Biking question

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ratherbeskiing
ratherbeskiing Posts: 847 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So when biking (road) I my fingers fall asleep and I get that tingly feeling. I know I have poor circulation because I have Raynaud's disease. When I get off my bike I still get that tingly feeling for hrs afterwords. My question is A) how do I reduce this and B) how long is "normal" before I regain feeling in my fingers?
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  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Perhaps adjusting (or getting a different type) handlebars or seat so that your arms are at a different angle?
  • ratherbeskiing
    ratherbeskiing Posts: 847 Member
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    I ususally ride on my lower bars. I am only on the upper ones when going up steep hills. - maybe I will see at the bike shop if they can suggest a handle bar change.
  • coloradocode
    coloradocode Posts: 1 Member
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    A good pair of bicycling gloves will help as well as shaking your hands every once in awhile while riding. I just hang my hands down and shake them. That seems to help. It also gets better the more you ride.
  • BrendarB
    BrendarB Posts: 2,770 Member
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    happens all the time to me, I just shake it off til the tingling goes away - from what little I know - I think it's because of the how we grab the handle bars and how we slouch into it, it slows circulation
  • gobonas99
    gobonas99 Posts: 1,049 Member
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    have you had a bike fit done? Most reputable bike shops do them for a small fee.

    I have a similar issue with numbness, and after I had a bike fit done and had a whole bunch of adjustments made, my numbness issue is significantly improved (unfortunately, not completely gone without moving to a different style handlebar - which would involve a bit of $$ - but enough that I can do 25 mile rides and only start getting numbness in the last 5 or so miles...whereas it was starting by mile 5 before).
  • Jason3589
    Jason3589 Posts: 734
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    Try adding bar ends, takes the pressure off your hands
  • ratherbeskiing
    ratherbeskiing Posts: 847 Member
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    good suggestions thanks! I go for like 30 mile rides and I usually don't feel it (or notice it) till close to the end (5 miles or so) I have had my bike fitted. THX!
  • ironmonkeystyle
    ironmonkeystyle Posts: 834 Member
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    Get professionally "fitted" on your bike.
    http://youtu.be/FsJYRaq-3sk
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    you probably have a really tight grip on the handlebars, which is natural. you really just need to relax your hands. gloves can help a bit too, as can changing hand positions.
  • zummerzet_lou
    zummerzet_lou Posts: 159 Member
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    What you're experiencing is cyclist hand palsy.

    I get it on some rides depending on how I have my hands - being on the lower drops means you I cut off the nerve by my little finger which causes it.

    A few things to try:
    1) Better padded gloves
    2) Padded handlebar tape - you can also get gel pads to go under the tape was well
    3) Move you hands frequently whilst riding
    4) If if persists, get a bike fit done as you may be riding with too much weight on your hands. They will adjust your seat and handlebar position
  • littlewhittles
    littlewhittles Posts: 402 Member
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    A good pair of bicycling gloves will help as well as shaking your hands every once in awhile while riding. I just hang my hands down and shake them. That seems to help. It also gets better the more you ride.

    I second the biking gloves. That's what they're made for.
  • bigphatcat
    bigphatcat Posts: 7,843 Member
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    Weird thing is I have raynauds phenomena and this doesn't happen to me when I bike. I have had reynauds since I was a teenager and typically it is cold stress that brings it about, but there is info that suggest it can be brought on through vibration such as using power tools or perhaps riding a bike over rough terrain, which I suppose is happening to you. Is it possible that your grip it too tight, or that you are pressing down on your hands too much?
  • TyTy76
    TyTy76 Posts: 1,761 Member
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    Try adding bar ends, takes the pressure off your hands

    Those are great, if you're on a mountain bike.
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
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    Part of the purpose of drop bars is to provide multiple hand positions, so switch it up more. Also, you should be engaging your core to take a little weight off the arms entirely.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
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    It's caused by compression of the Ulnar Nerve. Used to get it all the time when I was into long bike rides. Mine was so bad I'd lose strength in my hand and could barely downshift the bike.

    Padded gloves are of no help (believe me). You need to just change you hand positions & shake out your hands frequently, so you're taking the pressure off your hands.
  • Chipmaniac
    Chipmaniac Posts: 642 Member
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    What you are feeling is not related to circulation. It's actually the pinching of the ulnar nerve in your hand. This is the same nerve implicated in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. That's why it takes a bit to go away when the pressure is relieved.

    In my experience gloves vary quite a bit in regards to how much relief they provide in this regard. I have a pair of Pearl Izumi wind-proof full-finger gel gloves that almost completely eliminate hand numbness. On the other hand, I used to have a pair of finger-less gel gloves from Giro that did very little to help. My current PI fingerless gel gloves are somewhere in between.

    Aside from gloves, hand position, and fit the only thing to be done is be sure that you shake out your hands on a regular basis during a long ride. I'd say at least every half hour is a good place to start. Also, make sure you keep your wrist as straight as possible as it's the bend in the wrist that exerts the pressure that causes this issue. Good luck.
  • gblack771
    gblack771 Posts: 4
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    If you are riding the drops for 30 miles, you are probably needlessly punishing yourself. Riding the drops puts a lot of pressure on your wrist and hands.

    Change your hand position frequently (every 10 minutes) and several times during your ride, sit up and ride the tops which puts your hands in a mountain bike style grip. This takes the pressure off your hands. Also see if you turn your wrists backwards when you ride the drops or hoods. If so try to keep them as straight as possible. Lastly, if you do wear gloves, go without them for a few rides.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    So when biking (road) I my fingers fall asleep and I get that tingly feeling. I know I have poor circulation because I have Raynaud's disease. When I get off my bike I still get that tingly feeling for hrs afterwords. My question is A) how do I reduce this and B) how long is "normal" before I regain feeling in my fingers?

    Are you wearing gloves by any chance? That happens to me when I wear gloves. I leave off the gloves and I'm fine.
  • hmoffatt
    hmoffatt Posts: 51
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    I second all the above. I ride long long distances (hundreds of km a day sometimes) and I don't get hand problems. Change positions regularly on the bars. Usually you wouldn't spend all your time in the drops except when riding into a headwind or descending a mountain or racing. Also make sure your bike fit is good so you're not leaning on your hands too much.

    The only time I get numbness in the hands is when I'm racing and my hands are in the same position for tens of minutes at a time.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    +1 on bike fit

    I had my road bike fitted by a physiotherapist who specializes in bike fitting, did the whole video analysis etc, as a result of an IT band issue I was having. It also cured tingling fingers on long rides.

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