I've just started back with my cycling habit after a several-year layoff and all the new aches and pains have gone away except for one -- my hands really bother me on long rides. Most of my riding so far has been on paved multi-use paths and public streets, so it's not that my hands and arms are taking a pounding from rough trails. The problem is that after an hour or so my hands get really numb, and when they're not numb they ache. I feel it most in the base of the palms, and my wrists will ache as well.

I have a Trek 4300 (18") and the bars and saddle are level with each other and the bike fits me very well (I'm 5'10" w/ a 32" inseam) and feels quite comfortable. I've gotten some gloves with good padding (P/I White Line II) and they seem to help some, but the discomfort is still there. I'm thinking about getting some bar ends so that I can at least shift my hands around to a new position when they start to complain.

Do I have a problem or will this get better over time?

thats a good start but how bout a shorter stem.. that would bring urr hands closer to you therefore releiving some of the stress you put on it

Bar ends will help. I prefer the longer bar. Simple reason. When I am going hard I put my hands out wider. (strong back makes for a lot of power) when I am on a relaxed section I put my hands closer together. If I had barends I would have another place to put my hands. The more places you have to put your hands the better. I just can't use bar ends because of how tight some of the trails are.

Oury grips and a slight riser (25 mm) bar did the trick for me.

Thanks for the ideas! I'll be dropping by the LBS sometime this week -- I had already planned on getting bar ends, and the idea about the shorter stem is one I hadn't considered but will definitely ask about.

Maybe some specialized body geometry grips or gloves, I know the grips are pretty comfortable, but the gloves were pretty uncomfortable until the palm pad wore down a little.

Dood, definitely look into some Specialized Body Geometry gloves. I used to get numb hands when riding my bike, and a friend recommended the BG gloves to me, they work. I own two pairs.

Well, I got the bar ends today -- couldn't wait for the LBS to open on Monday and Oshmans was selling Profile Boxers for $9.00 for the pair (no WAY!) and I got 'em on the bike this evening. I enjoyed putting 'em on since this is the first wrenching I've done on the new bike, however minor it might be, and got to use the air compressor in the house and irritate the wife -- how good is that?!

Compressed air is absolutely the way to go when you have to scoot your grips over on the bar -- it only took about 10 minutes to move the Shimano stuff inboard a little bit, cut the ends off of the grips and blast 'em inward with the air hose, and then mount the bar ends and align them the way I want. Sweet!

Gotta look into those Specialized gloves -- sounds like they work well at fixing the numb hand problem.