mid-ride. If you aren't racing, there's nothing that says you have to keep pounding out the miles.