# This whole numb hand thing...



## mookie (10 Jun 2009)

I've got a really numb left heel of hand at the moment and it's because I've been out cycling for a couple of hours over the past two days (I know - wow, eh??!). I am really overweight, having given up smoking 18 months ago and piled it on, so am not sure whether I'm leaning really heavily on the handlebars...

Anyway, has anyone here suffered, and if so, what resolved it? I've looked through the forums and a few people seem to have changed handle bars - does the solution have to be this or has anyone had success from gel gloves? Alternatively, could a change of handlebar position help??

I don't have the same pain in my right hand, but then I'm probably moving it more as I change through the gears? 

Any help, much appreciated!!


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## Maizie (10 Jun 2009)

mookie said:


> I don't have the same pain in my right hand, but then I'm probably moving it more as I change through the gears?



Yup, I've just twigged to this one myself! I got both hands numb when I started, my left definitely worse. I got some gel-padded mitts - just cheapies - and they really helped, my right hand was fine, my left hand still a bit tingly. I got convinced it was my rings on my left hand making that finger number and so the rest of the hand feeling number. So I rode without rings on, but found my left hand still got tingly sometimes (though my right was fine, once I got gloves).
Took me ages to realise that I just don't move that hand so much because of hardly ever using the left gear thingy. Lo and behold, just remembering to move my left hand every so often seems to have fixed it, I ride with rings on again now and it's fine.

So I would say: Get some mitts if you haven't got any, try to remember to move your left hand about a bit (you might fancy a change of handlebars for this, but it might not be necessary, and if you have any tight jewellery on the left hand try a ride or two without it on!


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## mookie (10 Jun 2009)

Maizie said:


> Yup, I've just twigged to this one myself! I got both hands numb when I started, my left definitely worse.



Hi Maizie

Thanks so much for replying - I actually don't have rings on my left hand because my fingers have gotten a little too big for them since putting the weight on 

I think I'm going to get a pair of gel mitts - I've just seen a pair on CRC that might do the job and they get a reasonably good write up (and aren't that expensive)

It's bloody annoying though as it's numb right now and I haven't even ridden today


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## Bodhbh (10 Jun 2009)

You can try gel mitts which seem to help alot (I lost mine on a tour recently and a month later one of my fingers is still slightly numb). Other thing is you could fit a slightly fatter tyre upfront or take a little pressure out the one you have.


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## Panter (10 Jun 2009)

I suffer badly from this.

I haven't found anything that completely solves the problem but I recommend Specialized body geometery MTB gloves (I think they may only be availalable fingerless.)

I've also recently fitted, as in first ride today recently, some Specialized phat gel bar tape (4.5mm version) and that coupled with the gloves does help.

I did try some cheap Gel gloves but personally found them a false economy as the gel just got crushed after a while and then I had to pay out for the Spesh ones on top.

Good luck, it's a very irritating (and uncomfortable) problem but I've personally found that the benefits of cycling outweigh it.


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## Fnaar (10 Jun 2009)

I had it last year... lost feeling in one of my little fingers... doc suggested the obvious (lay off it for a while) and/or adjusting my riding position (cool to hear this from the GP) and/or getting gel grips on bars (wasn't going to do this). I'm cycling more now than I was then, but I'm more careful about changing hand position frequently on longer rides, and haven't had a problem since.


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## mookie (10 Jun 2009)

Panter said:


> I suffer badly from this.
> 
> I haven't found anything that completely solves the problem but I recommend Specialized body geometery MTB gloves (I think they may only be availalable fingerless.)



I think those might be the ones that got a really good write up a good review site - I'm hoping to visit a LBS this weekend with my husband (who's got the bug having used my bike  ) so I think I'll try some out there.

Thank you!


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## mookie (10 Jun 2009)

Fnaar said:


> I had it last year... lost feeling in one of my little fingers... doc suggested the obvious (lay off it for a while) and/or adjusting my riding position (cool to hear this from the GP) and/or getting gel grips on bars (wasn't going to do this). I'm cycling more now than I was then, but I'm more careful about changing hand position frequently on longer rides, and haven't had a problem since.



I think I've left moving my hand until it's been sore iykwim? Rather than move it so it doesn't get sore, I've left it till the damage was done.

Will be moving a lot from now on (need to move it seeing as it's so sore right now!!!)

Thank you!


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## medication25 (19 Jun 2009)

think about adding some bar ends too, and switch between those and your handlbars this will help.. it helped me lots... i got the cane creek ones.. simple to fit and work well.


