Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
Today’s request for help comes from a Texan roadie named Phil, who has been reading and commenting on RoadBikeRider for many years (thanks Phil!). I share his question and my reply below (which I already sent him). As you’ll read, my advice to Phil is pretty basic and has more to do with bike fit and ways to possibly alleviate the pain through component changes.
That’s why I’m sharing it with you too. I’m hoping someone out there has had the same hand condition and can offer Phil help from personal experience. It would be great if you doctors who understand the issue can weigh in too.
Phil explains what’s going on
“I think I may have – after years of riding and periodically experiencing numbness in the two smallest fingers of my left hand – “ulnar tunnel syndrome,” which I am told can be caused by chronic pressure applied to the area of the hand where the ulnar nerve enters from the wrist.
Specifically, this area is on the palm close to where the wrist meets the hand on the little finger side. It wakes me up every night with an electric buzz feeling. When riding I change hand positions constantly and I have tried many different types of riding gloves.
Help! Can you think of any solutions short of going to a hand specialist physician? Will daily massage of the affected areas with a round ball massage tool help?”
My reply
I’m sorry to hear you’re having this issue Phil. I did a quick search in our library and came up with articles by former RBR columnists Coach Fred Matheny (retired) and Coach John Hughes (deceased) related to hand pain, numbness and tingling and how to deal with it. I searched for the phrase “numb hands.” You would likely bring up more articles by searching on “hand pain,” “numbness” or “tingling.”
Here’s my search.
https://www.roadbikerider.com/?s=numb+hands
I hope you find some helpful advice that solves the problem.
COMPONENTS & CHANGES THAT MIGHT HELP
Different handlebar shape or bend
In case none of the articles mentions this, there are more types/shapes/bends of dropped handlebars today. Since a handlebar can cause you to hold on a certain way, which might be wrong for your anatomy, that might be something to look at as a possible solution.
The first question to answer before buying a new set of bars would be does the pain happen regardless of what type of handlebars you use? For example if you have another bike with different handlebars, are both types of handlebars causing the same pain, numbness and tingling? If not, the handlebars that do hurt your hand could be the problem.
Checking the fit of your bike or having it professionally checked
The articles I provided links to will probably talk about how much weight is resting on your hands when riding. Ideally, your bike fits so that you don’t rest too much weight there. The solution is usually moving the handlebars with a different stem (longer or higher) so that you can support most of your weight with your core and legs rather than putting too much weight on your mitts.
It can be difficult to recognize what’s wrong by yourself and to know how much to change your position. It might be worth it to enlist the help of a professional bike fitter to check out your position using their special tools and extensive experience.
More padding can help with hand issues
Another common approach is adding padding to the handlebars such as pipe insulation but you’d want to test this before committing and redoing your tape job. Pipe insulation will fit right over the bars without doing anything. So you could try it just on that one side to see if it makes any difference at all.
Padding does 2 things: it increases the diameter of the handlebar, which opens and usually relaxes the hand with more surface area to rest on; and it provides padding for insulation from vibrations and impacts.
Suspension
Another solution for some riders is a suspension stem. Redshift Sports makes one that gets great reviews. These suspension stems provide relief with elastomers (different hardnesses are available) that allow the handlebars to basically float up to 20mm so that the vibrations from the road and trail are absorbed and don’t fully impact your hands. Coach Rick Schultz reviewed a Redshift stem recently here: Redshift ShockStop Suspension Stem Review.
Your Turn Readers
Thank you in advance for any advice you can give to Phil to help him ride pain-free. And while I’m on the subject, many more thanks for all the helpful tips you shared for Nancy in last week’s Tech Talk who needed help working on her bike in her small home. Great stuff! Here’s that article in case you didn’t get to read all the excellent ideas: Attention City Dwellers: Please Share Your Bike Care Tips for Those Living in Small Spaces.
