thenomad

Ever since I started riding again, the longer I ride the more I have this issue:
My left hand fingers start to go numb. I have road bars and older aero brake levers and I switch hand positions often. I'll be on the drops, the hoods and the tops as I ride along. My left fingers begin to go numb nad I'll have to shake them out. I read there is a nerve that runs down the center of the palm that may cause this if you have the bars in the same spot. I mopve them around and it helps but doesn't cure.

Should I look into thick glove padding, handlebar gel pads, a more updated ergo bar etc?
Should I go in the opposite direction and have less padding or different gloves?

Anyone else dealt with this issue?

HiYoSilver

#1 extremely common issue
#2 get your fitting checked
#3 always use padded gloves, gels will wear out in time
#4 watch your hand positions, you want your hands to be straighter, like shaking hands, then bend over.
#5 check on forum and web for numbing fingers, look for diagrams, so you know where not to put the weight of your body.

got to run, but that should get you started

SanDiegoSteve

Makes a difference which fingers for which nerves. There are a couple. Can be from other tight muscles like back and chest.

You see see a Dr. and they may send you to a physical therapists. It is worth it.

thenomad

Thanks, great info.
I'll look into new gloves. I have been using the same ones for some time.
I've been thinking I need a shorter stem. I've been trying to fine tune my bike fit and have done a few things that have helped. I'm going to try raising my seat just a little more, I raised the stem a little recently and that felt somewhat better. As I get into better shape I'll be able to get into a more flat position but I think bringing the handlebars towards me some more (shorter stem) may get a little weight off my hands.

The LBS did little if anything to help me on my "fit". They said they'd help fine tune by looking me over so the guy cranked the seat around, eyeballed it and said "that ought to do it".
Since then I've been getting it closer to a real fit.

Nightshade

New gloves , check fit and adjustment, then if that fails see your doctor pronto!

Diabeties can damage nerve tissue and an early warning sign is numbness in hands, fingers or toes
any or all at once. Diabeties is a silent killer that can slip up on you real quiet like. Oh yes, there
is no age or health limit for diabeties so don't get comfortable unless the blood test says you're ok.

AndrewP

Do some exercises to get the upper body in shape, so you dont put so much weight on your hands. Your legs get all the exercise they need from cycling.

thenomad

I'm 33, 180lb, 5'9", I'm trying to get to 170. I do a bit of weight training already and am adding cycling again for aerobic and leg training. I'm probably the most "muscle-y" upper body on any group ride so maybe my weight is just too high so I need a better fitment to keep it off my hands.

Dural

Friend with sore hands had the nose of the saddle tilting down. He was trying to keep from getting numb in the saddle, but ended up sliding forward and putting too much weight on his hands. Once the saddle was level, and he learned to get up out of the saddle from time to time, the hand and tail-end pain went away.

thenomad

I've got my bike set up fairly good for now, i'm considering a shorter stem but I'll begetting nicer gloves to see if that helps as well. Thanks for the info everyone.

stapfam

I was a mountain biker and as such MTB gloves do not have a great deal of padding. I did buy a pair of road gloves though but I still got the numb hand syndrome. Then out on a ride and the hands were bad. By luck I decided to look at a different shop to see what gloves they carried. Their array of gloves was enormous compared to my LBS and I tried a few on. My hands still had the ache in them so I knew where I wanted padding----So on with a pair of gloves and see if it covered the numb patch. 25 pairs later and I settled on about 3 pairs and sat on my bike and grabbed the bars. Soon found out which gloves worked so That was the pair I bought. Didn't realise that gloves went that high in price but they work so I am happy(Ish).

Find a shop that has a good range of gloves and try them on. May take some time if it is a good shop and take the credit card with you.

Panthers007

Gloves and grips that dilate the ulnar-nerves in the hands. This is the primary case of this problem - this nerve gets constricted as you grip round bars/grips.

GaryBy

Are you suggesting getting such gloves or avoiding them? How do you recognize gloves that do the right thing?

Panthers007

Getting them. They specifically advertise padding in the right areas. I use Pearl Izumi Attack gloves. They are one example of gloves with this specific padding. Shop around and ask people what they use. Not knowing your bike setup, I'll guess it's a upright handlebar? If so - grips are also made which address this specific issue. Example: Ergon grips. If dropbars, thick gel padding may supply some relief - along with gloves.

astrocreep96

You have a median and ulnar nerve that supply cutaneous sensation to your hands and digits (as well as muscular innervation). The median is the most likely to be compressed in bike rides as it rides down the middle of your wrist and into your hand and picks up a fair amount of pressure with your hands on the bars (would be carpal tunnel syndrome if you did it a lot). Would help if you eliminated the pressure on your hands a bit, perhaps as you get used to the riding and strengthen your lower back and core a little, you will place less and less pressure on your palms. Until then, adjust your riding position occasionally and periodically take pressure off your wrists/palms.

thenomad

I have normal drop bars. I rode 30+ miles in a group yesterday and made sure to change my hand position around, including gripping as high and forward as possible on the brake levers (to get the round bar away from the center of my palm) and I didn't get any numbness like many of the other times. I also spent some time out of the saddle to vary overall body position, even on flats.

My riding is getting me to the point where I need to invest in good equipment like good gloves and good shorts.

David13

It's also extremely common on motorcycles. Gloves, etc., but I just have to move the hands off and rest them from time to time. On the motorcycle, where you hold the throttle steady is the major problem.
In the bike tour/Pasadena Marathon yesterday I had the super thick padded gloves, and still I had to take my hands off and rest them 2 or 3 times in 26 miles.
dc

CCrew

If it's a Mountain bike, I swear by Ergon grips.

-R

Panthers007

Me too^^^. The one's with the horns is my favorite from Ergon.

rogerstg

My pinky and ring finger get numb. For me, it's due to tension in the neck and shoulders. I relax, roll my shoulders a bit and it goes away. YMMV

stapfam

Different manufacturers put the padding in diferrent places and even different styles in their range have fifferent padding.

Another point is that if you are getting numbness- then take the hand off the bar and flex the fingers and the hand. If you can do this as soon as the pain comes on- or even before- then so much the better.

thenomad

That's what I do, flex and shake and it makes it better.

I rode the bike trail against the wind yesterday so it was a lot of grinding in the saddle and it came back. I'll be getting some stuff to fix this on the weekend I hope. It seems to do better when I'm in varied terrain.

demoncyclist

Core strength is key. By stabilizing your torso, you don't put any weight on your hands. The bar is for steering and balance. It should not be bearing the weight of your entire upper body.

tornado60

You said you brought the bars up a little and that helped some. Can you bring the stem up more? If so I would try that. I too, have problems with numbness in hands and fingers as well as wrist pain. I have found out that for me all that works is getting the weight off my hands and wrists. Oh and like someone else said keeping my hands closer to the handshake position. This usually means I have to ride more upright with the bars higher. I also changed the padding on one of my drop bar bikes. Just getting new foam pads that hadn't been crushed to death has helped a lot. Try the padded gloves too. I have a pair that I bought to use with my razor scooter back before I fell back in love with biking.

Longfemur

You know, there's a medical test for nerve conductivity problems in the wrists. It might be worthwhile seeing a doctor about it, because your problem might extend beyond just cycling if you're not careful.

thenomad

I've got a shorter stem now that I need to install to bring the bars closer, get a better fit. New gloves on the way and putting the stem closer to level with the saddle height.
I'm also thinking of getting different bars, I hear good things about the noodle bars for a nice level hood-riding surface.