View Single Post
Old 09-29-02, 09:01 AM
  #7  
velocipedio
human
 
velocipedio's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: living in the moment
Posts: 3,562

Bikes: 2005 Litespeed Teramo, 2000 Marinoni Leggero, 2001 Kona Major Jake (with Campy Centaur), 1997 Specialized S-Works M2, 1992 Specialized Rockhopper

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
If you get numbness in your hands, the odds are very good that no pair of gloves are going to help.

Instead, check the fit of your bike: (a) Is your saddle angled too far forward, forcing you to put too much pressure on your hands? Set the angle back very slightly. (b) How are your handlebars set up? Most bikes come out of the shop with the bras rotated down, which is great if you're racing crits or if you spend all day in the drops. If not, rotate the bars up slightly so the tops of the hoods are parallel with the ground. (c) Is your stem too low? Low stems look cool, and some riders [like me] prefer the flat-backed position, but a lot of riders don't, and a low stem can pitch you forward, placing pressure on your hands. Flip your stem if it's threadless. (d) Is your stem too long or too short. This is a common problem. Either will force you to put too much pressure on your hands.

I like gloves because good ones help absorb road shock and I find that, on long, hot rides, my hands chafe when they get sweaty. I find that I also get a better grip with gloves, and I like having the extra protection in the event of a crash. But numbness is usually caused by something else.
__________________
when walking, just walk. when sitting, just sit. when riding, just ride. above all, don't wobble.

The Irregular Cycling Club of Montreal
Cycling irregularly since 2002
velocipedio is offline