hands falling asleep on rides

[thendenjeck]

I ride about 22 miles a day commuting each way to work. every single day, about 2 miles in, my hands start falling asleep. i have to shake them out one at a time to get the feeling back. I'm riding a surly karate monkey that fits well. some factors I've considered as the cause:

I wear a gore bike wear cosmo with the built-in Kurt Cobain sleeve extensions, with gore biek wear windstopper shell gloves. i've tried riding with and w/o the kurt cobains, no change.

ortlieb two-strap pack. with or w/o the chest strap connected, no change. im thinking maybe my pack is the cause, actually.

was riding salsa moto ace 11 degree sweep bars, changed to Luv bars. Luv are more comfortable, but still no help with the circulation.

riding lock-on grips. maybe cushy-er grips?


anyone experienced this? any ideas? it's driving me nuts

[ultraman6970]

Sounds dumb but have you tried lowering the stem a tiny bit?

[thendenjeck]

hmm. interesting. no. my bars are about even with my saddle, vertically speaking. why would this help?

[slowgoing]

Had the same problem. Too much back bend in the wrists. Kept them straighter and the problem went away. One sign that this was the problem was it happened mostly when my wrists were on the bars where the wrist bending was large, not on the hoods where there was no wrist bending. Good luck.

[thendenjeck]

well, i'm riding an MTB, so no hoods. i've been paying attention to the wrist bending, and my wrists are pretty straight.

[oliver1850]

Worst for me on a MTB, but happens on a road bike too. I assume it's due to carpal tunnel issues. My fingers also go numb when I'm resting/sleeping. Seems to start with the little finger and progress to the index finger. A little shaking and it goes away, doesn't seem to be circulatory (going to sleep).

[Louis]

On my non-suspended MTB that I use primarily on a crushed-gravel MUT I get tingly hands if the pressure in the tires (esp. the front) is too high. I assume that it's due to vibration.

[LouDeeter]

Sounds like compression of the Ulnar nerve to me. There are several types, including Guyon's Canal Syndrome. I would google these and see if the symptoms match the description found on-line. I've had luck with gloves that have the pads at the base of the hand with a groove in between. Pearl Izumi come to mind, but almost every manufacturer has attempted to correct this problem through glove design. Some are just better than others.

[rice rocket]

Maybe don't grip the bars as tight?

When I'm riding for extended periods on the MTB, I sometimes sit back a little more, turn my wrists up, and steer by pushing w/ the base of my hands. No need to grip the levers when you're not using them.

[rugbysecondrow]

How is your core strength? When I notice my hands are sore it is typically because I am not engaging my core properly and stressing my hands too much. Your core should support your upper body, not your hands.

Anyway, this has been my issue that pops up occasionally.

[AngryScientist]

i agree with rugby, can you ride the bike no hands without problems? if you have to depend heavily on your hands on the bars, you might not be supporting your weight correctly with your body, which might suggest a fit issue is present.

how much weight is in the bag?

[Fixed]

i have never had wrist or groin numbness
thankfully

[znfdl]

For gloves I use the S[penco Ironman gloves, a bit pricey but do a great job of protecting the nerve.

I also second the review of your position on the bike.

Do you have a death grip on the bars or are your hands supple.....

[echelon_john]

Sounds like a few potential issues. As far as grips, Ergons have helped me with numbness, but as others have said, you need to figure out the source.

[RonW87]

Move your seat back.

[Vinci]

The only occasions where I've had hand numbness have been when I am riding slowly. If I'm just putting around, I am not putting much of my weight on the pedals, so I am supporting myself on my butt and hands. If I start pedaling harder, my hands will start to feel fine again.

It might be that your backpack is adding too much weight to your hands. Have you thought about moving to a rack/bag setup?

[yodelinpol]

Try taking a ride with all the same equipment/clothes sans backpack. There is a slight chance the straps are pressing up against the brachial plexus areas in your chest/shoulder region. All of the nerves branch off from here that lead to the wrist/hand... not the most likely cause but worth a shot...

[nm87710]

For gloves I use the S[penco Ironman gloves, a bit pricey but do a great job of protecting the nerve.

