Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Gloves or Grips to Lessen Numbness in Hands for Long Distance?

I know this has been discussed here before, but the newest post I found in search was from 2006 and I'm sure there are new products now so I'm going to ask anew.

I just did my first century, and the only problem I had was numbness in my hands, starting around the 40-mile mark. My right hand is still tingling now, the next day. I was wearing some relatively thin gloves. My bike is a Swobo Dixon with flat bars (note: I am not interested in getting another bike right now, or even new bars). I assume getting some new gloves with better padding would help, yes? Or possibly grips?

Recommendations please? Looking for something for fair weather. Most of my cycling is my 14 mi. RT daily commute and the gloves I already have are fine for that.

I know this has been discussed here before, but the newest post I found in search was from 2006 and I'm sure there are new products now so I'm going to ask anew.

I just did my first century, and the only problem I had was numbness in my hands, starting around the 40-mile mark. My right hand is still tingling now, the next day. I was wearing some relatively thin gloves. My bike is a Swobo Dixon with flat bars (note: I am not interested in getting another bike right now, or even new bars). I assume getting some new gloves with better padding would help, yes? Or possibly grips?

Recommendations please? Looking for something for fair weather. Most of my cycling is my 14 mi. RT daily commute and the gloves I already have are fine for that.

bar ends in combination with better gloves might help, they give your hands a more natural rest position on your bike. It's better for your hands to rest with thumbs up, like you're about to shake someone's hand, rather than with palms flat.

As far as gloves go, I've personally had a lot of good experiences with the Specialized Body Geometry line and would heartily recommend them.

Gloves aren't the answer. You should be able to ride with no gloves and not have any issues. Check your fit first then get cushy gloves if you want them, but they really aren't necessary.

Flat bars probably aren't ideal for long distance road riding but the bar end suggestion is good.

This is my opinion and probably isn't universally accepted!

If you are bent on flat bars, perhaps check out Ergon grips - they've bar end integrated solutions. They are really popular with endurance mountain bike racers.

gloves aren't the answer. You should be able to ride with no gloves and not have any issues. Check your fit first then get cushy gloves if you want them, but they really aren't necessary.

Flat bars probably aren't ideal for long distance road riding but the bar end suggestion is good.

+1

Flat bars are more likely to damage ulnar nerves (http://www.hughston.com/hha/a_15_3_2.htm) over the long haul due to lack of positions, but overall fit (http://www.veloweb.ca/bikefit.html) is the key.

Gloves aren't the answer. You should be able to ride with no gloves and not have any issues. Check your fit first then get cushy gloves if you want them, but they really aren't necessary.

Flat bars probably aren't ideal for long distance road riding but the bar end suggestion is good.

This is my opinion and probably isn't universally accepted!

If you are bent on flat bars, perhaps check out Ergon grips - they've bar end integrated solutions. They are really popular with endurance mountain bike racers.

++1...

I think there's a fit problem here... Gloves and Ergon's (I use both on my MTB) will probably make a positive difference, but you'll want to deal with the root issue.

Finally, (and I know you don't want to hear this) but on long rides I take one of my two drop-bar bikes. I've ridden my flat-bar MTB 70+ miles, it's just not nearly as comfortable.

Road bars with drops are the most comfortable for long rides, you can change hand positions frequently and take pressure off the nerves that are causing numbness. But you aren't interested in that, so learn to deal with the numbness, or only ride short rides.

Given your boundary conditions, bar ends are your best option.

how about road bars, wrapped with nice thick bar tape AND gloves? I ride in the drops a lot, with a fair bit of pressure on my hands, and I'm happy with it.

I went through all of the fitting when I bought the bike, but it's probably worth rechecking. I'll look into bar ends too.

I understand how road bars are better, but I don't think it's worthwhile to get another bike or even changing the bars for a few rides out of the year if there's a simpler solution - for the other 450+ rides during the year, I like the feeling of control that my flat bars provide for my not-smooth and heavily rail-crossed route.

Thanks for the advice!

Kevin,

You might consider aero-bars on your existing flat-bars. They are ideal for longer sections without turns. They would allow you to have an alternate hand position. You could always return your hand to the flat bar when in traffic or on bad pavement. You could also remove them and reinstall them for use on longer rides.

