I've reentered cycling after too long a time away. In the month and a half that I've been back, I seem to be making up for lost time, racking up well over 1000 MI (commuting being only a fraction of this) After my first couple of long rides I realized (again) the absolute neccessity of padded gloves as I lost nearly all feeling in my left hand- rendering it almost useless. (I am a lefty, thus I was disabled for a time, thankfully brief)

Since the gloves I'm better but for my weakened, slightly numbed small finger (pinky) to my ring finger, on my left hand that I use to brake to control my speed in heavy traffic and when I don't feel like running over someone on the sidewalk. I'm certain I've gotten into a bad habit here- that I should use all four available fingers instead of two, but given that habits are near impossible to break, is there some other alteration I might make like the position of the brake itself or ,easier, another type of cycling glove that would better protect this part of my hand? Maybe I'll just go with a (altered) regular glove for the time.

Any identification and/or suggestions on this would be appreciated!

They're called "two finger brakes" for a reason. Well at least that's what they were called when they were a higher-end item (standard now I think).

Get the Specialized gel gloves (I forget the name, like "Comp" or something like that -- they'll know in the shop). They helped me quite a bit on my folder, which is the first flatbar bike I've had in a long time (no real problems on the roadie). Also, release the DeathGrip(TM). I used to think I didn't do the DG, but I do! Conciously avoiding gripping too hard will eventually turn into a good habit and your problems should go away.

I've had to deal with numb fingers -- in fact, searching for information on that is what led me to this board. I tried gloves, but I gave them up.

What worked for me:

- as oboeguy said, losing the Death Grip. Concentrate on gripping gently and it'll quickly become a habit.

- raising the handlebars to shorten my reach, so that I can always keep my elbows slightly bent. You may have to replace your stem to accomplish this, depending on your bike. Check with LBS to optimize your seat/bars adjustment.

- Most Important, taking one hand, then the other, off the bar for about 10 seconds every mile or so. I find this makes a HUGE difference on long rides. After the first 20 miles or so, every mile from then on I take a "rolling break": I ride with one hand for about 10 seconds, then with the other for about 10 seconds. Then I stand up on the pedals and coast for about 10 seconds to give my butt a break. Goofy? Perhaps, but I enjoy longer rides a lot more now. I don't need to stop for breaks as much, and no numbness.

One other thing I noticed when I had to ride with one hand after breaking my right elbow: usually I put A LOT of weight on my hands when I ride, but it's possible to put more on the legs and less on the hands. This is actually easier to understand/practice with just one hand on the bars. With practice, I find I'm doing a better job of it, even with both hands.

BTW, I think two-finger braking is probably easier on the fingers than four-finger.

I hope that's not TMI and I hope at least some of it helps.

I bought my bike with an unflipped stem. I flipped it and the numbness went away...

Oh yeah and riding no handed every once in a while along your ride is great. That's the key for no numbness on my road bike, IMO. It's too tricky for me to properly ride no hands on my folding bike.

a regular regimen of a few (~10) pushups, a few times a day, seems to help me with that problem, as did rotating my brake levers slightly farther down on the bar. By 'down', I mean turning them a few degrees closer to vertical than they previously were. Felt weird at first, but now, I can't even tell it's changed.

I switched to a riser bar a few years ago and since then, I haven't needed gloves at all, except when it's cold.

Never too much information! I think I'll attempt to alter the severity of my grip before altering the brake levers/handlebar, maybe even delay buying new gloves (damn all these accessories are draining my bank account!)

I'm certain I'm guilty of the 'death grip.' Certain because sometimes when I'm doing nothing at all I find myself clenching my fingers - a tension spot for me, I suppose.

I'm amazed at my body's memory of good technique and the seemingly natural adaptation of my posture to maximize speed and power - it's like I never left cycling and maybe even improved in the interim. However, I definitely have to work on putting so much pressure on my hands, the left hand particularly.

When it finally stops raining (if it ever does), I'll get out there and seriously try to ease up, trying some of these techniques offered here.

Thanks all!

Ah, one more thing that comes to mind. Make sure your brakes are well-adjusted. If you have to squeeze too much, well, you get the idea. I notice less hand fatigue if I've just touched-up the brakes.

I ride with a right to front, left to rear braking set up. It seemed a little odd at first, but I got used to it pretty quickly.

Measure your handlebar and seat height. There is a balance of weight between butt and hands. Start out level and go up 1" (mark it) on one, ride for a few miles, evaluate, repeat until somewhat comfortable. I have five bikes and ride 3 a day sometimes, when I line them up- I have approx 2" drop on the handlebars. I used this system on each bike without comparing them first and they dialed in all the same.

What type of bike..roadie, mnt or??? If your bike is mountain I would say get a roadie(especially for long rides). If your bike is a roadie I would agree with those that say to work on the fit. I try to keep as much weight as possible off of my hands. This requires decent stomach muscles and a proper fit. Handles that are too low or TT that is too long put weight onto your hands. I started getting tendonitis in my wrist with a poorly fitted bike. Charlie