Numb Hands

Chewy Cheeks

Got myself a steel framed retro road machine.

My goodness what a different experience it is...twitchy and so much faster.

Anywho after some adjustments and getting it set up I have noticed that after about 20 minutes of riding my hands are going numb.

I have been resting them on the brakelever hoods for most of the ride.

Its not summat I have had before on the flat bars of the mountain bike.

So is this just something that will get better after time or are my mid life health fears offering up real evidence of decline ?

Reassurance / Suggestions / Solutions welcomed.

roger_merriman

gloves? new covers for the hoods? i couldn't get on with the old ones so as old red is far from a collectors item i went new see here.

vorsprung

When you got the bike you checked that the top tube was a similar length to that on your flat barred bike

And it was

But...drop barred bikes need a shorter top tube to make the geometry work
So...your bike is too long
So...you are putting more weight on your hands

il_principe

vorsprung wrote:

When you got the bike you checked that the top tube was a similar length to that on your flat barred bike

And it was

But...drop barred bikes need a shorter top tube to make the geometry work
So...your bike is too long
So...you are putting more weight on your hands

Try playing with saddle fore/aft position, or perhaps flip the stem, or buy a shorter stem? Or buy some gloves with better padding. But yeah, sounds like a setup issue.

DavidTQ

I found adjusting stem and bar angle vital a few mm difference can make a world of difference one out on the road. Most likely need to do some more fine tuning to adjust the weight and positioning of the weight on your hands.

To my mind numbness isnt something that will go waway with time its symptom of something that needs changing.

Sewinman

I was getting pins and needles in my arm the other day. Would an LBS be able to adjust the bike for a better fit? I live near DeVer.

AndyManc

Chewy Cheeks wrote:

b.

I have been resting them on the brakelever hoods for most of the ride.

Its not summat I have had before on the flat bars of the mountain bike.

My hands are aching too, I've gone from flats to drops.

I've put it down to using different muscles and my hands getting used to pressure being applied in between my thumb and index finger through riding the hoods.

I should imagine it will pass after a while. :roll:




.

A - W

I get numbness in my feet. Just switched to spds and wondering if it's the cheap shoes?

downwardslide

A - W wrote:

I get numbness in my feet. Just switched to spds and wondering if it's the cheap shoes?

Try switching the cleat to the other position, I've heard it suggested that the cleat can put presure on nerves in the feet (rather like the ulnar in the hand)

A - W

downwardslide wrote:

A - W wrote:

I get numbness in my feet. Just switched to spds and wondering if it's the cheap shoes?

Try switching the cleat to the other position, I've heard it suggested that the cleat can put presure on nerves in the feet (rather like the ulnar in the hand)

Ok will have a look into it. Thanks.

AidanR

If you've got narrow hoods on the brake levers that can be an issue too - try swapping them for broader ones. Cane Creek ones are good. Alternatively just stick an extra bit of bar tape on them to pad them a bit more and see if that helps.

That said, it's probably a position issue. If you're running an ahead stem rather than quill try flipping it to raise the bars, though ultimately you'll probably want a shorter stem as well.