Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

Hands Numbness

Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Hands Numbness

Old 08-31-22, 10:20 AM
  #1  
Kiss21
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: Limassol
Posts: 3

Bikes: Focus Izalco

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Hands Numbness

Hi, I am new in road bike. I start ride a road bike since Feb of this year. All this time my hands get numbness. I beleive because i put too much Pressure on the steering. I'm thinking of changing the stem of my bike from 90mm to 70mm because i can see the axes of the frond wheel in frond of my steering whereas it should be hiding from my steering. Do you think that it can help?
Kiss21 is offline  
Old 08-31-22, 10:39 AM
  #2  
streetsurfer
Full Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2022
Location: Illinois
Posts: 338
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 94 Post(s)
Liked 282 Times in 149 Posts
Nerve impingement can come from laxity in the joint. If adjustments don’t resolve this, regular use of a gyro hand exercise ball will provide full range of motion support and stability needed for the wrist joint, to reduce any wear created because of laxity and parts rubbing that oughtn’t.
streetsurfer is offline  
Old 08-31-22, 11:01 AM
  #3  
Iride01 
I'm good to go!
 
Iride01's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 14,800

Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020

Mentioned: 50 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6099 Post(s)
Liked 4,730 Times in 3,260 Posts
I've found recently that toning up the muscles in my hand seems to help the numbness I was starting to get in my hands. I keep a set of those grip strengtheners with with spring sitting by the chair in front of my TV. However changing the angles and position of your STI's as well as bar width might also help. But you have to play with that.

Also if you are keeping your arms straight, then your hands need to be well out in front of you and your position low and more aero. Otherwise you need to have a good bend in your elbows, and a bike with a high stack.

streetsurfer Interesting avatar you chose. I've got one of those too from long long ago...

Seems that I'm having a issue with attaching pics though I've never had an issue before. So maybe If I get it figured out I put it here.
Iride01 is offline  
Likes For Iride01:
Old 08-31-22, 11:33 AM
  #4  
aliasfox
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 625

Bikes: Lynskey R270 Disc, Bianchi Vigorelli

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 298 Post(s)
Liked 154 Times in 129 Posts
I would try a taller stem (or an extra spacer, if your steerer's long enough) before trying a shorter stem. If your back feels fine with a 90mm stem, it might feel cramped with a 70mm. A buddy of mine gets hand numbness when he rides two of my bikes with ~550-560 stack, but has no problem with my bike that has a 580mm stack height. I'm fine with all three, but find myself more comfortable for long periods in the drops on the bike with the taller front end.
aliasfox is offline  
Old 08-31-22, 11:44 AM
  #5  
mawn
Newbie
 
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: Morocco
Posts: 59

Bikes: Ridley

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 32 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 6 Posts
Check this video... it was recommended to me today!
mawn is offline  
Likes For mawn:
Old 08-31-22, 11:48 AM
  #6  
brianmcg123
Senior Member
 
brianmcg123's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: TN
Posts: 1,286

Bikes: 2013 Trek Madone; 2008 Surly Long Haul Trucker

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 361 Post(s)
Liked 59 Times in 35 Posts
Shortening the stem may not solve your problem.

I would get a stem with at least 17* of rise, but the same length.
brianmcg123 is offline  
Old 08-31-22, 12:57 PM
  #7  
urbanknight
Over the hill
 
urbanknight's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 24,340

Bikes: Giant Defy, Giant Revolt

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 987 Post(s)
Liked 1,186 Times in 681 Posts
Strengthening upper back and core muscles will help you to relieve the amount of pressure on your hands.
__________________
It's like riding a bicycle
urbanknight is offline  
Likes For urbanknight:
Old 08-31-22, 01:18 PM
  #8  
rm -rf
don't try this at home.
 
