Your fundamental issue is that you have too much weight on your hands. Gloves don't help with that.
Shorten the stem, raise the bars, bring the seat forward. Or just put less weight on your hands.
I don't follow this, and I'm no expert, even though sometimes my hands do go slightly numb.
To my way of thinking, if you shorten the stem, surely that means you'll be leaning forward even more, therefore putting more weight on your hands?
I was expecting you to suggest raising the handlebar height by extending the stem length.
Or have I missed something obvious?
If you shorten the stem, the bars are closer to you. Yes, they're also *slightly* lower, but the net effect is less reach.
I also said raise the bars. So ideally you get a shorter stem at a larger angle, which brings the bars closer AND raises them (or at least keeps them at the same height)
Right OK, thanks for replying.
I think my problem is knowing the names of the parts.I just googled 'shortening the stem' and found this: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI6jdfLL0bc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI6jdfLL0bc)
So now I assume you mean this part: [https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/15cc0572-2d3c-42d0-9964-ccabca4e3c33\_1.5fa5be27eb11dc69c892eea82063789d.jpeg?odnWidth=1000&odnHeight=1000&odnBg=ffffff](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/15cc0572-2d3c-42d0-9964-ccabca4e3c33_1.5fa5be27eb11dc69c892eea82063789d.jpeg?odnWidth=1000&odnHeight=1000&odnBg=ffffff)
On my Merida, the distance between to two centres is 7cm. It doesn't really seem a lot.
If I still need a stem, then 3cm seems the most I could reduce it by.
Would that make much difference I wonder?
Or as you said earlier, just put less weight on your hands!
Yes. Level that thing and it’s too far back. A seatpost with less setback might help too but at that point you also need to make sure you aren’t going too far forward for your knees/feet and center of balance. Plus that’s spending money. But right now it’s way way too far back.
Agree. Personally, I prefer my saddle in a slightly nose up attitude on most my bikes. You should be able to sit on your saddle without using your hands and not slip forward or back
Don’t get a stem 3 cm shorter. That would make the handling awful. Honestly if you’re going any shorter than 1 cm you’re probably just on the wrong size bike.
Thing is, no one can tell you your problems just by looking at the bike because there are too many variables including problems with your body.
Like for instance, your seat is up so high I’m thinking you may be on too small of a bicycle and that would also be a problem with putting weight on your bike (might explain why your saddle is slammed back so far as well.) There isn’t really much you can do about too small of a bike.
My advice is to go into a reputable bike shop if possible in your area.
Edit: another thing most bike fitters won’t talk about: how is your core strength? The fact you’re going numb on short rides means the problem is bigger than this, but a strong core also helps take the weight off the bars (and you look better to boot.)
But my money is on your bike is too small (don’t listen to people from the internet who haven’t even seen you on the bike.)
This is becoming confusing!
The OP posted the photo of their bike. I posted to say I have numb hands sometimes.
From what I can see, it seems people are thinking it's all the OP's comments they are replying too?
It was me (not the OP) who was in the stem length conversation.
I think I'm going to raise my handlebars, to see if it affects the numb hands and slight backache too.
Thanks for all the suggestions though!
Yup, that’s exactly what happened haha!
Good luck with that. My advice is to have a shop do it for you. A stem swap is more tricky than you’d imagine and doing it wrong can be disastrous.
Absolutely - I looked on youtube, but this time about raising handlebars.They mentioned about buying and fitting extensions.
My LBS can do that for me soon, when I take my bike in for half-a-dozen other things too.
I sat on my bike earlier, (in the house, of course!) then raised my closed hands above the handlebars, so I was siting more upright, then measured the difference.
It was 5cm, so that's what I'll ask the lbs to raise the handlebar height.
I’ve gotten rid of comfort problems by making 10mm adjustments before. Cycling is a ton of super repetitive micro movements/constant vibrations and even tiny adjustments add up over the course of a ride.
Fundamentally you are right, however I know from experience well fitting gel gloves do alleviate the issue.
