SVTNate

I'm having a niggling issue where after 15-20 miles on my Specialized Roubaix, my left arm and hand will tingle and be a bit numb. Mostly my hand.

OEM bars, same Selle SMP saddle I've had since I bought the bike new in 2010.

I switch up my hand positions frequently.

I am in good shape, and otherwise have no issues on the bike.

The numb hand thing is fairly recent. I have changed nothing on the bike.

Any ideas? When I get home after a ride, the numbness will stick around maybe 30 minutes, and then it's gone.

I never have numbness or circulation issues otherwise.

hebecb

There was a good YouTube video on this not long ago (gcn maybe? )

different kinds of numbness have different root causes. If it's your whole hand it might be carpal tunnel which is not good esp if you use a computer.

I had lots of issues with my pinky and ring fingers going numb. It seemed to have nothing to do with weight bearing or circulation based on what I tried. I mentioned it to a physical therapist I was seeing and he said it could be a constricting of a nerve running through my elbow. He gave me a stretch and BINGO problem solved!

the stretch btw was (hopefully my description makes sense)... when I was a kid I made a "mask" by forming a ring with my thumb and forefinger... raise your elbow and invert the hand... grab your jaw with the three free fingers and rest the thumb on the eyebrow. Turn your head and arm GENTLY towards the back and you should feel a light stretch in your elbow. Instant relief for me.

I was hesitant to share the stretch because its possible to overdo and screw up the nerve. My real point in sharing was that once my PT understood the issue he gave me something that cleared it up right away. I'm as bad as the next guy when it comes to suffering through stuff but I wouldn't screw around with numbness.

BobbyG

SVTNate It could be your neck. Back in 2010 I developed a bulging disk on the left side of my neck. But I felt it in my left arm. When the physician touched the side of my neck, it felt as if he was touching my arm. It was a very strange sensation. Prior to that I had occasional tingling and pain in my left hand that would jump from my middle finger to my ring finger.

My bulging disk was very serious and painful and kept me off the bike for a year. But since then I have had no issues.

Phil_gretz

^ this. Too often we focus on the immediate symptom (hand) without ever diagnosing the "system" of nerves that originate at the spine and travel to the fingertips. The OP may well have a nerve impingement due to (1) structural issues (like a herniated or bulging disc, above), (2) underlying muscular issues in the neck or back (from being unaware of tensing during rides, or a prolonged knotted muscle) that impinges on the nerve path, or from (3) something having to do with the hand itself (gripping too tightly, weight on hands pressing nerves, etc.).

Sometimes (2) knotting, can derive from the body's compensating from (1) structural misalignment.

Toadmeister

I had a bulged disk resulting in severe pain in the upper scapula, shoulder, and numbness down the arm. Wound up having C6-7 vertbrea fused. Much better a year later, pain gone. Taking a while for all my muscles to return to normal but 90% there now.

I can still get numbness after resting on the handlebars too much, so change up that riding position and look at your ergonomics.

Toadmeister

Cool stretch! I tried it and it feels good, felt the scapula, shoulder and elbow muscles stretched and relieved.

jon c. 

I've had that problem and in my case it seems to be related to rotator cuff issues. Stretching exercises have, at least for the time being, greatly reduced the problem.

Chuckles1

Not knowing your age, I'd say it's pretty common. I'm 64 and never noticed it much until the last couple years. I just try to minimize it by changing hand position, standing up to peddle, or deliberately taking weight off hands by engaging core muscles. Just lift hands a little and core muscles automatically engage. Keep hands lightly on bars and numbness subsides.

SVTNate

I just turned 40.

And yes, I do get pain in my neck/shoulders from being down in the drops and looking forward. I've watched a bunch of YouTube bike fitting videos, and I think my seat may be too far forward (it's almost all the way forward on the rails)

oris

Here's my anecdote about a similar issue I had.

A few months ago my left hand would tingle and go numb after the same amount of riding. After doing some fit checks, I raised the saddle height a bit and determined that it was the saddle tilt. It was a little nose down causing me to put more weight on the hands. Subconsciously, I think lean and steer more with my left hand.

After leveling out the saddle but still messing with the height, I'm supporting my weight on the saddle and with my core; unweighting the hands. Since I haven't had the tingling and numbness return.

SVTNate

I should probably bring my bike in and get a proper fit, review my saddle tilt/height/etc, take a look at my bars, etc. I was a kid when I bought this bike - and a fat kid at that. I'm 80 pounds lighter today than I was in 2010 when I bought it (actually, maybe more than that).

Also, back then I'd ride maybe 20-30 miles per month. Now, I'm averaging 80 miles per week.

fietsbob

Keyboarding?

RiceAWay

The two major causes of this are the difference in the armlength from left to right causing a clumsy position. This is usually rectified by making a far more conservative position on the bike.
The second cause it the most common - wearing the wrong size of glove. They will pinch the hands between the fingers cutting off blood flow and leading to numb hands sometimes radiating all the way back to your shoulders.

This too can often be remediated by a more conservative position on the bike so that you have less pressure on your hands and reducing the effects of a tight glove. You should not go on training rides with a full flat position as you would in a race. The human body was not made to assume positions like that over a great deal of time.

GAtkins

This helped me in the past. I wear a cycling glove one size larger than I do for normal gloves. I normally wear a large glove, but for cycling I wear an XL.

