Road Cycling - weakness in left hand after ride

So sat. I rode 40 miles (2hr 10min) and as soon as I got off my, I notice that I had no strength in my left hand. I had no strength in closing my hand (to grab my keys) and no strength to turn the key or open the door to my house. My first thought was I had been riding weird (I am still dialling in my saddle position, but I felt very comfortable on my ride) and I had just key the blood flow off to my hand. I never had the "pins and needles" feeling that I would have expected if that was the case. And I would have not thought anything of this, except I was still weak in my left hand on sun. not as weak, but still did not have the strength in closing my hand, so I did not ride on sun.
This morning (mon.), if I rub the inside of my forearm (left arm), I feel a little muscle soreness.


Is this just my arms are not in as good of shape as my legs (that was the longest (time and distance) that I have ever riding, my normal 4-6 day ride is 23 miles, but I am wanting to extend my weekend rides to 40-65 mile a day). If so is there any simple way to get my arms in shape?
Or does it sound like something else? any ideas?

I am 25yr. 150 lbs. have no health problems other then high cholesterol (which I am on meds for) it had been about 4hrs when i strated the ride since breakfast, I had 1 liter of water and .5 liter of sports drink on the ride

thanks for the help

So sat. I rode 40 miles (2hr 10min) and as soon as I got off my, I notice that I had no strength in my left hand. I had no strength in closing my hand (to grab my keys) and no strength to turn the key or open the door to my house. My first thought was I had been riding weird (I am still dialling in my saddle position, but I felt very comfortable on my ride) and I had just key the blood flow off to my hand. I never had the "pins and needles" feeling that I would have expected if that was the case. And I would have not thought anything of this, except I was still weak in my left hand on sun. not as weak, but still did not have the strength in closing my hand, so I did not ride on sun.
This morning (mon.), if I rub the inside of my forearm (left arm), I feel a little muscle soreness.


Is this just my arms are not in as good of shape as my legs (that was the longest (time and distance) that I have ever riding, my normal 4-6 day ride is 23 miles, but I am wanting to extend my weekend rides to 40-65 mile a day). If so is there any simple way to get my arms in shape?
Or does it sound like something else? any ideas?

I am 25yr. 150 lbs. have no health problems other then high cholesterol (which I am on meds for) it had been about 4hrs when i strated the ride since breakfast, I had 1 liter of water and .5 liter of sports drink on the ride

thanks for the help
Could be a nerve problem in that hand or something similar. There is bundle of nerves that pass through your elbow and wrist , and it's very possible they could be getting "pinched", but you aren't feeling it 'till after your ride. Might be worth going to a doctor just to be on the safe side??.
My hands tend to go numb on long rides and the only way to prevent it is to change hand positions every few miles or so.

Thanks for the thoughts, I try to keep my hand positions changing, but I get go and I dont think about,
I spend about >85% on the hood (two different positions) <10% in drops and <5% on the tops, so as you can see i ride on the hoods mostly, I am working on more time in the drops, I do not like riding on the tops for some reason

Barring any physiological problem (I'm not an M.D. and I'm not playing one on the net either), I would suggest that you move your hands around.

On a typical bike, most braking tends to be done with the right hand, unless you are one of the few who mostly brake with the front brake and who doesn't operate it with the right lever. Most shifting is also done with the right hand, and if you are a right hander, you are likely to grasp the bottle with your right hand.
All in all, it means that your right hand moves a lot while your left hand supports your weight. The only exception is signalling (done with the left hand).


One solution would be to try to move more your left hand.
1. Use it to take your water bottle.
2. When it's not bumpy or windy, get your left hand off for a few seconds and wiggle it around.


Bear also in mind that there could be some adjustments to do with your position: a shorter or higher stem, a different angle to the handlebars, better gloves, added padding on the handlebars, etc.