Numb hands

Possible causes:
1. Bike does not fit. Possibly too long and/or too low on the front end and causing you to carry too much of your weight on your hands.
2. You are not changing hand positions often enough and/or you have a death grip on the bars.
3. Health problems.

My guess is that your numbness is caused by a combination of 1. and 2.

Any reasonable pair of cycling gloves used on a bike that is a good fit with the rider and changing hand positions regularly should yield a comfortable ride with no numbness in the hands.

The "6 miles" thing is just weird. That's hardly enough time to work up a sweat, let alone have hands going numb. It sounds like you are gripping the bars too tightly...maybe. Anyone should be able to ride any position for 6 miles without numbness. Drops, hoods, tops/flats...6 miles anywhere on the bars should not cause numbness. Self-check your grip pressure. If you are not crushing your bars, try changing hand location on the bars and maybe have a bike shop or experienced riders look at your position on the bike.

Last and best advice: If you can not shake the numbness...see your doctor.

CAMPYBOB said:

Possible causes:
1. Bike does not fit. Possibly too long and/or too low on the front end and causing you to carry too much of your weight on your hands.
2. You are not changing hand positions often enough and/or you have a death grip on the bars.
3. Health problems.

My guess is that your numbness is caused by a combination of 1. and 2.

Any reasonable pair of cycling gloves used on a bike that is a good fit with the rider and changing hand positions regularly should yield a comfortable ride with no numbness in the hands.

The "6 miles" thing is just weird. That's hardly enough time to work up a sweat, let alone have hands going numb. It sounds like you are gripping the bars too tightly...maybe. Anyone should be able to ride any position for 6 miles without numbness. Drops, hoods, tops/flats...6 miles anywhere on the bars should not cause numbness. Self-check your grip pressure. If you are not crushing your bars, try changing hand location on the bars and maybe have a bike shop or experienced riders look at your position on the bike.

Last and best advice: If you can not shake the numbness...see your doctor.

I think your number 1 cause is the problem...I never did have it set-up by a prof. I do know that I don't grip the bars..usually just use them as support without wrapping fingers around..and I do change hand positions freq..and my health is exc for a 62 yr old. The last few nights my hands/fingers have woken me because of soreness. I'll go in to get it fitted right, and go from there.
Thanks

Numbness in extremities is usually caused by decreased blood flow (or oxygen flow), usually because of improper equipment, your equipment being too tight, or maybe even something wrong with your health. Numbness can also be caused by fatigue, so maybe try toning it down a bit when you are cycling, and see if it helps. Don't push yourself too much, as it would lead to wear and tear of your body parts and would definitely mess you up in the long run.

OursIsTheFury said:

Numbness in extremities is usually caused by decreased blood flow (or oxygen flow), usually because of improper equipment, your equipment being too tight, or maybe even something wrong with your health. Numbness can also be caused by fatigue, so maybe try toning it down a bit when you are cycling, and see if it helps. Don't push yourself too much, as it would lead to wear and tear of your body parts and would definitely mess you up in the long run.

Thanks for your reply. I really think it's a position problem..need to have that looked at. As far as fatigue..the tingling and numbness sets in before I even get warmed up good..usually do 20-30 miles each day.

Carpal tunnel can crop up this way as well, but I'm not a doctor. Is this the only activity causing it?

Jcycle said:

Carpal tunnel can crop up this way as well, but I'm not a doctor. Is this the only activity causing it?

Yes, only happens when biking. If I stop and dismount, takes about a minute to feel normal again.