rommer25

Hello:
I’m new to road bikes, previously only being a commuter on a hybrid. I got an old road bike, a Windsor Carrera Sport. I had the bike checked out at my LBS and was told it is in excellent condition. I’ve been riding it on weekends. So far, I’ve only done short ten mile rides. I wrapped the bars with cotton bar tape. I am experiencing some numbness in the hands. Some hand positions are better than others but none eliminate the numbness 100%.
I have a plan and would like opinions:
I plan to wrap the bars first with 1/8 inch cork wrap, designed for fishing poles. Over than, I will wrap cotton bar tape. The only problem that might come up is the length of the cotton bar tape as it comes, due to the thickness of the cork tape.
Has anyone done this?
Thanks, in advance, TM.

CafeVelo

Fizik and a few other companies make a zoned comfort padding to put under bar tape. They're a high density foam or gel pad that comes pre-shaped for drop bars. Id suggest this as a solution. That plus fizik's 3mm tape would be pretty cushy unless you're dead set on cotton.

That said, if you are experiencing numbness after 10 miles and you don't have an underlying injury, then you need to seriously look at your fit. Even with a relatively spartan handlebar wrap, you shouldn't have problems like that.

Lascauxcaveman 

Velox Tressostar tape comes on a notoriously short roll, but other brands of cloth tape should cover if you're careful.

I don't know about the cork they use for fishing poles, but many gel and "cork" handlebar tapes are available dirt cheap on eBay, ( like $2-3 shipped) and most of them would have a tapered edge which would make a second cloth layer cover more smoothly. They would also be softer than actual cork.

Also, a layer of hockey tape (also very cheap) between the "cork" and cloth tape can help smooth things out and add a touch more padding.

CMC SanDiego

I've used some of the gel padding into the past and it works well, but I've found that using an old piece of the cork wrap that I'm removing (and just taping it on top of the bar in my favorite hand positions before wrapping the bars with new fake cork wrap) works just as well or better.

Unless keeping your wrap period correct for the bike is really important to you, the Nashbar or Performance brand bar wrap works great at a good price, and in my experience is much more comfortable than cotton.

3alarmer 

...maybe you are unaware of this, so I'd suggest you first try wrapping with gel corked bar tape (Performance brand works fine). I use it on most bikes, and it seems to work well....very cushy. Then, if yoiu still feel the need to over-wrap with something else, you can, but cotton would not be my first choice, and you ought to apply something between the layers like 3M double sided tape.


There is more to hand numbness than bar cushioning, but it's a good start. There's a lot of stuff on the internet about balance, and ways to take some weight off your hands when you ride. And what works for me is having a number of alternate hand positions when I ride.

eschlwc

cotton tape is harsh. fizik tape is not. padded cycling gloves are nice and provide a little help to the hands when you fall. don't fall, though. that's my advice.

randyjawa 

I always ride with gloves on. These sort finger guys have gel padding just where I need it. They help me a lot. I also use cheap cork/rubber tape ($2.00 a set) to add a bit more vibration dampening or cushion effect. I should add that the gloves pictured are worn out and have been replaced with new ones...

Prowler 

I agree. I no longer think that numbness is primarily due to vibration coming thru the bars (to be cured by better bar tape). I agree that fit is the problem. BUT conditioning (is your body used to these new positions - gotten used to the new pressure points of a road bike) and moving your hands around to use all the options on the drop bar. My hands would hurt and would get numb at times when I seriously resumed cycling about 5 years ago. Proper saddle position, reach and improving leg and core strength has helps a lot. I now lean on my hands much less than earlier on. Moving my hands around all the time helps too - tops, ramps, hoods, drops, one handed, no hands.

Variety, getting the bike fit right and grinding out the miles.

I'm reminded of my high school soccer coach. We'd hurt or ache or get sore. He'd say "just play thru it" as he knew that conditioning cured most of it.

RobbieTunes

1-Fit. This will relieve more numbness than most resolutions.
2-Gloves. I get numb fingers faster with fingerless gloves. so I wear full finger gloves. I seem to do better with less padding.
3-Bar padding. The pads for some areas work well, as does some extra wrap simply stuck on before wrapping with other wrap.
4-Type of wrap. Improvements with wrap like Cinelli's Red Hook, Lizardskin 3.2, and even Performance's Forte Grip-Tech can help.
5-Movement. Change positions on the bar frequently if needed, but "needed" means your fit is likely off.
6-History. If you are like myself and many northern-climate folks, past frostbite or frozen fingers aggravates this; the price for being a winter kid.

rootboy 

…."I plan to wrap the bars first with 1/8 inch cork wrap, designed for fishing poles."

That's actually not a bad idea. But 1/8 inch, if the stuff is that thick, might be a bit much. Will add a quarter inch to the overall diameter of the bars. I'd use the thinner stuff that places like Mudhole offers for wrapping surf rods, etc. Those tapes are nothing more than rubber with cork bits embedded in it. Much like cork/rubber bar tape. But is probably cheaper, by the foot.
For wrapping over it, Newbaum's cloth tape is considerably longer than others I've tried.
Will it be long enough? You can only try.

Velocivixen

I have been using Bontrager Isogel under my wrap and it's wonderful!

seedsbelize 

Yesterday I rode with one padded glove and one unpadded Giro Zero. The hand with the zero on it was much more comfortable over the course of 70 miles.

SJX426 

Recently I purchased several pair of gloves. The one that turns out to be a favorite has no padding and Merino wool back. Much more comfortable that the padded gloves.