Jim Langley is RBR’s Technical Editor. A pro mechanic & cycling writer for more than 40 years, he’s the author of Your Home Bicycle Workshop in the RBR eBookstore. Tune in to Jim’s popular YouTube channel for wheel building & bike repair how-to’s. Jim’s also known for his cycling streak that ended in February 2022 with a total of 10,269 consecutive daily rides (28 years, 1 month and 11 days of never missing a ride). Click to read Jim’s full bio.
This has been one of the most challenging adaptions to cycling that I personally have encountered. There are no easy solutions. I have over time seen marked improvement by the following. 1) Addressing the grip; it’s more like “shaking hands” with the palms more vertical and the weight borne by the bony area opposite the thumb. Nerves do not run there like the center of the hand. 2. “Soft elbows”; Consciously keeping the elbows bent and “in”. It should almost feel as if you’re unweighting or subtly pulling your hands and forearms towards your core. 3. Core strengthening; I wish it could be otherwise but rigorous core strengthening exercises are necessary to accomplish the preceding two adaptations. This will also allow for a pelvic tilt fostering a more heads up shoulder relaxed position with a less rounded back that helps accomplish the complete adaptation.
One thing not mentioned is increasing core strength. A strong core means that you are not leaning so heavily on the bars and can ride with flexed arms that are better shock absorbers. When I see someone riding with locked arms, I suspect that they need a stronger core to relieve hand pressure
A contributor to this problem is weak leg muscles and being overweight. With weak core and legs, your weight tends to go to the hands and the butt instead of the pedals. If you are strong there’s no need for gloves or padded shorts to ride in comfort.
To all this good advice I use and it has helped . I would add that Industrial Supply stores carry fingerless and fingered gloves that are used by all day jack hammer operators and rock drillers and they offer far better padding and last so are good value as well. I also use the Rawlings Protective Palm Pad made of gel and covers the palm area of the small and ring finger nicely.
Look at gloves from WAGS. They are marketed for weight lifters, but they have the most padding of any
gloves I have seen and are very effective at cushioning my wrists and hands while riding short, or long distances.
I have experienced hand numbness for years. Different bikes, handlebars and bike fits have done little to alleviate it. The only thing that seems to help me is going to a larger size cycling glove. I believe tight gloves constrict the hands and contribute to the problem. I still get numbness with larger gloves but I can ride longer before the numbness sets in. I also agree that core strength is a factor.
I have found that gloves are a problem for me too. I don’t ride with the if I can avoid it. I addition wearing a watch gives me trouble due to the wrist swelling.
My comments: I second Kerry’s suggestion to work on your core. And, regarding that, while riding focus on using your core to keep less pressure on your hands. Remember to do this throughout your ride, really giving it attention.
I also second Jim’s advice that a higher setup (raised stem, probably shorter too) helps.
Finally, my S-Works Roubaix has the 1st gen Future Shock front suspension. Later generations are even better at absorbing road vibrations. It’s an option if you ever want to buy a different bike.
John, we’ve agreed over the years on body work being key to riding health. Related but separate, I’m dealing with one sided scapular pain. PT is working on engaging my serratus to relieve the pain. other suggestions from you or other riders are welcome! Dave
I’ve been a cycling enthusiast for over 50 years and, for me, hand numbness has gotten worse as I’ve gotten older. In the 1970s, I used temporary additional padding on long rides and loaded bike tours. I once had a thick gel rectangle pad with velcro on opposing sides that would wrap (stretch) around the brake levers and velcro underneath. They were great but I don’t have them anymore. I wish I could find them again.
These days, I ride 100% with my hands on the brake levers (Shimano 105), which places my hands such that there is always pressure on the ulnar nerve. For all my searching, I have not been able to find gloves that have decent padding to protect the ulnar nerve.
If anybody has idea on where to get a pair of those wraparound pads or a pair of gloves with *real gel* covering the ulnar nerve, do tell!