Michael

I bought a set of barends like these for my hybrid bike when I toured on that, helped me a lot:
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/_upload_au/parts/products/zooms/2009/barend_450709.jpg

Looked like this installed, I had to trim 1" off each side of the bar after getting home to make them really great but i did push out almost 200km one day on them. Softer grips help a little bit too but more positions and better fit is the solution.

http://gallery.rhapsody.st/albums/ironfist_tour/t11.sized.jpg

ergon grips are pretty good. i have them combined with on one mary bars on my fixed gear sometimes long distance bike. not sure i'd be doing brevets with that setup - but it is reasonably comfortable.

as to gloves - they make my hands numb. if you are properly positioned and move around on the bike i see no reason to need gloves. i've worked hard to eliminate the need for gloves on rides. 1 less thing to remember and 'gear up' into... and i'm more comfortable.

check your fit. something is off, although i wouldn't ride LD with flat bars, but YMMV.

I went through all of the fitting when I bought the bike, but it's probably worth rechecking.


what did that entail? most bike shop 'fittings' are sort of a joke.

Gloves won't help with a handlebar and riding position combo which already cause numbness. If you already have thin gloves, gloves with thicker pads on them might not necessarily help either. I find that extra padding on gloves is like extra padding on a saddle: it ends up putting pressure in the wrong places and makes things worse.

1) Ergon grips
2) Bar ends
3) Gloves with a decent amount of padding
4) Switch regularly between the grips and the bar-ends
5) Lower your tire pressure a little bit

Have fun....

I just checked the bike fit, and it seems fine.

These Ergon GC3 grips look pretty sweet, what do you think?

http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/product/gc3

Bar ends and grips in one.

I wonder if they are compatible with the i-Motion-9 twist shifter? From the page " Gripshift® compatible, Rohloff® / Nexus® compatible".

I know this has been discussed here before, but the newest post I found in search was from 2006 and I'm sure there are new products now so I'm going to ask anew.

I just did my first century, and the only problem I had was numbness in my hands, starting around the 40-mile mark. My right hand is still tingling now, the next day. I was wearing some relatively thin gloves. My bike is a Swobo Dixon with flat bars (note: I am not interested in getting another bike right now, or even new bars). I assume getting some new gloves with better padding would help, yes? Or possibly grips?

Recommendations please? Looking for something for fair weather. Most of my cycling is my 14 mi. RT daily commute and the gloves I already have are fine for that.

That what it is going to take to get comfortable on a century.

I just checked the bike fit, and it seems fine.


ummm. what did that entail, exactly?

(Getting a new bike right now or even bars) is what it is going to take to get comfortable on a century.

as someone who's comfortably done a half-dozen century rides and an AIDSride between New York and Boston on a flat bar $400 Trek 730, I'll say that this statement isn't entirely accurate.

or true.

or helpful.

as someone who's comfortably done a half-dozen century rides and an AIDSride between New York and Boston on a flat bar $400 Trek 730, I'll say that this statement isn't entirely accurate.

or true.

or helpful.

I have been riding unsupported centuries for 35 years (I am now 60 years old) and I have done that on road bikes and flat bar bikes. My experience is that road bikes allow far more hand positions, allow for a more relaxed neck and shoulder, and if properly fitted are generally more comfortable than flat bars. OTOH, even when properly fitted, flat bar bikes keep your arms and neck and shoulders locked in one position. Bar extenders can offer slightly more movement, but they just don't compare to a road bike fitted with a bar like the Nitto Noodle.

Sorry, that I can't recommend a cushioned bar extension that will make the tingling go away.

oh, I agree that drop bars can be more comfortable over distance for the reasons that you describe, and I also prefer drop bars. However, the OP mentioned that he currently does not have the budget or inclination to get a new bike or new bars (and for any flat bar bike, converting to drops is a non-trivial exercise anyway); so it's probably more helpful to work within those parameters than just tell him that his cause is hopeless and he should give up or surrender to getting a new bike

ummm. what did that entail, exactly?