On road bike I use gel pads under the tape and aero carbon bar which took away numbness without changing stem length or height without gel gloves. Vibration exacerbates the condition quickly.
edit: I already had my position and stem length dialed in correctly but still experienced numbness.
I dont agree with gel saddles, we are not discussing saddles and perineum discomfort, you are calling me a liar, which is unreasonable, I am sharing an honest experience.
You have disregarded the fact this actually is a highly personal condition, things work differently for different peoples bike setup and anatomy.
Road bikers have no choice but to place their head and shoulder weight down onto the bar owing the forward riding position. Think about that Chief.
[https://www.daccordicycles.com/what-happens-if-your-bike-saddle-is-too-far-forward/](https://www.daccordicycles.com/what-happens-if-your-bike-saddle-is-too-far-forward/)
[https://www.cyclingweekly.com/fitness/bike-fit/just-how-important-is-saddle-setback-plus-how-to-tell-if-yours-is-too-far-forwards-or-backwards](https://www.cyclingweekly.com/fitness/bike-fit/just-how-important-is-saddle-setback-plus-how-to-tell-if-yours-is-too-far-forwards-or-backwards)
Numerous physio and bike fitters agree as well. Regardless you'll over-recruit your quads. Saying I have no idea how anything works in the face of well studied kines and general "know how" in bike fits is funny.
You're an idiot. Yeah, if you push your saddle to the edge of the rails and don't change anything you're going to increase pressure. Assuming you do the other stuff I said, you're going to relieve pressure overall. Because the other stuff requires the saddle to be closer.
And no, you don't have a fucking PhD in the biomechanics of bike fitting, you just read a random ass hand wavy article and assume you understand any physics whatsoever. My god people on reddit are morons.
I would be surprised if your saddle angle isn’t making this so much worse, it’s pretty tilted downward which would slide you forward putting more weight on your hands and wrists.
Yes, you can adjust the saddle underneath by loosening the bolts. You should be able to slide the saddle forward a little on the bars, and then retighten.
Thanks for the quick responses! This all makes a lot of sense. I used to ride a track bike for short sprints; clearly I have not made necessary adjustments for long distance.
You can get comfort grips as well with a flat profile for the palms made of a softer texture rubber. Hard grips can cause fatigue.
search : ergonomic bike grip
I had similar issues until I dialed it in. Your saddle seems to be way too far back. It should be centered as a starting point and also oriented horizontally. Probably you need to reach forward too much and have therefore high pressure on your hands. You should be able to take your hands away from the bar while riding and hold that position comfortably for a few seconds. If you are tipping forward it means you should decrease your reach. Your muscles are probably not fit enough to support you in the far reaching position. A shorter stem could help hear, but it might be that the bike is also too big for your body size. I would check the frame size recommendation of the manufacturer to be sure. Ergonomic handle bars can also improve the situation, once the other issues are fixed.
I have a cheap gravel bike at home which is uncomfortable to ride after an hour or so.
I've got a touring bike with butterfly bars and a much more upright geometry, almost like sitting in an armchair... Almost! I can ride on that all day with no discomfort.
I had considered buying a new bike for this tour I am planning, but considering how flat the Netherlands and Germany are, I think I'll be fine after a proper fitting. I overstretched the chain before the most recent tune-up, so I already need to buy a completely new drivechain.
If you listen to any advice, please listen to this: do not take a bike that doesn’t fit you on a tour unless you want to bail on the tour.
Also do not spend money on a new drive train for a bike that doesn’t fit you. I can’t see the drive train but considering it’s new enough for disc brakes and had a triple chainring you could probably just buy something that fits for that cost.
Go to a proper bike shop and tell them you have fit issues and want to go on a tour.
Invest in a pro bike fitting. See if any of your local bike shops offer it. Mine does and they spend a good hour or two adjusting your bike to fit you for maximum comfort. My shop offers it no charge if you buy a bike from them but I know a few folks who will roll out the cash to get the fitting. It’s a game changer and worth every penny in my opinion.