I also used what you are talking about in the 70s. Both the handlebar padding and and brake lever padding. They were made by Spenco who also made great shoe insoles. The hoods back then didn’t have as much weight bearing surface as the modern hoods of today’s bikes.
I would agree with Kerry. I’ve made a big effort to strengthen my core in the last year and it has helped my chronic hand numbness tremendously. I haven’t made any mechanical adjustments- just core strengthening!
Another “Fix” is that I have learned to somewhat perfect my temporarily riding with no hands and shaking out my hands – sounds crazy but it has helped tremendously.
If Phil’s condition bothers him when he is NOT riding, like waking him up in the middle of the night, he defintely should see a hand specialist (orthopedic doc) and be evaluated. After living with carpel tunnel syndrom that bothered me on the bike and all other times of the day, I had surgery and it was life changing. No more numb hands! And I can sleep. So, Phil, dont hesitate, get yourself to the docor!
Not a long-term solution, but for temporary relief of occasional numbness or tingling, put one hand behind your back and flex the fingers 25 times. Then do the same with the other hand.
I’m a long time rider (25+ years) and older now (almost 70). I’ve had the same problem over the past couple of years, not only ulnar but radial as well, including my whole hand most of the time, like a carpal tunnel syndrome. It usually begins on the right and then left, improves almost immediately when I take my hands off the bar for a short period, but comes back quickly.
What I’ve noticed is that it is most prominent when I feel tired, especially during a hard workout week. I suspect it’s because I’m putting more pressure on the bars to prop myself up as Jim suggests. I do have a comparatively relaxed “Merkxx” style fit, but it still occurs with my hands on the bars, on the hoods, in the drops and also in the aeros on my TT bike. As Kerry Irons suggests above, I think good core strength allowing less weight on the hands is probably the answer (which I’m lacking). Interestingly, when I’m doing group rides, multi-day ride tours and TT events it doesn’t happen as frequently, presumably because I’m at a more attentive position and less inclined to relax on the bars.
One other thought I’ve had is whether there is a cervical cord component from spondylosis, but would expect more than just hands with that (I’m a radiologist that has interpreted many spine MRIs in the past, so I’m probably overthinking, don’t take that as medical advice).
Though it may sound counter-intuitive, I switched from a padded cycling glove to one with essentially no padding (Rapha), and have gone from numbness to no issues. Thinking it was in my mind, I tried the padded again, and sure enough, it was less comfortable and caused numbness.
Sometimes the opposite of what we think will happen, right?
First, narrower bars and not thicker and thinner padded tape and perhaps, no gloves at all. As a professional musician, I had tingling in my hands many years ago, and needed to address it. 1. Flat seat! Flat, in that the nose doesn’t point down. 60% of your weight should be on your sit bones. (Remember that having that fat old soft seat was actually worse than the skinny harder seat for numbness down there?) 2. Fat bars and tape actually put more pressure on the hands than a thinner bar. I don’t have a big hand and when I went to a narrower gage bar, my issue went away. I ride mostly without gloves and have no issues. The padding in modern gloves is not in the correct place anyway. Tight gloves can also be an issue as it squeezes the tendons and nerves together. 3. If it hurts away from the bike, get it checked now.
Several years ago I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my right wrist (in the “triscaphoid joint”, to be precise). I found that changing hand positions frequently was helpful, but my drop bars gave me limited options. I switched to “trekking” bars, and have had much less wrist discomfort. Some modifications to shifting hardware were necessary, but I’m pleased with the overall results.
Sometimes a contributor to this problem besides a weak core is weak leg muscles. When they are weak, your weight tends to go to the hands and the butt instead of the pedals. Being overweight aggravates the problem. If you’re strong, there’s no need for gloves or padded shorts to ride in comfort.
Check saddle tilt in case you are putting pressure on your hands to keep from sliding forward.