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## MacB (19 Jun 2009)

Get your ride position sorted first, so:-

saddle - height and distance from nose of saddle to centre of cranks, this gives correct pedalling point and should remain a constant

reach - distance from nose of saddle to bars, measure at any point but always use that point for future checks. 

drop - distance from saddle to bars on the horizontal, ie bars lower/higher than saddle. I use a straight flat metal pole(old curtain pole, run from saddle to bars with a spirit level on top. Then raise spirit level at one end to get flat and measure gap between pole and level. 

handlebar angle -the tilt of the bars, only relevant if you have drops, or bars with sides like bar ends, I find I like them tilted up.

The saddle height and position shouldn't be a variable as it's based around your leg length etc. All of the others are impacted by each other, ie the lower the bars are from the saddle the longer the reach. It really is trial and error from there on. One thing to remember is that your core body strength can make a difference as well. Early in a ride you'll be sitting well but, as tiredness creeps in, you may slump a bit thus putting more pressure on the upper body. Worth being aware of this and consciously trying to avoid slumping where possible. 

Only when the position is really spot on would I consider investing in solutions around gloves, grips and gel bar tape. I did some of it arse about face and it just takes longer and costs more.


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## Theseus (19 Jun 2009)

Try a pair of these ...

http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/product/gp1
http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/product/gc2
http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/product/gr2
http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/product/gc3


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## mookie (19 Jun 2009)

Touche said:


> Try a pair of these ...
> 
> http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/product/gp1
> http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/product/gc2
> ...



Thanks for that - I actually bought a pair of Specialized ones (before seeing Macbludgeon's post) but they're bloody rubbish - the screws that clamp the metal grip together are made of silver colour plastic I think because the allan key ended up spinning in it after a few turns. These look a lot better - cheers!


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## zacklaws (19 Jun 2009)

I have a tendency to get a numbness in my hands or stabbing pains up my arms from my hands on long (100 mile) rides sometimes despite wearing gel mitts. The way I sort it is to just ride for a short while with my little finger and thumb behind the handlebars and three fingers in front, this raises the palm of my hand off the bars and allows me to get feeling's back in my hand as the blood starts to circulate and still provide a firm grip.


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## jimboalee (19 Jun 2009)

MacBludgeon said:


> Get your ride position sorted first, so:-
> 
> saddle - height and distance from nose of saddle to centre of cranks, this gives correct pedalling point and should remain a constant
> 
> ...



Oh McB...

I've been out riding and you've beat me to this answer.


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## Renard (19 Jun 2009)

Riser bars give me numb hands. I changed to a flat bar on the mtb and it greatly improved the situation.

I don't think I've had it on the road bike though as you tend to change hand position more often.


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## Mayniac (26 Jun 2009)

I suffer from this, and being in the health and safety game and having used power tools for years, I can say that it has all the symptoms of HAVS, (that's hand arm vibration syndrome) commonly known as vibration white finger. 

Rattling down all but the smoothest roads exposes your hands to vibrations similair to when using power tools.

It's an inexact science, with several different factors affecting the condition, including personal factors such as blood circulation, whether you smoke, and if you suffer from Renauds syndrome.

The only sure fire way to prevent it is to cut down on exposure time, i.e. ride less.

The jury is still out on gloves for industrial use. Subjective evidence suggests they work for some people but they can also make you grip the bars tighter and/or restrict circulation, both of which make things worse.

Some advice based on industrial principles:

-Don't grip the bars too tightly, or put too much weight through onto your hands.

-Adjust your grip position frequently to allow blood to circulate properly and avoid deadening of the hands. Have a regular 'shake out'. You'll probably do this anyway as a natural reaction to pins and needles. 

-Keep your hands warm. Not a problem at this time of year, but if they go numb on winter rides you could be making things worse.

Tingling and numbness are the early symptoms of the condition, and are reversible in most cases. If your fingers start going white, (then blue, then BLACK) its getting serious.


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## mookie (29 Jun 2009)

Mayniac said:


> Tingling and numbness are the early symptoms of the condition, and are reversible in most cases. If your fingers start going white, (then blue, then BLACK) its getting serious.



OMG! I'm only commuting too!! Jeezo. I haven't been on the bike since last week now for various reasons, the most recent a throat infection but I still have a little numbness in the bottom left bit of the left palm - not good really!


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## Fab Foodie (29 Jun 2009)

Read this and get better balanced on your bike. Most people thease days have their saddles too far forward over the cranks and thus too much weight on their hands. Sit back, get balance ad then adjust the bars to meet you, not the other way round.

