Training & Nutrition - Numbness in Hands

I dunno if this is the best place for this post, but its got a lot to do with health and training.

I am wondering if anyone has battled with numbness in the hands during long rides and what you've done to combat it. I've been experiencing numbness and have tried a few things so far. Handlebar ends for variation of hand position during riding and gloves. I was thinking of trying to get a stem that raised the bar higher, but the dude at the bike shop told me this can affect stearing and to consider a riser bar. The riser bar he showed me was about 60 bucks (he said there were cheaper aluminum ones) and it seems like a new stem would come to similar costs (as I have to get one that fits cannondales headshock system). The riser seems to bring my hands up about an inch or more which seems like it would put more bend in my elbows and get some weight off my hands.
Another alternative I've been considering is getting a better pair of gloves. Currently I use a cheap pair of specialized which are nothing special. I've seen some nice ones out there that cost 30-35 bucks. In paticular, the Pearl Izumi Gel-Lites look pretty cush. And I think Trek makes a gel padded one for about 30. Has anyone had the experience where upgrading to better gloves made a difference in comfort? Or do you think I need to start messing with the handlebars to make a difference.

Thanks for the input.
Dave

Numbness in hands and feet is fairly common. Good, padded cycling gloves, handlebar tape and repositioning your hands frequently on the bars will prevent that problem. For feet I use stiff Dr. Scholls inserts.
There is a group of nerves in both the palm of your hands and the ball of your feet that need to be cushioned and protected. Your hands can be moved around to help them, but your feet can't. That's why I use the inserts.
You may also experience numbness in the groin area. This can be eliminated by the use of a good saddle and lots of riding. Unfortunately, finding a good saddle is not always easy. It is a trial and error kind of thing. If you have not experienced this on your bike yet, it may be that your saddle is just right for you already.

Originally posted by ljbike

You may also experience numbness in the groin area. This can be eliminated by the use of a good saddle and lots of riding. Unfortunately, finding a good saddle is not always easy. It is a trial and error kind of thing. If you have not experienced this on your bike yet, it may be that your saddle is just right for you already. [/B]

Surprisingly, I haven't experienced any serious crotch pains since getting some decent cycling shorts with padding. But I am considering getting a cushier seat. I do experience some back pain after long rides and I think the stiff seat (or possibly poor genetics) might have something to do with it. While I like the stiffer seat while trail riding, I'm thinking it may make more sense to get a new saddle for long road rides.
I've recently checked out some saddles and its seems like a pretty frustrating task to pick the right one since it seems to me like the best way to know if its right for you is to test it on a few long rides and not just a parking lot.
I guess going on reccomendations is the next best thing?


Dave

I like the Specialized body geometry gloves. The only padding is over the outside heel of your hand -- the place where you pinch that nerve.

Another thing to try is to wear looser gloves, or just loosen the cinch on the gloves you have. Tight gloves can be a major culprit.

You were heading in the right direction when you were looking to raise your handlebars.

I have found that the most effective way to overcome hand numbness is raising the handlebars.

Gel grips, padded gloves, etcetera are all helpful, but secondary to positioning the handlebar.

sounds like you need a road bike!
they are the best thing for the long rides.
with my road bike I dont put pressure on my hands at all.
with a hydrid or mtn bike you cant really change the position of your back that mush so your hands carry the load most of the time.
I found that padded gloves work ok but not the gel seems the gel moves. to the wrong spot putting pressure on the nerves..
well thats my 2 cents


K

Thanks for the tip mike. Thats the kind of feedback I think I need to hear.

Seems like there is quite a range in raisers. From Aluminum to Carbon. Any recommendations? Most of my riding is road, but I enjoy abusing my machine on trails. And I think as I get more experienced, I will enjoy the ruff stuff even more.
Bike Shop Dude told me that Carbon flexes a little which can be easier on me. Apparently it is also guaranteed against snapping. But is it worth the 100 dolar price tag?

Dave

Now for the impoverished tip (from the one who can't afford spanky handlebars etc but is still addicted to long rides). Every so often I take one hand of the handlebars and shake it for a few seconds. It allows the blood to flow and prevents a heck of a lot of pain.

If you are putting weight on your hands, STOP!!!!

Hold your body up with your trunk muscles, yes- this can be learned.
If you slide forward on your saddle raise the nose so it's level or slighlty nose up you can learn to deal with this too, tilt your hips back a bit. Having to ride with a "nose down" saddle to be comfortable is very often a symptom of a high saddle height that is too high.

Ride Without Numbness
Pat

The Body Geometry gloves by Specialized work wonders as velocepideo said. The ulner nerve is what causes the numbness in the hand (I'm not really that smart, it says it on the glove). I was having a lot of problems with numbness, but after I bought the Specialized gloves the problem went away entirely.

D,

This may seem silly but I think it has a role. Something that may play a part is wearing jerseys with tight sleeves (short). I have this jersey that kinda binds right about two inches above the elbows and I seriously think it cuts off circulation. Needless to say I don't wear that jersey often.

Besides poorly padded gloves.

Originally posted by Bobsled
This may seem silly but I think it has a role. Something that may play a part is wearing jerseys with tight sleeves (short). I have this jersey that kinda binds right about two inches above the elbows and I seriously think it cuts off circulation. Needless to say I don't wear that jersey often.

That post is not silly at all. A lack of circulation is a major cause of numbness. I used to have this habit of gripping my handlebars ultra tightly during climbs, and it led to numbness as well. As I said, every so often, take one hand of the bars for a few seconds and give it a good shake. If that doesn't work, the problem may well be a tight sleeved jersey.

Also try bar ends or Time trial extensions to give you more hand positions. I use randonneur drops on my road bikes, and though I still get some numbness on longer rides, if I keep moving position, not really a problem.

Another reason for numbness can be road vibration so it might be worth thinking about which tyres to use when it comes time to change

I had the same problem until I realized I was riding with my wrists bent. You wrists and forearm should form a straight line through the bar. My tendancy is to let my wrists roll back so that my wrists are lower than my hands and hands are bent slightly back. This always leads to numbness. Also, if your hands are very small, the combination of gloves and large diameter rubber grips can also increase the problem. Now, if I can just get rid of this numbness from the neck up....