Right hand going numb when riding…..

[sevenfourate]

……..across all my bikes. Pretty much.

And happens after an hour (?) or more riding generally. Not always - infact I’ve been through a few months recently of it being really good [Barely any numbness]. But I suffered toward the end of the Dunwich Dynamo; doing nearly 7 hours in the saddle and 112 miles - and it’s not been 100% since. And certainly more pronounced / coming on sooner than normal.

I know I’m far from alone in this - as I often follow cyclists ‘shaking out’ their hands when riding. But seeing as I suffer from it on numerous bikes / postures, positioning and weight distribution I figure other factors are at least: contributing.

Thickness of grips / tape ?
Gloves worn ?
Roads ridden ?
Tyre pressure ? * I think lower PSI helps.

Anything else that others have nailed down and proven to be contributing factors ?

 

[ktmbiker58]

I fitted a pair of Fox TC32 forks to my road bike and that seemed to fix it for me - just taking that bit of chatter off made a big difference especially on the worn roads around here. I run 35mm tyres at 45psi which help but it was the Fox forks that really fixed it! The weight penalty is about 600g or one water bottle.

 

[wafter]

Too much weight on the hands due to the saddle being too far forward would be another... or course this would assume consistent-ish fit across all bikes.

It does seem a bit of a coincidence that it's happening across all bikes; plus that it's only happening in one hand.. so could be something intrinsic to you or your posture. Perhaps wrist angle / attitude of hand relative to arm might also be worth looking at...?

 

[Rusty Nails]

I get something like that if I ride flat bars for any distance. Have no problem at all on drop bars. I think it might be because my hands are bent too far back at the wrists on flat bars, possibly my bad positioning, whereas on my drop bars my wrists are straight most of the time and feel more relaxed.

 

[wafter]

I get something like that if I ride flat bars for any distance. Have no problem at all on drop bars. I think it might be because my hands are bent too far back at the wrists on flat bars, possibly my bad positioning, whereas on my drop bars my wrists are straight most of the time and feel more relaxed.

This is a good point; I also find straight bars (at least wider variants) give me wrist pain. I did a load of testing and reckon that about 25 degree backsweep puts the hands in the most neutral position.. I have no problems with drops, which I think in some positions give a similarly neutral wrist angle to a back swept bar.

Not sure how much of a range of bar types @sevenfourate rides..

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

Tyre pressures too high for total weight of you on bikes?

I think we're roughly similar weight kitted up to ride with mobile/pump/kit in jersey pocket, ~95Kg.

Currently on my ~17Kg GT Bolt gravel ebike with SP1 battery extender and one 750ml bottle (so ~112Kg total), I'm running 40mm Marathon Supreme with butyl tube up front at 45PSI and 45mm Caracal Race with latex tube at rear at 42PSI.

Last year I was running 40mm Supreme on rear at ~58PSI and 35mm Supreme at 60PSI on the Bolt.

My '20 Marasa (~108Kg total) currently has an old barely used 35mm Randonneur Pro on an Alex Volar 2.3 rear wheel from Merlin at 60PSI (which apparently might be a bit high for a 23mm internal rim width), with a 38mm Marathon Cross at ~55PSI.

Above pressures used mostly on moderate to rough tarmac.

 

[sevenfourate]

……plus that it's only happening in one hand.. so could be something intrinsic to you or your posture. Perhaps wrist angle / attitude of hand relative to arm might also be worth looking at...?

This sounds a likely 🙏 Not sure how / why it all but disappeared for a few months. But seems it’s relatively: back now with avengeance.

Head would say to drop tyre pressure first off. Free to do: and I am running higher pressure than Silica’s recommendations for example……and one change at a time too of course.

 

[bluenotebob]

back now with avengeance

It might have come back because you did the Dunwich Dynamo on a flat handlebar hybrid.

As @Rusty Nails and @wafter have said upthread, straight handlebars often seem to invoke wrist pain/numb hands. Others have also mentioned it over the years on here.

I suffer from it too when I'm on one of my hybrids but a good shake of the hand seems to clear the numbness.

I also wear gloves whenever I'm on a bike (any bike), irrespective of the weather. It was suggested to me years ago - and I find it definitely helps.

 

[sevenfourate]

It might have come back because you did the Dunwich Dynamo on a flat handlebar hybrid.

As @Rusty Nails and @wafter have said upthread, straight handlebars often seem to invoke wrist pain/numb hands. Others have also mentioned it over the years on here.

I suffer from it too when I'm on one of my hybrids but a good shake of the hand seems to clear the numbness.

I also wear gloves whenever I'm on a bike (any bike), irrespective of the weather. It was suggested to me years ago - and I find it definitely helps.

Thanks ! I’m taking in and digesting all of that.