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm


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## sparkyman (1 Aug 2009)

I have added A dence foam strip along the top of my drop bars to try to solve the numb fingers proplem (hoping this takes the edge off on long rides) I will let you know how it works out.

Sp4rkyM4n


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## Scoosh (4 Aug 2009)

After changing to a new bike  (road, drop bars), I started to get numb hands , so set out to track down possible causes.

Came up with:
1 - new riding position, taking some time to train my body that 'this is how it is going to be'
2 - longer reach to bars (see 1 above)
3 - deeper drop to drops (see 1 above)
4 - wider bars on new bike (see 1 above)
5 - as a result of wider bars, I tend to stick my elbows out more, so now make a conscious effort to 'roll my elbows in'

Not perfect yet but getting better.

HTH


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## scaryant (6 Aug 2009)

I had this for a while when I first started riding again (after a very long time off and having put on several kgs) on my left hand - I put it down to poor circulation. After putting in a few hundred kms over the past 4 months it doesn't happen any more... I would just keep at it, if you feel a little numbness in your hand sit up in your saddle and take your left hand off the bar, give your arm a shake and allow the blood to flow a bit.

If you can ride without a backpack, but if you must when you rest your hand lift the strap on that side because there is a major artery that runs down the front of your shoulder which can become restricted by weight.


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## lukesdad (8 Aug 2009)

the problem could be down to pressure on the nerve that runs thru the heel of the hand and is quite common, Frequent changing of hand position on bars will heelp so will bar ends and so will not leaning on the bars to support your weight.


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## Davidc (9 Aug 2009)

I'm sure this is caused by restricted blood flow, but wish that I could find a definite answer from an anatomist.

I started to get this after losing one of the arteries in my left arm.

Gel gloves - helped a lot.
Working out a regime of moving the hand every 5 minutes - helped a lot.
Bar ends to give an alternative position - helped a lot but inconvenient.

The thing that's made the biggest difference - using a tourer with drop bars for longer rides and making sure I move the hand position frequently.

I spent 5 hours (riding time) on the bike yesterday with no problems. (And did my first over 50 mile ride for nearly 20 years, with no ill effects this morning, which was good).


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## byegad (16 Aug 2009)

I tried gel mitts, higher handlebar and butterfly bars to get lots of different positions to chnge between.

They all put off the numbness but if I rode far enough it would come back. I eventually cured it completely, I now ride 100% recumbent, no numb hands, sore neck, painful elbows or anything else.


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## ASC1951 (21 Aug 2009)

Mayniac said:


> I suffer from this, and being in the health and safety game and having used power tools for years, I can say that it has all the symptoms of HAVS, (that's hand arm vibration syndrome) commonly known as vibration white finger.
> 
> Rattling down all but the smoothest roads exposes your hands to vibrations similair to when using power tools.


Given that Mookie is a female recreational cyclist and only gets numbness in the heel of her left hand, it is staggeringly unlikely to be VWF.

Listen to MacB, Mookie - as they say, he speaks much wisdom. 

It may even be worth paying for a proper fitting session at a good LBS, depending on how much you want to spend on cycling. I suspect that various pains and niggles around the body will persist until you get your strength and fitness back to where you want it, but the correct riding position is where you need to start. When you have that, it makes such a difference - I can ride seven or eight hours at a stretch on standard drops without padded bars or even gloves.


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## dellzeqq (1 Sep 2009)

none of us know the answer to this. My guess, and it would be no more than that, would be that changing to carbon forks, and, possibly, bars would do the trick. My riding position is forward, stretched, I don't wear gloves and still don't have a problem on carbon (or steel), but on aluminium I'm in real trouble.

And then again, it might be position, as McB suggests - so my advice would be to go out with your local CTC group, many of whom will have decades of experience, and ask them to watch you ride and offer any advice they might.

A word of warning. I've seen people go for expensive fitting services and been no better off as a result. And the advice I've received from bike shops and tried out has always resulted in pain.


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## jonny jeez (1 Sep 2009)

Hi Mookie, I also suffer from this, usually after about 50mins in the saddle, and have always done.

My little fingers go totally numb and the sides of my arms ache in sympathy (probably as an over compensation thing).

I use the spesh gel mitts, which do definitely help to delay the onset (I once forgot them and started going "numb" at about 20 mins!!) but are not a cure I'm afriad.

I also raised my handlebars a fraction to see if the shift in position would help (I like my bars quite low, which increases pressure on my hands...thats a MTB hangover I'm afriad...gives lots of front traction in the mub) but this didn't seem to do anything, so dropped them back.

