Hands going numb...thoughts?

[Wahine]

Well I am loving my bike , yesterday I rode 15.2 on the trail and today I rode 16.8 on the road. One issue I notice I am having is my hands going numb after awhile. I have been told it's cause of the straight handle bars on my hybrid bike. Any thoughts or tips ?


I did get pedals with built in toe clips and wow what a difference in my ride! I only had a small learning curve at first on how to start. I don't have any issues at all with pulling my foot out and stopping. It has greatly improved my pedaling.

Hand numbness happens because there is pressure on a (or some) nerves to your hands. That pressure could be coming from your handlebar, the way your holding your arms as you ride, the position of your shoulders and neck due to fit and/or a weak core. One thing is consistent between all of these scenarios. All of them usually have a component of too much weight being put through the arms. A good fitter can solve this problem.

Moral of the story is, there is no reason you would have more numbness on a flat bar than on a drop bar if your weight distribution and core strength are good.

[Catrin]

Wahine has good advice! If a bike is fit properly to you, then there isn't any reason why your handlebar style would cause numbness. Back when I could still ride all day, I WOULD ride all day with flat bars and an upright riding position. Fit is what matters, and core strength (or a lack thereof) can certainly have long reaching and unexpected effects.

[Trek420]

Just one question: are you wearing gloves? If so which ones?

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=43941

[KimV]

Yes, I am wearing gloves. They are Giro Monica's