Originally Posted by
Txbluelacy
what would you recommend for hands going numb? Bike feels great when I start riding. Very relaxed and natural position (I have an Emonda) but after about 6 miles my hands begin tingling. I am working on changing hand position and improving my core strength but didn’t know if there is a common fit tweak that needs to be made as well. Thanks
As cfboy said, move your saddle back. Some people will say that you need to raise your bars and shorten your stem. This isn’t going to help much beyond a certain point. Your torso angle reflects how much weight you need to put on the pedals. People who put down more power (relative to their torso weight) will be in lower positions than people who put out less power. If you raise/shorten your bar position too much, it will get to the point where you’re effectively sitting in a chair. Bad for the spine, and bad for power. Some symptoms of a too-low position are: abandonment of the drops, locked elbows, a lower cadence to keep more pressure on the pedals, and lower back pain.
Your ideal saddle position will change based on your average power. If you’re smashing out 200W averages over a 4 hour ride, you can afford to slide all the way forward and your hands will feel nothing because your pedals are bearing all the weight. If you’re averaging 80-100W, you need to slide back and sit more upright. Do not attempt to emulate a pro position.