Bad pin and needles in hands

mickyl

Help every time l'm out cycling l'm getting really bad pins and needles in my hands so bad l struggle to change gears ,l try to relax and hold the bars lighter even moving my hands around to different positions every few minutes but still happens was wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction on gloves as thinking a better padded glove would help ,any advise would help please

steve6690

Is it in both hands ? I get numbness in my left hand and I think it might be pressure on a nerve as changing hand position from hoods to bars seems to help..

schweiz

It could be down to a number of things.

I once bought some new mitts with lots of gel in them supposedly to improve comfort and they just resulted in pins and needles. The padding was actually stopping the blood supply.

It could be bike fit so that your weight is being pushed forwards onto your arms, wrists and hads without you realising it.

It could be related to weak core strength. This is quite common for people starting cycling as for want of a better description, they simply plonk themselves on the bike. As your core strength improves, the weight is carried by the muscles in the body rather than being supported by the contact ponts of saddle, handlebar and pedals.

It could be vibration because you ride on cr@ppy roads.

sungod

^^^ this

simply gripping the bars too tight can also cause it

Schoie81

Micky,

I'm new to road bikes and have the same problem. I'm also sure that what Schweiz and sungod have said is what is causing mine. I know I grip too tight, especially when descending (not a very confident cyclist - hoping i'll get more so as I put in the miles) and I'm almost certain my core strength needs to improve. Unfortunately, i've found that knowing the cause and actually doing something about it are two different things. I can stop it if make a conscious effort to not 'lean' on the handlebars so much and not to grip so tight, but its not long before I find i've forgotten and start doing it again. I guess it'll all sort out in time with experience. Going to try a rowing machine to try and help with the upper body strength as it always been a weakness of mine and i'm hoping that'll help.

Road surfaces definitely don't help me either. Some of the roads that I cycle on that seem smooth in the car and even on my MTB feel like i'm riding over constant rumble strips on my road bike. I've never been that impressed with the road surfaces around here, but now i'm cycling on them i'm amazed at how bad they are!

MichaelW

Pins and needles in the hand is caused by excessive pressure on the nerves in the palm due to a poor grip. We have been making tools and weapons to fit our grip for millennia so the principles are well understood.
You need to analyse your whole riding position to ensure that your saddle is correctly positioned in height and fore-aft, then check that your bar is positioned for correct reach and height.
Then check that the bar width is suitable for your shoulders and the style and depth is to your liking.
Check the bar position/rotation in the stem
Then look at the position of the brake levers on the bar in height and cant (rotation)
Then look at the grip profile of rubber hoods and alter it by stuffing rolled up bits of inner tube to engage your hand in the centre of your palm, not the edge.

There are so many variable that it is hard to say which one is causing your numbness.
Once you have a position that is good, you can look at gloves and bar tape, but these are not a solution to a bad position.

motogull

Does individual physiology not come into play? I suffered until I got a new bike, flat bar to drop and never encountered it again.

Camtheman

I never get this problem, so we"re not the same except that I did on one memorable ride. That experience might help you.

I borrowed a Specialized Roubaix for a day and did 60 miles, well within my normal range. After about 30 I got bad pins and needles in both hands but mainly down the outside edge of my left.

The only two things that made the day different were the bike and I did not wear any gloves.

I usually wear cheap gloves so I'm not sure gloves was the problem. I think it came down to the hoods, Shimano 105 which I tend to find are a bit small. I think I was also hooking my wrists back when on the hoods, so maybe cutting off circulation. Had the hoods been twisted inwards a bit, I may have had a straighter position. I have a bike with Campag Centaur shifters which are similar in shape to 105 but have a slight inwards twist and they're just fine. Shimano Sora/Tiagra are also fine for me.

If I were you I'd try borrow a bike with different shifters and/or fit then see what happens. If you get the same problem on a different bike, at least you know messing with the bike is pointless.

Pains in wrists generally are not uncommon in new converts to road bikes so you may find the problem simply disappears.

andy9964

Has anyone any experience with these

http://www.specialized.co.uk/us/en/ftb/ ... ar-shapers

They would flatten out the surface where you rest your hands, and relieve pressure. Might be of some help, but I can't seem to find a UK supplier

SoSimple

Same problem here- especially on left hand. I've consciously tried not to grip hoods too tight but made little difference. Just bought a pair of Endura pro gel fingerless gloves and only been out twice with them but it has made a huge difference with no numbness at all, so 'fingers crossed' to use a poor metaphor!

Having said all that, I've decided to book a proper bikefit on the basis I'm now totally hooked, which will hopefully set me up properly.

Sprool

MichaelW wrote:

Pins and needles in the hand is caused by excessive pressure on the nerves in the palm due to a poor grip.

Are you sure? I thought pins and needles was brought about by restricting the blood flow through the blood vessels. This can happen when your grip is too tight.

Cupras

I get this but im pretty sure its because im fat and I lean on my handlebars a lot. Im hoping it will go away the more weight I lose.

Sprool

moving the saddle position back a bit takes some weight off your arms and more onto your butt, that may help reduce the pressure on your hands.

Cupras

Would I not just end up leaning further forward?. Ill give it a go on my ride to work in the morning, its difficult trying to get a drink with my right hand when my left hand is totally dead.

Stewpot407

Cupras wrote:

I get this but im pretty sure its because im fat and I lean on my handlebars a lot. Im hoping it will go away the more weight I lose.

ditto for me too.