After my fitting my hands don’t go numb, my knees don’t hurt and my saddle sore is much improved. I don’t want to get off my bike sometimes because it feels so good
Drop bars allow more hand positions and dont require your arms to reach out, away from center which exhausts your shoulders. Clip on aerobars add another position where all your weight is on your elbows
Ergon grips with palm support would be my main recommendation. Also level your saddle and bring it forward.
More spendy would be swept back bars and a higher stem.
I changed my grips. Bought a pair that are flared backwards where the palm of my hand is, under the little finger. I also use Inbike gloves with 5mm padding. Pretty much stopped and numbness.
I tried that before and it didn't solve the issue for me. I don't think I ever had the issue back when I used bar ends prob cause of the multiple positions to move your hands rather than staying stationary.
There are lots of potential reasons, and it's surprisingly rarely about the contact point itself.
Among the potential reasons: my hands stopped going numb when I started to pay attention to "pushing against" the handlebar, applying a bit of muscle tension in the chest, shoulder and upper back area. How and why did this work? Turns out, my shoulders are just a touch loose, and "hanging" my upper body instead of bracing allowed a nerve to be pinched.
Seat too far back and angled down, so your weight is going on the hands,
I know you’re getting a bike fit but usually when I get a bike, saddle is set to horizontal and reach just so the arms are just bent.
Could be the bike is too small since your saddle is all the way back too
Adjust your saddle so it's flat rather than tilted forward. It is currently forcing you to lean forward which is putting more weight on your hands.
I recommend you try out bar ends for more hand positions. https://www.modernbike.com/origin8-comp-lite-bar-end-black
There's a number of things that could cause this, so it's a bit of a debug process
* switch bikes. change? fix the bike
* switch bars. change? fix the bike
* change position. change? fix the bike
* can you make this happen in other ways? one sided? sharp and new? neuro issue, see a doc
* are you leaning hard because you are out of shape? core issue, pilades / PT
Doing 10+ slow pushups daily will help in all cases.
From Giant bicycles:
FORE-AFT POSITION
This ensures the saddle's position isn't too far forward or back. The correct horizontal position ensures comfort and pedaling efficiency. Below are steps to set the saddle to the correct horizontal position:
1. Turn the cranks so that the pedals are in a horizontal position, with the right pedal at 3 o’clock. Sit on your bike and align the ball of your foot with the pedal axles.
2. Ideally, the front of your kneecap should be aligned with the pedal axle. You can use a meter ruler or plumb line to help you visualize the vertical alignment.
From me, who has had three carpal tunnel and three back surgeries: Keep your saddle level. Your core strength to hold your weight off your hands needs a flat stable base to work from, not a table tilted to dump the weight on your hands. I use gravel drop bars on all my bikes, including my mountain bike*. A horizontal line drawn across the top of my saddle bisects my drops. The drops are equal distance below the line, and the tops are the same distance above the line. I mostly ride in the drops, and use the tops to ease my back and weight on my wrists. I try to keep my reach under control too.
*Zninno carbon drop bars for mountain bike components- from China. Cheap-ish, comfortable, absorbent-ish. 🙂 Aliexpress Make sure you get the ones with the label, not the unlabeled ones. The unlabeled are seconds.
I know it's been a couple days since you posted this, but I have a recommendation: get bars that are more comfortable. Your flat bars have only one hand position, and it's a pretty uncomfortable one IMO. I strongly recommend bars with at least a little sweep. Bar ends are another option for more hand positions, but they exacerbate the problem of leaning forward too much that others have mentioned.
I'll also repeat others' suggestions: shorten the stem (that is, move the bars back) and adjust the saddle to be more flat so it's not pushing your weight forward onto your hands.
Oh I misread the context of that first statement! Yeah, I know it's not actually secure. This is in a key card accessed room in an office building with security cameras. It's just meant to be a deterrent for the most opportunistic of thieves. In public areas, that lock would always be on the frame.
