Numbing

[AG_XC]

While going riding these past few weeks I have noticed that about 45 minutes into my ride my hads and lower arms start getting a numb pins and needles type of feel to them. I am assuming that this is from positioning on my bike and that my saddle may be raised too high but I was wondering if anyone knew for sure what causes this.

[mscotch]

I'm no expert, but I have the same issue.
Position is huge, but.....
- how old are ya?
- ever have trouble with carpel tunnel syndrome?
- do you have a similar problem doing anything else, say motorcycles (if ya have one) don't get too personal here, a simple yes or no will suffice;)

I've gone to trying these (http://www.ergon-bike.com/en/about_ergon/philosophy.html) on one of my bikes. It seems to help a lot.

I'm sure you'll get more info from some folks that know a lot more than me about the subject.
good luck!

[rockyrider]

Your saddle needs to be positioned for your knee's benefit, but your bar may be too low or too far forward, or both.

You can try a shorter stem or a higher rise stem or riser bar (but preferably you'd get some help from a knowledgeable shop to fit you properly so you don't have to buy a bunch of different stems and bars to try).

You can also look at Specialized's BG series gloves with the gel pads on the palm.

[Rock Star]

Numbness in the hands is usually caused by pressure on the ulnar nerve. If your weight is not correctly distributed between your but, your feet and your hands that could cause it or make it worse. You can work on your positioning on the bike by changing your saddle height, stem length and rise and handlebar rise and sweep.

The thing that made the biggest impact on eliminating hand numbness for me are Ergon Grips. They work great and have made riding much more comfortable for me. I highly recommend them.



Some people get relief from Speciailized Body Geometry Gloves. They do help, but not as much as the Ergon grips in my experience.

http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/grips/grip_ergonomics.html

http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/grips/gp1.html

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=33328

http://www.specialized.com/bc/microsite/bodygeometry/main.html?x=y

[Rock Star]

I've gone to trying these (http://www.ergon-bike.com/en/about_ergon/philosophy.html) on one of my bikes. It seems to help a lot.

They have worked very well for me!

[tryandgetme]

curious, how do they work for out of saddle technical work where the angle between arm and bars is changing?

[Rock Star]

curious, how do they work for out of saddle technical work where the angle between arm and bars is changing?

For me, they work great for all types of riding....once you have the position of the grip dialed in properly. It took me a few rides to get it just right. They also make a slimmer model (GX) for those that prefer that.

[AG_XC]

Thanks for the info. I am 28 years old and I have not had any issues with Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. My bar might be too far forward as the bike is built for a taller person. I plan on purchasing a new bike that actually fits me in the near future so this is definitely something that I will have to keep in mind.

Those ergon grips look like something that I will have to look into so that my rides are not cut short due to the lack of feeling in my hands.

[Spalls]

http://psyclestore.com/index.php?cPath=48

If the grips don't help, follow this link to the fu2 bar, your possible path to No Numbness. Worked for me. Wrist position was the critical issue.

[mscotch]

IMO, try the Ergons as a last resort. If you haven't have wrist trouble before (and you're young) , I wouldn't think you'd want to mask a real problem (body or wrist position, etc.) with a possible cover-up (the Ergons).
I'm an old fart and have a problem with carpel tunnel issues if I abuse my hands (chain saw, weed whacker, etc.)
Although, my son, who's 31, uses them as well and he has not had any issues either, just likes the feel of them, especially on longer (6+ hr.) rides.
We've compared some notes and for some reason we agree that we feel we have better control and "feel" using them. Can't explain why, could be that as they create more surface area/grip? Maybe someone else can answer that.
I have them on my FS HIFI and am pretty sure I'll throw them on my HT x-cal as I use the x-cal for longer rides, anyway.
As a side bar, I have the Ergons with the climbing bars on the HIFI, but won't put them on the x-cal.

[althegud1srtakn]

the on-one mary bar, origin 8 space bar, titec jones h-bar, jones h-bar, and misfit psycles fubar are all good choices.

personally i like the mary bar or space bar the best, the only difference between the 2 are the names/logos on the bar, i hear they're even made in the same factory. if you go the misfit psycles route i'd go with one of the revised versions of the fubar, i had the plain fubar design and it was pretty flexy, i hear the fubar2 or fu2bar or whatever it's called is better tho.

