Originally Posted by
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.
...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.