Numb hands

Leaping_Lemur

I've always enjoyed casual biking, though sometimes my bike (a Gary Fisher model I bought new in 1999) will sit unused in my garage for years at a time. I've gotten back into it though, since joining MFP, and now really enjoy going for 9-14 mile rides two or three times a week. (Especially since I recently discovered that just 2 miles from my house, the subdivisions end and it's just horse and cow country. Beautiful riding!)

However, I find that after about 20 minutes, my hands get a little numb. My palms, basically. It's not that big of a deal -- I shift my weight a bit, let the blood flow back in. But is there something I'm doing wrong, or could/should be doing to prevent this in the first place? Or is this just something that happens to most cyclists? I started wearing workout gloves, which have a little padding on the palm (not much), but they haven't really made difference (though perhaps it's a little better).

madtownjeremy

I can't comment directly because I'm not part of that group, but I used to have that problem. It was because I was leaning too much on the bars and not engaging my core enough, and in the end it was fixed by seriously modifying my posture.

I have a Trek Soho and the stem is angled in such a way that you can either have it angled upward (which puts your bars higher and allows you to sit up a bit more) or you can flip it, then the stem is actually almost parallel to the ground and the bars are lower. I used to have it angled upward...then one day once my belly started to shrink I figured what the hell, grabbed my allen wrenches and flipped the stem. It was weird getting used to the lower bars but ironically now that I'm bent over a bit more, my hamstrings and glutes activate far more often during a ride, which eases the pressure on my back, which in turn allows my abs and obliques to activate more to hold my body up...which finally means that I'm not putting so much pressure on the handlebars.

Voila...instant hand comfort.

So yeah...I'd definitely try to modify your posture. Start by definitely making sure your saddle is high enough...only then should you start thinking about modifying the height of the bars.

Spudnut72

Two things to help. !) Buy a proper pair of padded cycling gloves. Not expensive but worth every cent. 2) Check with your local bike store and have a proper bike fit. It might cost a couple of dollars but definitely worth it. Usually good bike shops throw a bike fit in free when you purchase a bike from them.
I have a dodgy right wrist with plates and screws from an old skateboarding accident and I find when I ride without the gloves it can hurt after an hour or so. With gloves - no issues at all.

primal_cupcakes

I used to have that issue on my road bike, too. I raised the stem a bit (may not be possible if you have a threadless headset) and that helped immensely. I also think that my weight lifting program helped by strengthening my abdominal and back muscles so I wasn't leaning on my hands as much when riding.

ghost15026

I've always enjoyed casual biking, though sometimes my bike (a Gary Fisher model I bought new in 1999) will sit unused in my garage for years at a time. I've gotten back into it though, since joining MFP, and now really enjoy going for 9-14 mile rides two or three times a week. (Especially since I recently discovered that just 2 miles from my house, the subdivisions end and it's just horse and cow country. Beautiful riding!)

However, I find that after about 20 minutes, my hands get a little numb. My palms, basically. It's not that big of a deal -- I shift my weight a bit, let the blood flow back in. But is there something I'm doing wrong, or could/should be doing to prevent this in the first place? Or is this just something that happens to most cyclists? I started wearing workout gloves, which have a little padding on the palm (not much), but they haven't really made difference (though perhaps it's a little better).

The issue is bike fit. Your hands shouldn't be numb in 20 minutes. You're putting too much weight on your hands and/or the angle of your hands is incorrect. You've already discovered the cause and solution: When you shift your weight back (remove the weight from your hands) blood flows back to your hands. The numbness goes away. It's a combination of blood flow and ulnar nerve compression in your wrist. This leads to bike fit and, to a lesser extent, equipment.

Raise your handle bars. This can be done with a new stem ($10-$20) or adjusting the existing stem (if it permits such an adjustment). A bike shop can help you do this (free if you buy their stem sometimes, or a small fee to flip your stem) and it's a lot cheaper than a full proper bike fitting ($250+ probably). You can also buy a different set of handlebars ($35+ maybe) that has a rise to it. I'd go with the stem adjustments first.

Keep in mind that sitting upright too far can create a different host of issues. Sitting upright shifts the weight to your backside. Don't be surprised that once you solve the issues with your hands going numb at 20 miles your butt hurts at XX miles. It's a balancing act. The solution resides within a combination of bike fit (gear/equipment), core strength (abs), and technique (changing hand positions).

The bike fit is where you should start. If this is an MTB then look at a good set of ergonomic handlebar grips (Specialized BG Contours). Also consider adding bar ends. Gloves don't help much with the numbness. However, you may as well get a decent gel set since you should have a set for protection anyhow. The gel dampens vibration a tiny bit.

Numbness is common for new/inexperienced cyclists. Chronic numbness won't go away on its own. Once you have a grip on things (pun intended) then you will know what changes you need to make.

dirtybadgermtb

The issue is definitely a poorly fitting bike. You can permanently damage your ulnar nerve if you ride to much this way. I cannot emphasize enough the value of a professional bike fitting. You will ride longer and more comfortably with less effort with a good fit. I am not saying that this is you, but, I know so many people that spend $1000 bucks on a bike but won't cough up the $50-100 for a quality fitting by a professional.

What is happening is that your upper body is too stretched out causing you to put too much pressure on your hands. You may also be noticing some fatigue in the triceps. You need to raise the angle of the stem, shorten the stem, move the seat forward or a combination of several of these. You may also get the bad news that your frame is just too big. That has happened to me twice.

Leaping_Lemur

Thanks for the replies everybody. I'm going to bring my bike in the local pro shop and see if I can get the handlebar raised. And, since I haven't done any maintenance on it in a decade, might as well get their advice about that as well. And I'll definitely get a pair of gloves as well.

CharbyOttawa

My hands get tingly when I ride, although I have a mild case of carpal tunnel syndrome. I have found that keeping my hand loose on the handlebars and dropping my right hand to the side and shaking it out every few miles helps.