I also second the review of your position on the bike.

Do you have a death grip on the bars or are your hands supple.....

Which ones do you like the best??

[cmg]

move the saddle back till you can let go of the bars and not fall forward while pedaling. adjust from there. sounds like to much weight on your hands but who knows.

[tiretrax]

move the saddle back till you can let go of the bars and not fall forward while pedaling. adjust from there. sounds like to much weight on your hands but who knows.
will that not create knee issues? i say it's either not engaging the core and too much weight on the hands. the pack is probably an issue, too. are the straps wide and padded? can you add a rack? i have a seatpost clamping rack i can sell you pretty cheaply.

[bobswire]

How is your core strength? When I notice my hands are sore it is typically because I am not engaging my core properly and stressing my hands too much. Your core should support your upper body, not your hands.

Anyway, this has been my issue that pops up occasionally.


Phew! For a minute there I thought you were going to blame the KM because of your fondness for said frame. ;)

[Ken Robb]

Less likely but another possibility: you may have nerve impingements where they leave your spine. I think it might be easy for a medical pro to find the cause.

[rugbysecondrow]

Phew! For a minute there I thought you were going to blame the KM because of your fondness for said frame. ;)


I almost did, but even the KM's crappiness has limitations. :beer:

[zap]

well, i'm riding an MTB, so no hoods. i've been paying attention to the wrist bending, and my wrists are pretty straight.

Add bar ends to your mtb bars.

[cmg]

will that not create knee issues? i say it's either not engaging the core and too much weight on the hands. the pack is probably an issue, too. are the straps wide and padded? can you add a rack? i have a seatpost clamping rack i can sell you pretty cheaply.


Moving the seat only takes weight off the hands. Will it create knee issues? probably, he may have to lower the saddle. The pack is also an issue. most riders don't myself included don't have optimum core strenght. so let the chase begins.

[znfdl]

Which ones do you like the best??

http://shop.spencocycling.com/p-13-elite.aspx

[rain dogs]

carpal tunnel?

Not that I want to get you paranoid, and I'm not a doctor, but my brother in law has this and it makes his motorcycling days short... and recently non-existent.

Edit: You know... I did read/skim all the comments and yet somehow I missed Oliver1850 already stating this.

[slowgoing]

Add bar ends to your mtb bars.
Zap's smart!

[charliedid]

"I wear a gore bike wear cosmo with the built-in Kurt Cobain sleeve extensions, with gore biek wear windstopper shell gloves. i've tried riding with and w/o the kurt cobains, no change."

Try the Dave Grohl extensions.

[Plum Hill]

Worst for me on a MTB, but happens on a road bike too. I assume it's due to carpal tunnel issues. My fingers also go numb when I'm resting/sleeping. Seems to start with the little finger and progress to the index finger. A little shaking and it goes away, doesn't seem to be circulatory (going to sleep).

Issue with numbness in the little finger and the outside of the ring finger is ulnar nerve related. Rest of fingers are related to carpal nerve. I'd advise getting it checked out ASAP. Been there; done that. Permanent muscle loss due to ulnar nerve compression. Not good for someone who worked with his hands.

On the glove issue, I've been using Spenco Iron Man Rip It gloves since carpal/ulnar surgery three years ago. The gloves were the only thing that enabled me to ride post surgery. I've recommended them to others, and they have been happy with them.
Spenco has a 30% off sale going on now if you use the code happyhollidays11.

[thendenjeck]

well, i paid more attention to myself on the bike this evening, and I do seem to have my wrists bent somewhat. but my ortlieb straps hit me right in my armpits, it feels like they are restricting blood flow, and I'm sort of convinced that this is the cause, still.

I do have a weak core, it's true. i've been running and it makes my back sore, which a runner friend says means my stomach muscles are weak. to put my saddle back any further, I'll need a post with considerable setback, as I have a 15 mm setback post with the saddle all the way back.

Tomorrow I will try the ride with no pack, and see how that helps. i usually don't put much in it except a u-lock, rain pants, and my lunch. i do intend to switch to a rack situation soon to see if that helps.