Glenn

BoraxKid

I had a similar issue for a while when my gloves started to wear out. My old gloves had these gel pads on the palms that were nice at first, but after a year or so started causing numbness. Basically, the glove material was wearing out and that caused the pads to end up under the heel of my hand. Since any weight on my hands was now effectively spread over a smaller area, the increased pressure caused numbness after a few minutes. I could mitigate the issue by repositioning my gloves on my hands every few minutes, but that was obnoxious. The solution was buying new gloves without those stupid gel pads.

Anyway, is your bar tape worn out? Gloves in good shape? Position is still fine? I would start by answering those questions first, and then look for upstream causes, e.g. neck or spinal issues, heart attack, etc.

BoraxKid

No, this a forum for people that ride bicycles. I'm sure the fine folks over at red-dit can help you find a good keyboarding forum.

SVTNate

I don't know what "keyboarding" means

And I don't wear gloves

Clem von Jones

You might be experiencing the peripheral neuropathy which is damage to the nerves caused by dietary issues. It's easily reversible by dietary changes like avoidance of simple carbohydrates that spike blood insulin and the elimination of all PUFA seed oils, and perhaps you might need to eat more Omega 3 fats to displace those defective PUFAs that damage nerves and cell membranes, and start supplementing with B vitamin-complex especially including thiamine and B12. Peripheral neuropathy is extremely common in people who eat stuff like Dorito chips, breakfast cereal, pizza, beer and coffee. These foods deplete thiamine and increase insulin leading to nerve degeneration and blood capillary damage. Long term it will lead to deadly stuff like diabetes, eye damage, blindness, high blood pressure, and kidney disease so nip it in the bud immediately and start reversing your health decline.

Don't assume it's a simple mechanical issue like bar position or gloves. Examine your dietary choices and research the consequences of them. As you get older and your metabolism slows you have to reconsider diet and start to forsake junk food.

BoraxKid

What about your bar tape? Is it in good condition or is it getting worn out?

fietsbob

you typed words to write here, that was a keyboard you were using ..

SVTNate

Doesn't apply to me, I haven't had a chip or a piece of bread or a beer or a bowl of cereal in over a year.

I drink coffee, probably 1 cup per day.

I don't eat sugar.

I recently had a full blood panel, I have no health issues.

I gave up junk food a long time ago. The only food in my house (meaning - 100% of the time, without exception) is turkey, chicken, salad, olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the salads, lowfat cottage cheese, a jar of green olives that'll last me 6 months, and avocados.

EDIT - and a large collection of hot sauces! Eating nothing but chicken and turkey requires an arsenal of hot sauces, but they have no calories/no sugar.

I do always keep a Costco box of granola bars - but only for fuel when I ride more than 30 miles. I've never eaten one in my house, always out on the road.

Oh, and bar tape is original, 10 years old, but looks new. Like I said, the bike was just serviced at a well known local road bike shop.... they were amazed that the bar tape is original. There is no wear.... well, minimal wear anyway.

phughes

Start with the basics. Get your seat fore/aft set correctly for you, then address the seat height. My guess is both are not right. Your reach may be too great as well, or maybe too much drop. I would suggest using Steve Hogg's method of setting the fore/aft, and his method of seat height setting as well. Keep an open mind about your seat height too, it is probably too high, despite what you may think based on a fitter's advice, or what you have read. There is a story on Steve's site about the horrific back issues one person had after a professional fitter set her seat height. Her story is in the comment section of the "Seat Height How Hard Can It Be, article, and is also mentioned in the second seat height article. She ended up needed surgery for a bulged disc, and a ruptured disc, due directly to the seat height, set by a professional fitter. The fitter set the seat height too high for her, using all the measurements, including a goniometer. I went through some of it myslef, until I dropped my seat height. I still held out those last few millimeters, all the while having issues with pain, I gave in and dropped it more, based on his method, and low and behold, all my issues went away.

Since you are experiencing the problem on one side, that would suggest you are not sitting symmetrically on the bike, that usually happens with a seat height that is too high. If your seat is too high, you will drop to one side to compensate, and you will not be stable on the bike. As for age, I am 55, and rode across Indiana and Ohio last year with no issues, on days much longer than what are causing your pain. I am also not naturally flexible, still, I had no issues. Now, if I try to overextend to fit a supposed ideal fit, instead of fitting my bike to my body, and its range of motion, there will be issues. If you are on Instagram, also check out bikefitjames.

https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com...or-road-bikes/

https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com...ard-can-it-be/

https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com...d-can-it-be-2/

Good luck, and take care of it. You don't want it to get worse.

Gresp15C

I had a similar issue several years ago, and a physical therapist traced it to my posture when working at a computer, causing distress in my neck. He said it's quite common. He put me through a bunch of motions, then had me sit down at the computer in the examining room, and type something. He said: "That's it, your posture sucks."

To get over the problem, I raised the bars on my bike temporarily to quite a high position, and also switched to a standing desk at work.

SVTNate

Thanks for all the help thus far, everyone.

Pop N Wood

My hands and occasionally entire arms go numb and tingle, sometimes for weeks at a time, due to spinal stenosis in my neck. Adjusting bike fit and gear helps but in my case doesn't cure. Just need too live with a certain degree of stiffness.

Chiropractors really help, as does glucosemine. What has practically cured my neck and hand issues has been the recumbent bike. Bit of an extreme cure.

I wonder just how much day discomfort we cyclists need to live with as we age?