Ref gloves - I always wear them. And presume ‘most’ also do. I really meant:

What type ? Padded to absorb some road vibration ? A plainer, thinner type for more normal ergonomics ? Or……

And that’s interesting on flat-bars causing numbness more than road type bars / being on the hoods presumably. I’ve never heard that before 😳

Sounds like I need to accelerate the Carbon Wheels on my ‘All Road’ bike I’m currently mulling over which to purchase: and get some miles under my belt: to see if I notice a difference.

Thanks again.

 

[All uphill]

I use only flat bars these days. I have had uncomfortable hands, but resolved that. I'd look at four things:

Are you resting your upper body weight on your hands? Ideally your core should hold most, if not all, of your weight, and your hands should be light on the bars.

Do your flat bars have your hands at a natural angle to your arms? If you stand relaxed with your hands at your sides, then lift your arms in front of you, what is the angle between hands and arms? Mine is about 30 degrees. Straight flat bars are unbearable for me, I need bars that let my hands sit at a natural angle.

I use Gore fingerless gloves. Just a thin layer of chamois between my palms and the grips, but it makes a huge difference.

I need support for the heels of my hands. Ergon grips give me that.

Good luck!

 

[sevenfourate]

I use only flat bars these days. I have had uncomfortable hands, but resolved that. I'd look at four things:

Are you resting your upper body weight on your hands? Ideally your core should hold most, if not all, of your weight, and your hands should be light on the bars.

Do your flat bars have your hands at a natural angle to your arms? If you stand relaxed with your hands at your sides, then lift your arms in front of you, what is the angle between hands and arms? Mine is about 30 degrees. Straight flat bars are unbearable for me, I need bars that let my hands sit at a natural angle.

I use Gore fingerless gloves. Just a thin layer of chamois between my palms and the grips, but it makes a huge difference.

I need support for the heels of my hands. Ergon grips give me that.

Good luck!

Really interesting. Again - stuff for me to process, apply to me, research and think about. GREAT ! And your advice is all helpful - Especially coming from a flat bar user with ‘previous experience’ 🙂

Could you further explain or picture the natural angle between hands / arms that I’m trying to retain (?) when riding ? This sounds like a major to me…..

 

[teeonethousand]

I too have had this and I used to get it on long motorbike tides too...only right hand.
I used to blame it on vibes from engine/road and I think it's similar on pushbikes.
I tweaked the hoods height, angle etc until I got it just right for where my hands sit naturally. In my case it's slightly tilted inwards and with my palms on the broad base bit of the hood. When I need new tape I shall add padding in the bend . I used padded gloves ..cheap ones but they do help. I also try to keep my arms bent so taking pressure on core but do often have to correct my position

I have 45 semi slicks run at 38/42 ..roads around here that I use, ie quieter, are crap so road vibration is increasingly a thing.

 

[sevenfourate]

I too have had this and I used to get it on long motorbike tides too...only right hand.
I used to blame it on vibes from engine/road and I think it's similar on pushbikes.
I tweaked the hoods height, angle etc until I got it just right for where my hands sit naturally. In my case it's slightly tilted inwards and with my palms on the broad base bit of the hood. When I need new tape I shall add padding in the bend . I used padded gloves ..cheap ones but they do help. I also try to keep my arms bent so taking pressure on core but do often have to correct my position

I have 45 semi slicks run at 38/42 ..roads around here that I use, ie quieter, are crap so road vibration is increasingly a thing.

More fabulous info and experience. Much to digest and consider. Thankyou !

Tyre pressure and pre-setting bars / stem / levers etc being immediate things I could action.

Riding posture (I have already been / been told I need to work on this !) and using my Core a bit more being longer term considerations and areas of improvement I’m sure…..

 

[All uphill]

Here's a

Really interesting. Again - stuff for me to process, apply to me, research and think about. GREAT ! And your advice is all helpful - Especially coming from a flat bar user with ‘previous experience’ 🙂

Could you further explain or picture the natural angle between hands / arms that I’m trying to retain (?) when riding ? This sounds like a major to me…..

Here's a picture of my relaxed right arm and hand, holding a vaguely handlebar shaped object. Notice that that my handlebar substitute is not at 90 degrees to my arm. Nor should my actual bars be.

Changing to bars with some sweep helps enourmously, but does mess up the rest of the fit. I needed to add 30mm to the stem length.

 

[sevenfourate]

Here's a


Here's a picture of my relaxed right arm and hand, holding a vaguely handlebar shaped object. Notice that that my handlebar substitute is not at 90 degrees to my arm. Nor should my actual bars be.

Changing to bars with some sweep helps enourmously, but does mess up the rest of the fit. I needed to add 30mm to the stem length.

View attachment 818176

Awesome. Thanks very much for your time. I’ll get my Wife to get some pictures of my hands on the bars tonight - in my actual riding position; and report back for a critique 😉