[AG_XC]

Thanks again for everyones help. I went riding today and tried to see if my positioning was off and it was not very apparent to me. My wrists were slightly bent but not very much. I am thinking that I am going to purchase some of those ergon grips and see if that solves my issue.

[gti2k2000]

Thanks again for everyones help. I went riding today and tried to see if my positioning was off and it was not very apparent to me. My wrists were slightly bent but not very much. I am thinking that I am going to purchase some of those ergon grips and see if that solves my issue.

I had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands this spring. One of the benefits was my hands no longer going numb while riding.

[myron]

Minor adjustments to the bar, stem,saddle, seatpost etc are a huge help. If things are not fitting right no grips, bars ect will help. Once everything is dialed in the numbness will stop. A wise owl once said that if his seat post was 1/8" inch too low he could tell just by the feel. I agree with him.

[K-Man]

Doing sit-ups and other exercises to strengthen your core should help. These muscles support your upper body in pedaling position, and a stronger the core means less weight resting on your hands. A strong core should also help with back/shoulder pain, by taking strain off them as well. At least that's my experience.

[mscotch]

Minor adjustments to the bar, stem,saddle, seatpost etc are a huge help. If things are not fitting right no grips, bars ect will help. Once everything is dialed in the numbness will stop. A wise owl once said that if his seat post was 1/8" inch too low he could tell just by the feel. I agree with him.

I agree with him and you on the seatpost height.

but I guess I need to figure out how to adjust the seatpost on my motorcycle as my hands go a little numb riding it, as well. ;-)
Sometimes I still think it's more than position.

[tryandgetme]

bike fit is CRITICAL!

just a personal story: I used to have trouble with my hands going painful on my road bike. tried everything, double layers of grip tape, different handlebars, handlebar angle...

then one day the bike shop mechanic told me to come down with a tape measure and compare the fit to the bike that they let me ride once that this didn't happen on. turns out my front end was slightly lower on my bike, causing a funny seat tube angle and making the bars too low. got a longer fork and it fixed it right up. now I can ride 10 hours and be perfectly comfortable.

not saying a short fork is your problem, I'm saying your bike fit can make a HUGE difference.

[mscotch]

bike fit is CRITICAL!

just a personal story: I used to have trouble with my hands going painful on my road bike. tried everything, double layers of grip tape, different handlebars, handlebar angle...

then one day the bike shop mechanic told me to come down with a tape measure and compare the fit to the bike that they let me ride once that this didn't happen on. turns out my front end was slightly lower on my bike, causing a funny seat tube angle and making the bars too low. got a longer fork and it fixed it right up. now I can ride 10 hours and be perfectly comfortable.

not saying a short fork is your problem, I'm saying your bike fit can make a HUGE difference.

I agree, that's why in an earlier post I stated to try the ergon grips as a last resort, after checking position.

I'm just saying there could be cases, probably in older riders or riders that have used their hands a lot in fields where carpel tunnel is common, when just the position of the fingers wrapped around the grip for any length of time can cause numbness.
My first bike had big climbing bars and by just moving my hands to them thereby changing position and grip, was enough to help.

[peatbog]

Even if your seat height is correct, you should make sure your seat isn't tipped too far down at the front. If it is, you will always be sliding forward and having more pressure put on your hands to keep your butt where it should be. You probably won't even notice this until you correct it, then you will notice a big difference.

I put some Origin 8 Space Bars on my Monocog, and it made a tremendous difference. The angle of the bar more properly aligns with a comfortable wrist position, and now the pressure is even across my hands.

By the way, I have a 1986 Bridgestone MB-2 that has stock grips that are very similiar to the Ergon grips.

Hand numbness on a motorcycle can also be caused by high-frequency vibration of higher rpm engines, I think. Or maybe not, just my theory.

[tboneski]

hi with respect to numbing problem, I have a friend who tried electronic massager attached to his arm and any part that commonly the numbing occur. If anyone can just pinpoint the exact product, its a big help. Thank you.