I checked the standover height and the saddle height (leg straight with clipped-in pedal all the way down). I bought the size of bike listed for my height. I haven't changed the handlebar position or height, but it feels comfortable where it's at. I have no problems commuting on the bike 14 mi RT 7+ days in a row. Now that commuting has become normal, I have zero soreness or pain of any kind, and I use a backpack that is often heavy. If there was a problem with the fit, would I not have had a problem before doing these longer rides?

oh, I agree that drop bars can be more comfortable over distance for the reasons that you describe, and I also prefer drop bars. However, the OP mentioned that he currently does not have the budget or inclination to get a new bike or new bars (and for any flat bar bike, converting to drops is a non-trivial exercise anyway); so it's probably more helpful to work within those parameters than just tell him that his cause is hopeless and he should give up or surrender to getting a new bike

When did I say this?

This is what I said:

That what it is going to take to get comfortable on a century.

Comfortable is the key word. We all have different comfort levels. The OP was beyond his, as I was, trying to do centuries on a flat bar bike. I did them on flat bars for 8 years. So by no means, am I saying that "his cause is hopeless".

I checked the standover height and the saddle height (leg straight with clipped-in pedal all the way down). I bought the size of bike listed for my height. I haven't changed the handlebar position or height, but it feels comfortable where it's at. I have no problems commuting on the bike 14 mi RT 7+ days in a row. Now that commuting has become normal, I have zero soreness or pain of any kind, and I use a backpack that is often heavy. If there was a problem with the fit, would I not have had a problem before doing these longer rides?

standover height is a useless measurement.
leg straight with pedal clipped in seems like you might be too tall on the height - the old rule of thumb is that you put your heel on the pedal and when it is straight you are close to having a decent starting point for height - but need to go up or down from there as your riding style and other position requirements dictate. and other folks will do complicated leg measurement / crank length / etc... to get saddle height.

how wide are the bars? are your hands shoulder width apart while on the bars... or spread out?
where is the front of your knee in relation to the center of pedal? (some folks think this is useful, others not)
what angles are your torso / knees / etc... at when you are on the bars?
are your arms locked or slightly bent?
is your back straight or are you hunched over?
how much bar to saddle drop do you have?

if it feels comfortable where its at... why are you posting here?

fit issues tend to crop up on long rides - as you discovered.
something isn't quite right.
it could just be the grips...
it could just be some gloves...
it might also be fit...
your core strength...
proportion of weight on your hands...
too wide bars (forcing your arms out or your wrists to angle...)

etc. etc. etc.

buy some new grips - then be sure to ride a century on them.
the only way to solve this is to experiment around a bit...
try some new gloves... then ride a century on them.
move your grips in a bit... then ride century on them (or 70 miles, or wherever it starts to hurt...)
work on your core strength... it will help you keep weight off your hands... and see if over time that helps.

etc. etc. etc.

otherwise 100 people on an internet forum will get to argue with each other and you about what might work or not.

I checked the standover height and the saddle height (leg straight with clipped-in pedal all the way down). I bought the size of bike listed for my height. I haven't changed the handlebar position or height, but it feels comfortable where it's at. I have no problems commuting on the bike 14 mi RT 7+ days in a row. Now that commuting has become normal, I have zero soreness or pain of any kind, and I use a backpack that is often heavy. If there was a problem with the fit, would I not have had a problem before doing these longer rides?

Checking the standover and saddle height are part of a fitting, but there is so much more, and you can do most of it with help from one other person for free.

First, your saddle height is not found by the method you used, at least in my experience. Second, standover is pretty meaningless unless it's actually an issue where you don't clear the top tube. There are numerous sites with detailed fit information. One that I think is good if measured with precision is competitive cyclist's fit calculator. It's a bit more detailed than most I've seen online.

Finally, commuting for 14 miles is simply not a good indicator on whether or not you will handle 100 miles, or even 50 miles, comfortably. They are VERY different rides, regardless of whether you have a backpack on or are sore or not on the short ride.

Try putting your bike on a trainer (A cheap one will do) and level it up with a block or some books. Get on and peddle. Are you leaning on the bars? Try adjusting the fit till you're not leaning on the bars, just resting your hands lightly. Made a huge difference for me.
Edit: I had my seat too high, couldn't hold my self up with my feet.

Try putting your bike on a trainer (A cheap one will do) and level it up with a block or some books. Get on and peddle. Are you leaning on the bars? Try adjusting the fit till you're not leaning on the bars, just resting your hands lightly. Made a huge difference for me.
Edit: I had my seat too high, couldn't hold my self up with my feet.

peddle - 1: to travel about with wares for sale ; broadly : sell
2: to be busy with trifles

pedal - 1 : to ride a bicycle
2 : to use or work a pedal


otherwise a good place to start. core strength helps here too. you need to be able to support your torso with your core muscles... otherwise you could end up sitting bolt upright - which may affect saddle fit and issues.