I have ridden different bikes that "felt" more comfortable but always ended with the same issue so I agree that its probably as much dose to vibration etc as position.

I am a big guy (6'.2'') and built a bit like the average rugger player, I have very broad shoulders and a big chest so maybe its a "top heavy" issue more than over all weight as my lower half is pretty trim (if I do say so myself)...sorry this all sounds faintly vain...sorry...just trying to paint a mental picture for you to draw a comparison.

how long does it take for the symptoms to cut in?...is this period extending at all as you ride more?

PS, definitely find it worse in the winter..but also improves with regularity (I used to get it after 30 mins or so, now its 50, hopefully soon it will be 90 and so I'll not feel it at all...as I dont plan to ride that long each day)...perhaps you can just grin and bare it for a while untill your body adjusts and, like me, you drop a little weight from cycling.

Good luck, stick with it

Jonny


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## jonny jeez (1 Sep 2009)

dellzeqq said:


> My guess, and it would be no more than that, would be that changing to carbon forks, and, possibly, bars would do the trick. .




Can't say that i think this would help, I already ride with with front shocks (despite the weight disadvantage) and it still gets to me after 50 mins or so.


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## AndyJB (1 Sep 2009)

Mookie, I had the same issue, strange looks carrying a limp arm around with you. I changed what I hold onto to the shrouds, watching the TdF showed me how, rest forearms on the bars. This way you can change the positioning of the fingers, two below the levers then one etc etc, just keep changing your positioning. Pushing harder with your legs eventually takes your mind off pain in the rest of your body.

I suffer from chafing, that certainly takes my mind off it, in fact I would prefer the numbness to relocate to the nether regions for the duration. Am now looking for the ultimate 'my bum' shape saddle.


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## Bill Gates (2 Sep 2009)

Yes it's quite common. I suffer from it when I'm riding slow/steady as there is more pressure on the hands (and bum). Take one hand off the handlebars at a time and clench and then release your hand three or four times and the numbness is gone.


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## Beaker39 (7 Sep 2009)

I also suffered numbness in my little fingers but got some new Ciba Gel Comfort gloves that i used for the first time yesterday and never got any tingling or numbness.....and this was after 100 miles . 

Thoroughly recommended .


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## rodgy-dodge (21 Aug 2011)

I was just about to post a new thread about tingling sensations in hands when I came across this old thread!

During the week Husband was complaining about pins and needles in his hands. He does have Vibration white Finger so we put it down to that and getting used to the different riding position on the road bike. (we're both new to road biking). Yesterday however I suffered the same but only in one hand I wondered if it could be the uneven surfaces of the road? would better riding gloves alleviate the presure on the hands and absorbe the vibration of the road to stop this?


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## Norm (21 Aug 2011)

Yes, gloves with better vibration absorption will help but there could be other things that you could do as well. 

Road bikes do (generally) put more pressure on the hands, and thus wrists and forearms, than flat-barred bikes. You can alleviate this by taking conscious breaks to lift each hand and shake it out every few minutes.

Road bikes also give at least 5 different hand positions, so vary your position and grip rather than just sitting on the hoods or the tops all of the time.

You might also find that the new position means that you are gripping the bars too hard, so just try consciously relaxing your grip and seeing if that helps.

It could, of course, be that you have mild carpal tunnel issues and you'll just get numb hands whatever (as I do, after a silly day riding a motorbike from Annecy to Windsor without gloves) but the above should still help.


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## twobiker (21 Aug 2011)

I found that on my tourer,sequoia with carbon forks and inserts, that i got numb hands after inflating the tyres really hard,did not happen before,also certain road surfaces seem to cause it and not others.


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## rodgy-dodge (21 Aug 2011)

Norm said:


> Yes, gloves with better vibration absorption will help but there could be other things that you could do as well.
> 
> Road bikes do (generally) put more pressure on the hands, and thus wrists and forearms, than flat-barred bikes. You can alleviate this by taking conscious breaks to lift each hand and shake it out every few minutes.
> 
> ...



Cheers Norm all that you've suggested I did instinctively yesterday, think I'm going to invest in a new pair of gloves...another thing My Dear Husband will tut at...mmmm maybe buy him some too  that'll keep him sweet


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## Norm (21 Aug 2011)

When you are buying gloves, look specifically for those with gel in the right places for you and your bike. 

It might seem obvious (especially if you've already picked up the obvious points about hand position) but take your bikes along and sit on them when trying the gloves to ensure the gel is properly placed. Different people need the cushioning to be in a different place many reasons (bar shape and type, bike geometry, individual skeletal issues etc) so you need to get something which works for you on your bike.


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