rm -rf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: N. KY
Posts: 5,918
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 964 Post(s)
Liked 495 Times in 342 Posts
You won't be able to post a photo until you have 10 posts.
~~~
Gloves -- some gloves that don't fit my hand would have a pressure point at the center of the base of my palm -- that's not good.

Rider balance
With a good saddle position, you should have less pressure on your hands.
Are your elbows slightly bent (good) , or are your arms locked (bad)? Are your wrists bent or straight?

I see a lot of riders that have a bike that's too small to allow them to use the drops comfortably. The drops relieve a lot of hand pressure for me, and it's nice to be able to switch back and forth from hoods to drops. I don't get numbness, but my finger joints do get sore (I'm old).
I also see riders with hands on the curve behind the hoods. They can't comfortably reach that far to the hoods -- not good.

Handlebar angle and hood position
I like the end of the drops to point toward my rear rim brake area, and the hoods are angled upwards about 15 degrees (according to my "bubble level" phone app). I adjusted the hoods this way: Sit on the bike in a doorway. Shake out my arms to relax them. Reach for the hoods without any bend in my wrists -- the palm should contact the whole hood at once so the pressure is distributed.

Copied from an older thread:

Saddle position test
This bike fitter video is interesting and useful. Essentially, you want a saddle position where you aren't sliding forward if you lift your hands off the bars. That keeps the arms from having to push you back all the time.
The first part to the 4:00 mark is an interesting discussion and debunking of "knee over pedal", but since it's not relevant to fitting, it can be skipped.

How to set saddle fore aft position 3:55 mark.

This helped me make a slight adjustment that was a nice improvement.

My bike fit
I have the saddle quite level where my seat bones are, not overall level. The nose is actually slightly higher.

I have the bars set just an inch below the top of the saddle. I have a very comfortable position in the drops this way. And the hoods are still fine. Oh, it's so nice to have usable drops when I'm going fast, in headwinds, and especially on very rough roads or fast downhills. There's much more control in the drops.

My hoods are slightly sloped upward, so my wrists are straight while using the hoods. The drops are angled just like the fitter video.
rm -rf is offline  
Old 08-31-22, 01:54 PM
  #9  
GAtkins
Full Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Springdale, Arkansas
Posts: 318

Bikes: 2021 Trek Domane SLR7 Project One 62cm- 2010 Specialized Allez 61cm

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 118 Post(s)
Liked 88 Times in 44 Posts
Try a glove one size larger than you normally wear.

Glenn
GAtkins is offline  
Old 09-01-22, 08:43 AM
  #10  
Carbonfiberboy 
just another gosling
 
Carbonfiberboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 19,500

Bikes: CoMo Speedster 2003, Trek 5200, CAAD 9, Fred 2004

Mentioned: 115 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3872 Post(s)
Liked 1,920 Times in 1,369 Posts
Yes, it can help. Read my primer on bike fit, here: https://www.bikeforums.net/21296948-post3.html

and the numb hands post: https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycl...l#post12953035
__________________
Results matter
Carbonfiberboy is offline  
Likes For Carbonfiberboy:
Old 09-01-22, 09:08 AM
  #11  
GAtkins
Full Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Springdale, Arkansas
Posts: 318

Bikes: 2021 Trek Domane SLR7 Project One 62cm- 2010 Specialized Allez 61cm

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 118 Post(s)
Liked 88 Times in 44 Posts
Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy
Yes, it can help. Read my primer on bike fit, here: https://www.bikeforums.net/21296948-post3.html

and the numb hands post: https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycl...l#post12953035
I had seen those posts a while back. That's how I ride with my hands. Very nice.

Glenn
GAtkins is offline  
Old 09-01-22, 06:51 PM
  #12  
Fredo76
The Wheezing Geezer
 
Fredo76's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: Española, NM
Posts: 995

Bikes: 1976 Fredo Speciale, Jamis Citizen 1, Ellis-Briggs FAVORI, Rivendell Clem Smith Jr.

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 393 Post(s)
Liked 854 Times in 421 Posts
+1 on the Numb Hands post. Overall bike fit is important for numerous reasons, but numbness in your hands is usually caused by unrelenting pressure on the ulner and/or medial nerves that come out of the wrist through your palms. Changing hand position helps. Padding helps. Not mashing on your nerves with your grip helps the most.
Fredo76 is offline  
Likes For Fredo76:
Old 09-01-22, 07:35 PM
  #13  
LarrySellerz
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 1,964
Mentioned: 23 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2642 Post(s)
Liked 474 Times in 344 Posts
Yall are talking a lot about bike fit, stem lengths, and hand positions. OP said he is new to road bikes so chances are he is holding the handlebars too tightly. Thats gotta be 9/10ths of the issue.

OP try riding with one hand and then with both hands just barely touching the handlebars. Your body does the vast majority of the steering and little adjustments to keep you upright and stable. Youre simply grabbing too hard
LarrySellerz is offline  
Old 09-01-22, 07:50 PM
  #14  
scottfsmith
I like bike
 
scottfsmith's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Merry Land USA
Posts: 662

Bikes: Roubaix Comp 2020

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 267 Post(s)
Liked 283 Times in 191 Posts
Bike Fit Tuesdays this week is on this topic:


There are lots of different potential reasons as this video enumerates.
scottfsmith is offline  
Likes For scottfsmith:
Old 09-03-22, 03:56 AM
  #15  
Kiss21
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: Limassol
Posts: 3

Bikes: Focus Izalco

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by aliasfox
I would try a taller stem (or an extra spacer, if your steerer's long enough) before trying a shorter stem. If your back feels fine with a 90mm stem, it might feel cramped with a 70mm. A buddy of mine gets hand numbness when he rides two of my bikes with ~550-560 stack, but has no problem with my bike that has a 580mm stack height. I'm fine with all three, but find myself more comfortable for long periods in the drops on the bike with the taller front end.
No more extra spacer. My steere is on the higher possition
Kiss21 is offline  
Old 09-03-22, 04:14 AM
  #16  
Kiss21
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: Limassol
Posts: 3

Bikes: Focus Izalco

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by LarrySellerz
Yall are talking a lot about bike fit, stem lengths, and hand positions. OP said he is new to road bikes so chances are he is holding the handlebars too tightly. Thats gotta be 9/10ths of the issue.

OP try riding with one hand and then with both hands just barely touching the handlebars. Your body does the vast majority of the steering and little adjustments to keep you upright and stable. Youre simply grabbing too hard
I beleive you have right. I will try do that. Thank you.
Kiss21 is offline  
Old 09-12-22, 05:42 PM
  #17  
Calsun
Banned
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 1,280
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 608 Post(s)
Liked 382 Times in 288 Posts
For the past 50 years when I get a new bike I add bike wrap to the center section of the handlebar between the two brake levers. This helps a great deal by spreading the weight on my hands over a larger surface area. As I don't add more around the drops of the bars it does not impact my use of them when climbing.

It is also important to move your hands around on the bars. I will rest mine on the tops of the brake levers and then move them to the top of the handlebar and sometimes get down in the drops. This also helps me keep my shoulder and neck muscles looser.

Gloves with gel are also a big help and you can find them with various thicknesses of gel to find ones that work for you.
Calsun is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.