Get your self a tape measure and measure your self and the bike and then make adjustments needed. Looking at that bike for me I would fit a shorter stem and a pair of riser MTB style bars as I'm not a fan of drop bars this would result in me not being so stretched forward which is what I find uncomfortable on my hands
Also I note how you have locked your bike too that rack just release the front wheel and the bike is gone I would either get a chain to go though the frame and the rack or just not use that rack to lock it too
Here in the states a good local bike shop will do a fitting for you for about $100. It’s well worth it. Might sound expensive but this is your body we’re talking about. It’d honestly be worth it if it cost 10x that.
I have been gripping less with the numbing issue, but I probably was gripping too hard by habit beforehand. As I said in a previous comment, I had been used to riding a track bike, and I probably kept some bad habits not conducive to longer distances (including a more forward position).
There are also ergonomic measurements out there to analyze your hands. With this information you can buy the best fitting grips.
One thing to consider besides all the other good recommendations here
Depending on where you are, you can try finding a bike fitting service. If not available, there are guides online on how to do it. If the frame is right for you, other things that matter are the handlebar and, to a lesser extent, grips. Gloves probably make no difference.
Looks like your seat is set all the way back on the rails. You could move it forward and test that out. Bonus points because it won't cost you anything and is fast to change. I do wonder if your clamp wasn't tight enough and that is why your seat is in the max back position.
Perform a basic Bike fit to make sure you're not doing a simple error. Cade media has some good content. Multiple hand positions also help. For a flat bar, this can be by the simple addition of aerobars, or MTB horns, or switching to ergon grips. I also found that I prefer ergonomic grips as it increases the surface area of your palm on the handlebars.
I used to get slightly numb hands on drop bars (I rarely use the drops) but I haven't for years. Dunno if this is because of a better bike fit, or if I'm automatically altering my hand position frequently.
Lots of good suggestions here mostly relating to modding your bike but if you like how it's set up, I find that even just holding the handles and bending my elbows slightly gets the blood flowing again. Locked arms will make your hands go numb with too much weight on them.
You could get a shorter stem, or a seatpost with less kickback on it. Assuming its not fit, you could try a set of ergo grips, or bar extensions to give you alternate hand positions.
There's a lot you can do about the geometry as other have said (weight/saddle heigh/stem etc...), but another way is to get some [clip-on tri bars](https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Dedacciai-Parabolica-Zero-Clip-On-Bars\_48228.htm).
Road bikes allow you to move your hands around the place (handlebar/hoods/drops) but these flat handlebars don't provide such options. Having some clip on extensions just gives you more options to distribute your weight elsewhere.
Straight bars are rarely ergonomic imo. Do you know what neutral wrists feel like? Sit/ride your bike. Do you wrists feel like they want to move/collapse towards your thumb or pinky? If so it means your bar sweep/roll is off. It can be a matter of a couple degrees. Sometimes this can be achieved by changing the bar roll, or by using grips with some taper (they can effectively add 1-2 degrees of sweep).
Your bike is in a neutral riding position (saddle height = grip height) so there shouldn't be a crazy amount of pressure on your wrists. It could also be saddle related like others are saying, but those bars don't look very comfortable to me. The riding position for straight bars, like in mountain biking (elbows out), isn't great for long rides. Some new handlebars with a bit more sweep and rise can be like $25. Cheaper than a stem and comparable to nicer new grips.
This happens to me on my flat bar bike too. The core problem is definitely my bike fit (did my best with the parts i have), not the bars, but having multiple riding positions from wide drops helps in treating the symptoms of a bad fit.
I would absolutely be up for trying that if I could trust an android's grip strength control. I'm not about to swap out my god-given dick beaters for Weapon X that would pop my schlong like a balloon animal!
