Pins and needles

[Thomk]

I've only been cycling about 7 weeks and it's mostly great but I'm suffering from really annoying numbness and pins and needles in both hands/wrists while riding. It tends to come on after about 4 or 5 miles and then bothers me on and off for the rest of the ride. My usual rides are between 11 - 13 miles with another 11 - 13 miles a couple of hours later (the return commute). I've been wearing summer cycling gloves and have a flat handlebar commuter. Any ideas?

 

[vickster]

I would get some gel mitts, some bar ends so you can change hand positions, possibly some ergo grips and also make sure the bike is set up right and the reach is correct (may need to change the stem)

I would think after 7 weeks you should be past the 'getting used to the bike' stage

 

[Matthew_T]

I always get aches in my hands and arms after I have done a long downhill stretch. It is the fact that 30 mph down a steep country lane, whilst trying to keep up with the club member infront of you, on a very worn out road, just puts too much pressure on my arms. I get to the bottom of the hill and end up having to circulate my hands.

Might it be that you are on bump roads? Or putting too much pressure on your hands?Try loosening up a bit and have a more relaxed stance.

 

[spacecat]

Try bar ends, that's if the bikes suitable, and try to change hand positions frequently. Also as others have said try to set the bike up to take some weight off your hands.

Strangely enough I used to get it an awful lot on my hybrid, but never got it on my road bike even though the road bike put more weight on my hands. I eventually put it down to wrist rotation

 

[Thomk]

I eventually put it down to wrist rotation

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've wondered whether this is the cause though. I guess bar ends would sort that out? I have a Charge Mixer, would I be able to fit them on this? It seems a bit of a shame to ruin the aesthetics but I suppose I've already done that with the rack, pannier and guards.

 

[billy1561]

I have a hybrid with bar ends, also an mtb with ergo grips both of which give me nasty pins and needles at 4 mile ish. Got a road bike with a lot more weight on my hands and wrists yet strangely get only a small amount of numbness. Can't work it out.

 

[spacecat]

I don't see why you wouldn't be able to get some to fit. I think a change of hand position helps an awful lot, even if it's only for a few minutes. I never realised just how many more positions a drop bar bike has till I got one.

Fit some bar ends, I did and it sorted it. Incidently the pins and needles would start in the little and ring fingers. Dealing with health and safety in construction.as part of my job this is classic hand arm vibration, more commonly known as vibration white finger in the worst cases.

 

[spacecat]

Do you notice your wrists rotating back towards your forearms after a few miles? That can happen with flat bars maybe after a few miles with tired arms.

 

[2Loose]

Bar ends help a lot, but that isn't very far at all before numbness sets in.
Try lowering (or raising) your bars by a spacer if you can, moving a spacer above the stem made my core take a little bit more of the strain and helped alleviate a similar problem. It is also free and only takes 5 minutes to do. It does depend on you having a spacer under the stem at the moment, but worth a go.

 

[Thomk]

Do you notice your wrists rotating back towards your forearms after a few miles? That can happen with flat bars maybe after a few miles with tired arms.

Yes. And I think I grip the bar to tightly. The numbness & P&N usually start in my thumb.

 

[spacecat]

I also fitted some specialised bg grips now I come to think about it. It was a few years back and I don't know whether you can still get them. They were sort of flatish on top and seemed to stop the rotation a bit.

 

[spacecat]

Actually looking back before I sorted it it was bloody awful! Quick how we forget stuff lol

 

[Thomk]

I also fitted some specialised bg grips now I come to think about it. It was a few years back and I don't know whether you can still get them. They were sort of flatish on top and seemed to stop the rotation a bit.

Is this the type of thing?

http://www.rutlandcy...ampaign=pid9935

Are they pretty universal i.e fit on any bike?

 

[spacecat]

Yeah they were like that. They spread the load and help stop your wrists turning. Also I think that the light grey bit was softer than the rest.

Don't quote me but they should fit!

 

[vickster]

I have had those on both of my last 3 hybrids, far nicer than round grips IMO, If you have small hands, might be worth considering women's ones - I do have small women's hands and found the specific ones fitted on my Crosstrail more comfortable that the men's ones that came with my Sirrus

Or how about one of those curved bar jobbies that you see on the groovy single speed bikes (sorry dunno what they are called), a bit like upturned drops?