shyonelung

I've had my new bike for two months so far, and never had this problem before but after a 20-mile ride on a hot, windy day yesterday, my hands went painfully numb. They 'buzzed' half the night and my pinky and ring finger were numb half the day. Two things about the ride that I haven't yet experienced at the same time: heavy cross winds (14-17 mph) and a very bumpy road. Would those combine to make me grip too tight and cause the numbness? I wear pretty thin gloves -- should I consider getting ones with thicker padding or even adding padding to my handlebars? I stay mostly on the hoods but I do move my hands forward, especially on downhills. Like i said, though, this is a first for me -- I've never had this pain/numbness before.

Any thoughts on things I should look for/change/consider? Or chalk it up to a consequence of one ride where all the forces were conspiring against me? Btw, I tried to search for a thread on this but for some reason, I kept getting an error page. If there's already a thread on this, point me do it and I'll check it out. Thanks.

Poohblah

IMO, the best thing for you to do is take as much weight off of your hands as possible. A combination of improving your fit and strengthening your core should do the trick.

btw: https://www.google.com/search?q=bike+numb+hands

Machka 

That's an ulnar nerve issue (pinky and ring finger), which is not unusual for cyclists.

A few things you could try ...

1. Move your hands around fairly frequently. Don't stay locked in one position for long periods of time.

2. Don't lock your elbows.

3. When your hands start going numb, sit up straight and put your left arm behind your back in an L shape. Stretch your shoulders and flex your hand until the numbness goes. Then put the other arm behind your back in a _| shape, and repeat.


Also have a look at this article ...
https://www.cptips.com/handsyn.htm

shyonelung

Thanks Machka and Poohblah - those articles were really helpful and the arm ecercise you describe Machka really helps. Thank you. Part of the problem is that I write for a living and sit for long hours at my computer. I think this is exacerbating a problem I've had for years.

99Klein 

Great advice and I'll add gloves. Not too heavily padded and spend some money on good ones. Now this is important .. get them big enough. As you warm up and as the temperature rises your hands (and feet) will swell. If they fit tightly in the wrist OR AROUND FINGERS it will speed up the numbness. Make sure they fit a bit loosely in the store.

Carbonfiberboy 

The definitive post on this subject by DannoXYZ is here:
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...1#post12953035

I like Bontrager Gel gloves.

tagaproject6

That thread helped me out a lot.

tanguy frame

If you write for a living, use a stand-up workstation

RT

Yes, this article is well-written. I follow most of those pointers, but only after experimenting for many rides. This issue is a reason why I prefer larger levers/hoods rather than the little ones on the new 5700 and up. Resting the center of my palm on the hood for brief periods is almost like a massage.