numbness in fingers/hands after long bike ride

beedge

i've done quite a bit of mountain biking in the past, and never really noticed anything before.

I went on a long (for me) bike ride on the road bike the other day - about 70 miles - and at the end i was really aware my hands and fingers were a bit numb, and had a bit of pins and needles. This took a good 2 or 3 days before it felt normal again. Should this be something to worry about - or could it be a consequence of the frankly really quite poor terraine i was cycling over.

Rich Hcp

Too muche weight over the hasnds seems to be the usual cause.

Also moving to different holds on the drops frequently keeps the circualtion going

JustRidecp

Hi Beedge. Like Rich above said, too much weight on your hands can lead to numbness. Are your handlebars quite a bit lower than your saddle? You can flip your stem over to get some more handlebar height and a bit more relaxed ride. This'll make long 70 odd milers a bit more comfortable. This is what I've done and really makes a difference when in the saddle for a long time. Also, road bike geometries and riding positions are a lot different from mtb riding. If you've got a good lbs near you, it might be worth taking your bike down and getting them to have a look at your position and set-up

Also, think about getting a good set of gel padded gloves which help a lot with rough road surfaces. I've also fitted the thickest Spesh fat bar tape to my bike which has gel inserts underneath the wrap on the drops and on the top. This also makes a big difference on ride comfort, in my opinion.

The numbness in your hands is something you should address and don't put it down to a side affect from cycling. It can lead on to carpal tunnel syndrome (cyclists palsy) which can be quite serious, affecting your grip abilities!

JezRodando

I also have the same problems. I find that vibration coming up from the road surface can induce the problem and the worse the road surface, the greater the problem. Also in my case it varies depending which bike I use as different frames/fork combinations can be more or less "forgiving". To reduce the problem, I always wear padded mitts and I have put a double layer of gel tape on my handlebars to absorb the vibrations. Changing position frequently also helps, going from the lever hoods to the bar tops or the drops helps. Also if the problem occurs during the ride, straighten your arm vertically and shake it slightly. This seems to get the blood circulating more freely.

I have suffered Carpal Tunnel syndrome in the past which probably doesn't particularly help in my case but I have had my hands operated on and there has been a distinct improvement.

pieinthesky

I have never had this problem while mountain biking, In my opinion this is because you are constantly shifting your weight, getting off to open gates etc also you generally put less weight on your hands.

With road riding it is easy to get numbness as you can stay in the same position for hours on end. I agree with all of the previous posters suggestions, also make sure you move your position regularly, stretch your fingers and arms (And back and neck possibly)

Using wider tyres at lower pressure makes a big difference as does the compliance of your wheels, frame and forks.

Specialised Bar Phat Tape is excellent - get the thick stuff

McBain_v1

Some people swear by the Specialized BG gloves - they have worked for me. Others haven't had such a happy experience with them. Personally, I think that a combination of Specialized BarPhat tape and some decent gloves, coupled with a properly adjusted bike will all but eliminate this problem.

I've always wondered whether the arm-rests that TT riders use cause similar problems, but result in a numb forearm :?:

TheNomad

If it happens frequently, have a Doctor take a look at your neck or refer you to a neck specialist, as I suffer from very similar, and the problem is that my dsics inbetween the first 3 vertabrae in my neck have worn completely away so bone on bone, that occassionally catches the nerves and causes numbness & pins and needles in my hands and arms. I am waiting for surgery to either fuse the vertabrae or to have artificial discs put in (if possible) & have been told that because it wasn't noticed until a long time after it started that it is a 20% chance that the surgery will be successful.