I'm not trying to sell anything. Any way, what you said is is what I meant (I think), that is my core muscles coudn't hold me up, because my seat was too high, no leg leverage. I'm starting to think maybe more cyclists have their saddle too high than too low, judging from the fit and numb hand issues I see posted here. Thanks.

I'll try that, thanks. I think my seat may be too high.

As far as core strength goes, I used to do resistance training regularly but nearly stopped a few years ago. I have a pretty decent cable-crossover type machine in the basement that accomodates all different kinds of exercises, and I'm going to start using it regularly (go through all the exercises twice a week).

I'm not trying to sell anything. Any way, what you said is is what I meant (I think), that is my core muscles coudn't hold me up, because my seat was too high, no leg leverage. I'm starting to think maybe more cyclists have their saddle too high than too low, judging from the fit and numb hand issues I see posted here. Thanks.

saddle height should be determined by knee bend and leg / core angles and alignment, not whether or not your hands go numb.

bar height and reach in relation to saddle - that's where you can tweak the fit.

get your power output in the most effective position over the pedals (legs, saddle fore aft, saddle up down), then work the bars up down and in out. this can be difficult if a frame is too large or small...

saddle height should be determined by knee bend and leg / core angles and alignment, not whether or not your hands go numb.

bar height and reach in relation to saddle - that's where you can tweak the fit.

yeah, just to reinforce what bmike is saying -- if you try to address the hand numbness issue by lowering your saddle, then you're going to swap hand numbness for knee pain. If your hand issues stem from a disproportionate amount of weight being supported by your arms, then the solution is not to lower the saddle, but to raise the bars.

When I said that I lowered the saddle, I meant that I put it at a more proper height, allowing more effective interface with the pedals, thereby putting more weight (and possibly more power) on the pedals and taking weight off my hands. My original suggestion to the OP was to put his bike on a trainer to see if he could find a solution. Adjusting the saddle position was part of mine.

check this out:
http://www.rei.com/product/723266

only $12 grips. i have a pair on some northroad bars, and they look and feel pretty good.

bmike has pretty much laid out the issue. I'd reiterate that the OP's method of obtaining saddle height is incorrect.

I also agree that at some point bar swap is in the works for long distance. My experience w/ bar ends on flat bars says: ulnar damage.

VeloWeb's bike fit primer is still on offer.

I inflated the tires to maximum pressure before the ride, which is what I usually do. I didn't consider that it might cause a comfort issue. They are 26" and I had them at 65 PSI. That probably didn't help either. I'll try inflating them to the middle of the range (52 psi) next time.

I'm going to have a comprehensive fitting done at a local Specialized dealer. I got a shot (it was something similar to slow-release cortizone) from the doctor today and a perscription for an anti-inflammatory. I did my first full commute since the century today and it felt great - my legs felt nice and fresh. I'm not going to do any long-distance rides for at least 3 weeks, and if I feel OK by that time, my goal is to do another century without having this problem.

As for my method of obtaining saddle height, I followed the procedure that is in the manual for the bike, and I've read the same elsewhere. I didn't have any problems with that before doing the century. Apparently when getting into long-distance it's important to be more thorough in the fitting.

I did look at the links you provided; thank you (and everyone else) very much.


bmike has pretty much laid out the issue. I'd reiterate that the OP's method of obtaining saddle height is incorrect.

I also agree that at some point bar swap is in the works for long distance. My experience w/ bar ends on flat bars says: ulnar damage.

VeloWeb's bike fit primer is still on offer.

I inflated the tires to maximum pressure before the ride


not necessary... do some googling on tire pressure. the max is more a manufacturers rec. than practical guide.

One thing that plagued me in the beginning of my cycling habit was the same thing. I consulted a professional and it turned out to be in my elbows. I was keeping my elbows straight and locked and made my hands go numb. I altered my arm position by bending my elbows a bit and what do you know, no more numbness. Also make sure that your wrists are not being bent a lot, this can be remedied by all the 'fitting' comments above.

I'll chime in with my experience on this issue, which was really problematic for me ...

I have a flat bar hybrid. And was experiencing severe numbness/coldness/tingling on my ring and pinkie fingers.