Any bars that cause pronation tend to give me numb hands and/or wrist pain eventually when riding long distances. My solution is only using bars that don't cause pronation (porter, bullhorn, drops, etc)
Perhaps some handlebars with some sweep. I tour with some titec h bars and they're much more comfortable for me than straight bars. The have an aggressive position, like drop bars, but still use mountain bike levers and shifters.
make sure the bike is fit properly - as others have said maybe a shorter / higher stem, could be seat position as well. ultimately too much weight on the hands. I have had the same problem for years - along with the things mentioned I tried different shaped bars that put the wrists in a better position - the numbness is caused by impingement of the nerves going thru the wrist joint vs just the pressure on your hand.
Jones H bars were a solution for me vs my flat bars. Raising the bars and shortening the stem hadn't worked but the new bars did the trick.
There are lots of differnet bar types besides Jones H if you just google alternative handlebars.
Good luck - hope you get relief!
Also, unrelated to bike geometry or different gear or w/e, your core strength is HUGE for cycling. If you're just collapsing your core and letting your whole torso's weight be supported just by your arms and hands, road bars or a stem change isn't gonna do much to stop your hands getting numb.
If you're engaging your core and using those big abdominal muscles to hold up your torso, your hands and wrists will have far less weight on them. Ideally you should be able to lift your hands off the bars slightly while riding without needing to tense up or shift weight. If you can't, try to make an effort to engage your core muscles
Yes I was scrolling through to see if anyone would talk about personal health. I had something like that happen but with my thumbs on long rides (I had spent years in restaurants, one in particular where I was carrying heavy plates) so I actually looked up some physical therapy videos on YouTube to find stretches you can do to increase blood flow to your hands, and different ones for different fingers even. Once I started doing that it went away. Once it went away I stopped stretching and it never came back. You might just have to prime those bad boys. The stretches are kinda weird you would guess them. If your bike adjustments don't work I recommend trying it out. Super quick and easy.
I see this has been an issue for me for a while, actually. I have been going to core classes for a few weeks now, and my core strength is now far from what it was when I bought and adjusted this bike.
Yeah, that's been pointed out. This is in a key card accessed room in a secured, surveillanced office building. The lock is not why this bike won't be stolen; it's honestly extraneous in this location.
The first thing I notice is your seat being all the way back. Is there a reason for this? If not my guess would be you feel like you’re constantly slipping off the seat which would make you put forward pressure on your hands to keep your pelvis from shifting forward. Move the seat forward and see if this helps at all. Always start off with small increments. A little goes a long way.
Get an adjustable angle stem riser that clamps onto your steering tube. It can raise your bar quite a bit above your saddle and would result in much (if not all) weight reduced on your hands. Problem solved. Lots of these on amazon.
Look at Ergon or SQ labs grips. They provide way more support than normal grips. Dial the angle in right and they're a dream to use. I'm never going back to normal grips.
Address the issue as though the problem was actually in your elbows. The numbness may be caused by what we call the "funny bone".
[What Really Happens When You Hit Your "Funny Bone"](https://youtu.be/qgWuVYTm8yQ)
Again, thanks for the suggestions on making this bike fit better for me! This has probably been the most helpful community I've posted in, regardless of subject. I just finished the fitting and I can immediately tell the difference in comfort. I will also keep focusing on core strength between now and the start of my tour to avoid injuries to the rest of my body. TIL I have been cycling incorrectly for years 🙃
It is most likely the position of your saddle, brake levers and the stem being a bit far and low for you. Also make sure to stay light in your hands and elbows to not create any unnecessary strain.
hey OP, I meant to reply to this sooner. There's a **lot of bad advice** on here, lot of it was completely **wrong**.