[mscotch]

By the way, I have a 1986 Bridgestone MB-2 that has stock grips that are very similiar to the Ergon grips.

Hand numbness on a motorcycle can also be caused by high-frequency vibration of higher rpm engines, I think. Or maybe not, just my theory.

I can agree with that. It's odd, I get it for a bit right away, say in the first 45 minutes, then it goes away...
I have a Honda ST1100, so it's pretty low rev, I think.

hummm....ergon grips for my cycle, interesting idea. thanks:D

[mscotch]

hi with respect to numbing problem, I have a friend who tried electronic massager attached to his arm and any part that commonly the numbing occur. If anyone can just pinpoint the exact product, its a big help. Thank you.

thanks, another possible solution is wrist braces.
Last year after the mtb. season I went to a DR. and he had me start wearing wrist braces when I slept. The pain at night would get so intense it wouldn't allow me to sleep more than a couple hrs. at a time.
I guess it's pretty common that when some of us sleep we clench our fingers and also curl our wrists. The brace prevents that. After a few nights all the pain went away and it actually helps for during the day, as well. Yesterday I weed wacked for almost 6 hrs. and used the braces and today I feel fine.
I use the braces randomly now, depending on what I've done during the day, and it's amazing how much they help for sleeping and also for daytime activity.
I guess surgery would maybe do the same, but my Dr. said to try this much less evasion solution first plus from some I've talked to, after carpel tunnel surgery, the problem returns in a high number of cases in a few years.

[real_ss_budgie]

ok you crunchy ole codgers..im having the same issues due to RSI flipping pans at work. i just chucked on some riser bars and its helped a wee bit, those ergon grips may help but...how should the seat be positioned..flat or slightly tipped back?????????

[bomberbarnes]

ok you crunchy ole codgers..im having the same issues due to RSI flipping pans at work. i just chucked on some riser bars and its helped a wee bit, those ergon grips may help but...how should the seat be positioned..flat or slightly tipped back?????????


slightly tipped up I find I swap numb wrists for numb nadgers

[Ergon USA]

but...how should the seat be positioned..flat or slightly tipped back??????Angle is totally a personal preference. The angle will depend on the relationship of height between the handle bars and you saddle height. We recommend starting level and then "tweeking" it from there. In most cases, the "wing" of the grip is just a tad below level. This allows you to sink into the grip allowing your hands and wrist to rest on the platform. I suggest going out in your front yard with the grips loose enough to twist...and dialing it in that way. Or, carry a multi-tool on that first easy dirt ride..and make adjustments on the trail

Jeff
Ergon USA

[RacerK]

(I think the question was about saddle angle, not grips, but good info anyway...)

Another thing to consider with wrist pain is the angle of your brake levers and shifters. Ideally they should be set so that your hands are in a straight line with your forearms, as little bend in your wrists as possible (up & down - wise). If your brake levers and shifters are too high, that can cause an upward bend in your wrists that puts more pressure on that ulnar nerve.

The Ergon grips have been popular 'round here. As of course various "alt" bars like the Jones or Misfit ones.

[Rock Star]

.... just chucked on some riser bars and its helped a wee bit, those ergon grips may help but...how should the seat be positioned..flat or slightly tipped back?????????

Yep riser bars can sometimes help. So can a bar with more sweep, like some of those alt bars. Salsa makes some bars with more than avg sweep also.

The Ergon grips will help. They eliminated numbness for me and improved comfort and control too. They are like rubber suspension for hands and the whole upper body. One of my favorite bike upgrades. I don't consider them a band aid for a bad fit or poor position on the bike. Get your position sorted first. The Ergons are a performance somponent, not a band aid. You dont need to be old to benefit from Ergon grips.

I like to have my saddle level, not pointed up or down. I also like it to be close to the height of my bars, or slightly lower. Probably just personal prefrence, but you could try that and adjust from there.

Good luck to all, no one should have to ride with numbness (in the hands or....you know).

[real_ss_budgie]

chumpy!! thanks for the tips kids..the first thing i'll be doing is hunting down those grips..then tweaking from there..love you.