I was having numbness issues while riding my MTB. I wrapped the bar extensions with cork tape which helped some. When I stared riding the Pinarello, the numbness never occurred. I was surprised one day when nearing home, that my hands felt great! That may be why I ride the Pina instead of the MTB/commuter.

The other surprise, more recent, was the recognition that I was steering with my body more than my hands. It is easy for me to ride no-hands, including curves in the road. I wonder if it is because of the unconscious transference of steering with my upper body to my hips and lower body? After 1500+ miles on the Pina, it feels much more a part of my ride, you all know (lowers voice), "I am one with the bike" thing!

davester

I agree with the above, that fit and using gloves are important to minimizing hand numbness. That, plus gloves are critical safety items that can save you permanent hand nerve damage if you crash.

When talking fit, the first thing to check is the fore-aft position of your saddle. You should be able to easily lift your hands from the bars while riding without undue strain to maintain your body position (unless you're a racer). If this is not true then your saddle is too far forward, resulting in too much pressure on your hands. If you move the saddle back to take the pressure off and can't reach the bars easily then you need a shorter stem.

due ruote 

Another vote for sorting out the fit. Not to get too far afield, but OP, if you were to set one end of a carpenter's level on your saddle, where would the other end be in relation to your bars? Especially if you are new to drop bars, you probably want it level or slightly above the saddle. More drop will tend to put more of your weight on your hands; less drop will shift it to the saddle. If you can't get the bars at least somewhere close to level with the saddle, you might need a bigger frame.

I agree with rootboy about Newbaum's. I generally have about a foot left over from each roll. Not so with other brands.

rommer25

thanks for all the good advice.

I started surfing the web about fitting the bike to me. While I was sitting on the bicycle to see if I should set the saddle back, I noticed the bars are narrow for me (according to the web). The width of the bars is less than the width of my torso. Could this be part of my problem?

CMC SanDiego

That could be an issue for you, while I never experienced numbness in my hands, I've put wider bars on the older bikes that had the most narrow. Now I feel like I'm less compressed and actually think I can breathe deeper. Nitto Noodles and Velo Orange Rando bars are both very nice.

3alarmer 

...if you think about it for a while, it translates into limiting your hand positions. So besides the obvious wanting to open your chest more, wider bars give you some options for riding with your wrists either straight or angled the other way from the inside positions. But what you really want as your focus is taking some weight off your hands and not retroflexing your wrists. You wand bent elbows and a nice straight line through the wrist, with a loose hand riding on the bar or the brake hoods.

DiabloScott

Well forgive me for being so bold as to actually answer your question, but yes I have done something similar. I taped over the cork using TWO rolls of cloth tape on each side. Transition under the hoods with a bit of elec tape.

Miele Man

New to drop bars can lead to a muscle memory learning curve as your body adjusts to the new setup. I'd take the bike to a decent shop and ask them about the fit. often people have too long a stem and that causes them to have to stretch and put a lot of weight on their hands. When you ride do you keep your hands RELAXED? Gripping the bar tightly can cause your symptons as can a too long stem or a too low bar position.

With regrads to the wrap. Something many of us old timers did back in the days before padded tape was to cut an old bicycle inner tube into strips and then wrap the bar with a strip of inner tube and then cover that with the cloth tape. I now use only hockey tape as i find it a lot cheaper and it's thinner which is god for my short fingers.

Make sure that any padding or padded wrap still allows you to cmfortably reach the brake levers. Ditto for cycling gloves - make sure you can still comfortably reach the brake levers.

Cheers

exmechanic89

Just wanted to add that I agree with the others on their suggestions. And I really think you'll find that your body will become conditioned to the new positions with time. I just got a road bike myself after a 30 year hiatus from them and it took me a few rides to adjust to the different positions the drop bars give you. Initial numbness went away pretty quickly though, and the bike feels pretty good now. I ride both mountain bikes and my road bike often and I really like the extra grip positions the road bars afford you. I change positions often on the road bike.

gugie 

I find that the DIAMETER of the bar is an issue with me. I've sorted out my personal fit years ago. One roll of cloth tape over a drop bar isn't enough. I end up with three layers between stem and brake, 2 in the drops before a finish with shellac.

rootboy 

You renegade. Answer the question? How novel…

Good point. I sometimes use 4 rolls. Wrap the bars once, then cover them again with two more rolls. Can be somewhat unsightly but does provide a certain level of comfort for the cloth tape devotee.

Camplex

After being away from drop bars for over a decade and returning to them last year, it was very awkward at first. A little unnerving too, since I was borrowing a friend's PY10 and it was my first time riding in NYC.. I rode up the Bowery that first night in a mostly upright (and consequently, generally uncomfortable and un-natural feeling) position using his narrow Philippe bars. Bars I still dislike to some degree, though I decided to retain a pair on a Peugeot I flipped recently. I was never truly comfortable on that bike, and this mostly had to do with the fit and my reluctance to alter the bike's characteristics since I was only borrowing it. So it was with some trepidation that I opted to go drop-bar over any alternative when I purchased my first road bike here in Portland, Oregon. Being able to manipulate the fit and the materials (saddle, handlebars, stem, etc.), it took me about a half-hour to get comfortable. Discovering the randonneur bend did a lot for my hand comfort.

I think ideally you would be able to try a variety of handlebar wrap materials and decide which is best. However, would merely feeling each, really elucidate to you what your hands need? In any case, I haven't wrapped in multiple layers but a friend of mine wrapped some Cinelli cork over one part of the bars and wrapped cotton over this. It works fine, and he did have to get into a third roll, though it didn't take up the entire third roll. It was a bit awkward at first, but worked well in the end and looked great. It just appeared as though one section had substantially more cotton wrapped around it - appearing thicker/more padded.