Tingling in my pinky

[Jason.T]

Hi guys this is my first post (other than my intro in the welcome section) so please forgive me if this has been covered many times

I get a very slight numbness and a pins and needles sensation in both my little fingers and in the side of my hands while riding

Sometimes it can start within the first mile but sometimes it can be up to 10 miles before it starts

It mainly happens on rougher roads and doesn't tend to tingle on the smoother roads

I've googled this for hours and came across so many different reasons,

Due to the fact that it mainly happens on the rougher roads do you think it is as simple as getting some decent padded gloves? My gloves have little to no padding

Thanks in advance

 

[Spinney]

Could be that - a pair of padded gloves is the easiest thing to try.
Also try changing hand position frequently during rides.

And welcome to CycleChat!

 

[Jason.T]

Could be that - a pair of padded gloves is the easiest thing to try.
Also try changing hand position frequently during rides.

And welcome to CycleChat!

Thank you mate, I do tend to move my hands around although probably not as much as I should

Time to invest in some decent gloves

 

[Spinney]

If that doesn't work, it might be a matter of some adjustments to riding position, but try the gloves first!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Front tyre pressure can make a lot of difference too, as well as decent bar tape. What pressure are you riding with?

 

[Jason.T]

Front tyre pressure can make a lot of difference too, as well as decent bar tape. What pressure are you riding with?

Always run the front at 115 psi same goes for the rear, not sure how good my handle bar tape is to be honest it's a little spongy but that's as much as I know lol

 

[Hip Priest]

- Gloves
- Hand position
- General bike position
- Don't grip the bars hard
- Bar tape

Trial & error really! I still get similar discomfort in my hands if I've been tensed up, like when I'm riding into a strong headwind for ages.

 

[Jason.T]

I've been considering a having a proper bike fit done, I'm doing the tour of Pembroke 100 miles in April so want to be as comfortable as possible for such a long distance

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Always run the front at 115 psi same goes for the rear, not sure how good my handle bar tape is to be honest it's a little spongy but that's as much as I know lol

Ok, nothing extreme in the pressures there. And spongy is very probably good.

Though, while the advice already given is also good and probably already addresses the problem, 2 extra things that might help - keep the elbows unlocked (better to let your arms work as shock absorbers than letting the hands take the battering on their own) - and keep yourself warm (so good gloves and long sleeves).

You can also fiddle with the angle of your bars by rotating them up or down for comfort. And you can flip the stem, giving you a generally higher, less stretched down profile. This isn't faster, particularly in headwinds, but you might find it more comfortable.

 

[Jason.T]

Ok, nothing extreme in the pressures there. And spongy is very probably good.

Though, while the advice already given is also good and probably already addresses the problem, 2 extra things that might help - keep the elbows unlocked (better to let your arms work as shock absorbers than letting the hands take the battering on their own) - and keep yourself warm (so good gloves and long sleeves).

You can also fiddle with the angle of your bars by rotating them up or down for comfort. And you can flip the stem, giving you a generally higher, less stretched down profile. This isn't faster, particularly in headwinds, but you might find it more comfortable.

Cheers mate, a guy in work has told me to flip the stem so may give that a go, also I know I do tend to ride with my elbows locked so need to get out of that habit, I finish work at 12 tomorrow so if it's not raining it will be an afternoon of tweaking

 

[Ticktockmy]

The culprit is compression of the ulnar nerve, which runs through the wrist and controls sensation in the ring and pinkie fingers as well as motor function in the hand. The solution is taking the pressure off that nerve through proper hand positioning. Sitting too far forward or reaching too far to the bar can place undue pressure on your palms. To avoid overextending your wrists, move your hand position often while maintaining neutral or straight wrists. Lot of us cyclists suffer from it, normally takes me about 20 miles before it set in for me, My solution is to stop as soon as I feel the effect and holding my hands, open and closing my hands then I seem OK for another 20 miles.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

The culprit is compression of the ulnar nerve, which runs through the wrist and controls sensation in the ring and pinkie fingers as well as motor function in the hand. The solution is taking the pressure off that nerve through proper hand positioning. Sitting too far forward or reaching too far to the bar can place undue pressure on your palms. To avoid overextending your wrists, move your hand position often while maintaining neutral or straight wrists. Lot of us cyclists suffer from it, normally takes me about 20 miles before it set in for me, My solution is to stop as soon as I feel the effect and holding my hands, open and closing my hands then I seem OK for another 20 miles.

This.

Padded gloves fixed my problems with it

 

[Jason.T]

I've read about the ulnar while googling it, I now realise I am putting a lot of pressure on my hands, I don't think I'm over stretching as I feel comfortable on the bike but I suppose that's not a true indication, I'm going to get some decent padded gloves along with flipping my stem and see how I get on with that

 

[Jason.T]

Ok so I've flipped my stem, not ridden yet as I need a canoe out there at the moment not a bike but just by sitting on it I feel far less pressure on my hands

 

[Doyleyburger]

Ok so I've flipped my stem, not ridden yet as I need a canoe out there at the moment not a bike but just by sitting on it I feel far less pressure on my hands

I will also try this @Jason.T. We can ride majestically through the coastline of cardigan together to try them out