I’ve done the bike fit (more than once), core work, etc, but my hands still go numb on occasion. What I’ve found that works REALLY well for me is to use an old electric shiatsu massage tool (a Panasonic, from the ’80s) on my UPPER BACK. Specifically the area between the insides of the shoulder blades and the top of the shoulders. For me, the hand tingling was the symptom and not the source of the problem.
I forgot my gloves for three rides in a row and I didn’t get the numbness I usually get. I’ve switched to unpadded mountain bike gloves, I cut the fingers off. I could not find short fingered bicycle gloves. Since I’ve switched to unpadded gloves my numbness has disappeared. I know it’s counter intuitive, but it works for me
As for bike fit, a possible cause is the saddle being too far forward. If, while pedaling and leaning forward, you can’t take your hands off the bar without your torso falling forward, then try sliding the saddle rearward — 5mm at a time — until you can.
I suffer, and have for at least 5 years, numbness/tingling in the finger both on the bike and at night (I’m 70). I believe it is related to the pressure put on my wrists over the 50+ years of cycling I’ve done – ulnar, carpal tunnel syndrome. Two suggestions – bike position (fit and riding) and core strength improvement. The less flexion on the wrists, I suspect, the better. And, the more upper-body weight that can be transferred to the abdomen, back and legs, the better.
When you have the problem while riding, moving the hands and shaking them vigorously can help with regaining circulation in the fingers. “Puppy dog paws” position, although now illegal in pro racing, is also an option, where you rest your forearms on the handlebars to take the pressure off the wrists.
All of the experience-based advice posted is thoroughly legit – congrats to all and thanks for confirming this is not a unique problem. I would add two comments:
First, there is no silver bullet / single solution. Like everything related to using our bodies, it will be a personalized mix based on testing, modifying, trying again.
Second, I note that many of the comments are from us Senior Riders, so here’s the unwelcome but familiar truth: everything is wearing out! Cartilage and ligaments are getting stiffer, and especially connective and ‘padding’ tissues like on the heels of the hands simply don’t have the resiliency they used to. It is what it is.
***I would emphasize there are very specific therapeutic hand/arm/upper body ‘calisthenics’ that can help mitigate the impact of riding on the hands, both before an especially after = research and practice those diligently and waking up in the middle of the night with electrified barbed wire running up from your wrist to armpit will be significantly diminished.
I’m 75 years old and have been a avid road cyclist for over 50 years. About 20 years ago I started developing hand numbness. I’ve tried many different remedies, to include carpal tunnel surgery, various alternative handlebars (to include the Rivendell Moustache bar), extra handlebar padding, numerous different gloves, etc. My core strength is pretty good, as is my position on the bike.
What solved the problem for me is the addition of clip on aero bar extensions. I may risk being thought a tri-geek, but not having numb hands is worth it. Plus, the clip on bars provide a fast and very comfortable position
Two things helped my hand numbness / pain issues (which weren’t that severe, but enough to need to do something about):
Gel inserts under the bar tape on the top of the top bar and the top of the bottom of the drops (hope that makes sense), along with thicker higher-quality bar tape.
“Body Geometry Grail” gloves by Specialized – they have a pad in the center of the palm to distribute pressure over the whole hand to mitigate “hot spots”. I have many pairs, both short- and long-fingered.
Go see a physical therapist and get checked for positional THORACIC OUTLET SYNDROME!
I had bilateral hand numbness ONLY when riding the bike. Put up with it for years but it slowly got worse. Got so bad I had to install aerobars in order to be able to relax my hands and wrists (which worked well to alleviate the numbness but did not address the underlying problem).
FInally I went to a physical therapist and got diagnosed with positional TOS– the way your shoulders sit when riding may be impinging on the nerves that enervate your hands where they exit your thoracic cavity, causing the numbness. Some exercises and stretches have made a huge difference!
I have found that LESS padding in the gloves helps some. The pressure on the handlebars can push padding up into the area between the wrist and the thumb causing reduced blood flow.