I tried riding gloves. They helped some.
I switched to Ergon grips. They helped some more.
I added bar ends. They helped quite a bit.

Then I was able to do longer rides.

And I got bit by the numbness bug again.

Then I tried butterfly bars, or "trekking" bars if you prefer, available from Nashbar for $15 at the time, and haven't had any problems since. All the hardware ported over the to new bars without a hitch.

Of course, if I had to do it all over again, I would've purchased a road bike instead of a flat bar hybrid, but at the time, I was having back trouble and was concerned that the drops would exacerbate my back problems. Now I know that riding really improves your core strength, and I no longer have back problems. Who knew?

Actually, lowering the saddle does make sense for the recreational/transportational road cyclist. It may not be the absolute most powerful riding position, and so it may not suit a competitor, but the saddle set to the classic height using straight leg with heel over pedal may be the way to go. It's a good enough, reasonable height which will help reduce pressure on the saddle, plus at the same time, since the saddle is placed lower, it will also have to be set further back. This will have the desirable side effect of taking pressure off your hands... hence, numbness may disappear.

I never used to have hand/wrist pain, but started getting it when I switched to integrated brake/shift levers. I'd spend too much time with my hands in one position. Previously I'd always been moving my hands around, from the hoods to the tops to the drops and of course to the shifters on the downtube. Now I have the shifter and the brakes in different locations again, and my hands are good again. Neck hurts a bit, though....

One last thing to check is that the brake levers are angled down in front of your handlebars... if they are angled horizontally (straight out) in front of the bars, it will cause you to keep your wrists bent too much when riding with fingers on the brakes. I used to see this ALL THE TIME from otherwise seasoned riders on MTB's at the shop.....

I also think its worth dropping the seat a bit and moving it back a bit. This will help you to move your weight backwards a little.

Actually, these Serfas grips are great. :thumb: I bought them for my wife and she is very, very happy with them (I am riding drop bars myself).


check this out:
http://www.rei.com/product/723266

only $12 grips. i have a pair on some northroad bars, and they look and feel pretty good.

Gloves aren't the answer. You should be able to ride with no gloves and not have any issues. Check your fit first then get cushy gloves if you want them, but they really aren't necessary.

Flat bars probably aren't ideal for long distance road riding but the bar end suggestion is good.

This is my opinion and probably isn't universally accepted!

If you are bent on flat bars, perhaps check out Ergon grips - they've bar end integrated solutions. They are really popular with endurance mountain bike racers.

Agreed- sounds more like a bike fit issue than a glove issue.

As an update, I had a fitting scheduled at the local Specialized dealer by their mechanic. He was great, and basically told me that the bike wasn't well-suited for long-distance, but he did look at the bike anyway. He lowered the seat a bit, checking my leg angle, and checked to see if I was square on the bike (which was right on). His two further suggestions were 1) (primarily) replace the bar with one with about an inch more rise, which he is going to do once the part is in while I wait, and 2) replace the grips, which he didn't think would help as much. I spent nearly an hour there, after closing time no less, and he charged me nothing for this service when I planned to pay for it (though I don't think he did the whole fitting). Fantastic shop, wish it were closer. He said that putting road bars on wouldn't work well because of the geometry of the bike. I asked about tire pressure and he said it was best to stay in the top end of the range with the type of tire (26" x 1.5), though I am now inflating to 60 PSI instead of the maximum 65 PSI.

In the meantime I've decided to start looking for a bike with drop bars. Tempatation has gotten the better of me. There are worse things to spend money on, right? (That's what I keep telling myself, anyway :lol:) As a compromise between my tightwad unwillingness to spend and my desire to get a faster bike that will be better for long distance, I've decided to look for a good used bike. I like buying used anyway. There was a Miyata 712 bike on Craigslist that I was very interested in; unfortunately the listing was deleted today before I received a response. Looking to stay inside $400. $300 would be better.

I'd also like to give a special thanks to my new riding partner, member Barrettscv, who has devoted much of his time to helping me with this endeavor and opening my cycling horizons to long-distance when I was previously almost strictly a commuter/utility cyclist (which will probably still always be my bread & butter). Michael is a shining example of what makes this community great. I am looking forward to getting a more appropriate bike and being able to keep up with him better. :lol: Thanks to everyone else here as well.