Thumbs!

[adds21]

I don't mind cycling in the cold, except for my thumbs. The rest of me is generally nice and toasty in almost all weathers, but a couple of miles into my journey my thumbs start to get really cold and, eventually, numb. When I arrive at work they're agony for a while as I regain the feeling in them.

I bought some new gloves yesterday - proper ones with inner gloves, but had the same "thumb problem" this morning despite wearing them. Any ideas? I'm guessing I've just got bad circulation in them and will have to put up with it?

 

[asterix]

The trouble with cold and icy weather is that you have to ease off on the speed and effort. In my case I warm up by cycling harder, faster and you can't do it if the road is treacherous.

 

[NormanD]

Could well be the way you're gripping onto the handlebar grips, you might be using too much force to hold the handlebars or the grips are not suited to your hand holding style, thus cutting the circulation.

Try relaxing your grip or switch to ergonomic type grips like These they might help, they did for me

 

[adds21]

Could well be the way you're gripping onto the handlebar grips, you might be using too much force to hold the handlebars or the grips are not suited to your hand holding style, thus cutting the circulation.

Try relaxing your grip or switch to ergonomic type grips like These they might help, they did for me

You may be right about needing to relax my grip, it's possible I tense up when I get colder, but I get the problem on both my road bike and MTB (was on the MTB this morning because it was too snowy for narrow tyres). I'll try and relax on the way home this evening!

 

[longers]

A bit of wriggling of the fingers helps a bit for me, might work on your thumbs to help keep circulation going.

If wearing suitable gloves I blow down the finger ends when stopped at lights or when safe to take a hand off the bars, that helps too but not when wearing windproof gloves.

Hand position might help, if you're able to hide your thumbs out of the windchill it could help.

Edit: lots of ifs, buts and maybes there!

 

[PaulSB]

I wear those magic one-size-fits-all gloves you can get on the market, in £££ shops etc. Put them on underneath a pair of regular cycling gloves and the fingers are toasty warm but still free to move easily.

 

[lukesdad]

If its only your thumbs try cutting the thumbs of a pair of thick rubber gloves that should do the trick just make sure they are the loose fitting type.

 

[johnr]

Another thing to check is how you are holding your thumbs vis-a-vis the wind/waterproofing. I discovered a few years ago that I was regularly twisting the little finger on one glove as I was putting it on. The wind was hitting the breathable bit, not the windproofing. A bit of a twist and the problem went away. Hope it works!

 

[adds21]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

This morning I donned a pair of fetching blue latex gloves, under my inner gloves, under my winter gloves. Overall, an improvement. My thumbs were still numb after the first 5 or so miles, but they weren't in quite as much agony as yesterday. That said, I don't think it was as cold either (I was also on my road bike, not my MTB, so my hand position was different).

Once I arrived at work, I took off all six of my gloves, and my hands were pretty sweaty, yet my thumbs were still numb. I reckon that must mean it's more because of bad circulation than cold. Maybe I'll look at getting some looser fitting outer gloves...

 

[perplexed]

Ahhh, I thought it was just me!

Cycling to work at 0400am can be nippy, but I'm having the same problem with my thumbs...

Might try to get some silk liner gloves or summat...

 

[Globalti]

Motorcyclists use handlebar muffs in winter, these are big fleece-lined covers for the hand grips, into which you slip your hands. Could you bodge up something like that?

 

[Chris S]

I don't mind cycling in the cold, except for my thumbs. The rest of me is generally nice and toasty in almost all weathers, but a couple of miles into my journey my thumbs start to get really cold and, eventually, numb.

I had the same problem. This morning I just held them horizontally behind the handlebars so they could easily be flipped under it if I hit a bump but were out of the wind for the rest of the time.

When I arrived my thumbs wern't any colder than my fingers.