Originally Posted by spencertimm

Hi all -

I’m seriously getting back into cycling after being on a mountain bike for a year and a half or so. I have a 58 cm Giant TCR with an 80 cm 6 degree (down) stem. I noticed today that, on one of my longer rides, my hands began to go numb. While on the ride I tried scooting the seat back and that didn’t help much plus it increased my reach uncomfortably. So, here are a few ideas I have to fix this:

1. Get a new bike. I’ve been thinking about this for a while, because I seem to better fit a slightly smaller frame. I am 6’ 2” with a 34.5 inch inseam, so I have a relatively short torso. The TCR is a race geometry so it has a relatively low stack and long reach, hence the 80 mm stem. I’ve been looking at a Defy in size 56, which has a nearly identical stack to the 58 cm TCR but about 10 mm shorter reach.

2. Move seat backward and just deal with the longer reach since I don’t want to use a shorter stem.

3. Angle handlebars down, assuming that the numbness is related to too much bend in my wrists.

4. Wait for my core strength to improve after more riding/training which might start to take weight off my hands.

Any input is appreciated!