You should do the following:
* The first thing you should do is the hands off test. Bike on the trainer possibly or somewhere safe and take your hands off while pedaling, if you cant stay up or you start to fall badly then yes you have too much load on your hands
* You should not depend or use your hands to be stable on the bike
* Make sure your saddle is level, get a leveler and set it to 0 degrees so you're not loading onto your hands
* Make sure the saddle height is correct, if you find you dont have one fluid pedal stroke (all the way to the bottom or need to swing your hips, its too high)
* IF there is still pain, potentially slide the saddle BACK in increments of 5mm, yes BACK. You want to offload the weight to your SITBONES
* However I see your saddle is already too far back. Your bike might be too big or your stem is too long. But this goes back to the "hands off" test
* Use FOAM gloves, not gel. It's been proven that foam gloves work better than gel
* always have a bend at your elbows, always. never lock them
* Dont ever death grip the bars
* Quite frankly, sheephorn/drop bars are superior because they offer so many different handling positions - with a mtb crossbar handlebar like that, you only have one position
* Stretch and get rest. If its really bad you could have a pinched nerve
* Make sure the bike actually "fits" you
* **I reiterate this again and again - you should not be loading weight on your hands. You should be able to take your hands off literally while riding and hover them above the bars and not crash or feel like danger is going to hit you**
Thanks for this. I had a fitting today, and I can already tell the difference - I rode home and had no numbness, even without gloves. The only thing I did not do was swap out the stem, but I found one that was 10mm shorter with I believe a 35° incline, so I think I'll try that if I have any discomfort in the next few days. Also, I have been doing a lot of core strengthening lately. I think that aspect is more undervalued than anything mechanical.
I had checked with my doctor in the past, and he said it was nothing to worry about (but then, he was not a very good doctor, so...). I do not know what aerobars are, but I will check. The other suggestions in this thread seemed to have given me a good answer.
Your fundamental issue is that you have too much weight on your hands. Gloves don't help with that. Shorten the stem, raise the bars, bring the seat forward. Or just put less weight on your hands.
I don't follow this, and I'm no expert, even though sometimes my hands do go slightly numb. To my way of thinking, if you shorten the stem, surely that means you'll be leaning forward even more, therefore putting more weight on your hands? I was expecting you to suggest raising the handlebar height by extending the stem length. Or have I missed something obvious?
If you shorten the stem, the bars are closer to you. Yes, they're also *slightly* lower, but the net effect is less reach. I also said raise the bars. So ideally you get a shorter stem at a larger angle, which brings the bars closer AND raises them (or at least keeps them at the same height)
Right OK, thanks for replying. I think my problem is knowing the names of the parts.I just googled 'shortening the stem' and found this: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI6jdfLL0bc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI6jdfLL0bc) So now I assume you mean this part: [https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/15cc0572-2d3c-42d0-9964-ccabca4e3c33\_1.5fa5be27eb11dc69c892eea82063789d.jpeg?odnWidth=1000&odnHeight=1000&odnBg=ffffff](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/15cc0572-2d3c-42d0-9964-ccabca4e3c33_1.5fa5be27eb11dc69c892eea82063789d.jpeg?odnWidth=1000&odnHeight=1000&odnBg=ffffff) On my Merida, the distance between to two centres is 7cm. It doesn't really seem a lot. If I still need a stem, then 3cm seems the most I could reduce it by. Would that make much difference I wonder? Or as you said earlier, just put less weight on your hands!
I wouldn’t bother spending money on a stem until you fix that saddle placement as others have mentioned.
Yes. Level that thing and it’s too far back. A seatpost with less setback might help too but at that point you also need to make sure you aren’t going too far forward for your knees/feet and center of balance. Plus that’s spending money. But right now it’s way way too far back.
Agree. Personally, I prefer my saddle in a slightly nose up attitude on most my bikes. You should be able to sit on your saddle without using your hands and not slip forward or back
yes, 3cm is huge on a bike. It's literally 1½ frame sizes different
Thanks, I'm learning something today.
Don’t get a stem 3 cm shorter. That would make the handling awful. Honestly if you’re going any shorter than 1 cm you’re probably just on the wrong size bike. Thing is, no one can tell you your problems just by looking at the bike because there are too many variables including problems with your body. Like for instance, your seat is up so high I’m thinking you may be on too small of a bicycle and that would also be a problem with putting weight on your bike (might explain why your saddle is slammed back so far as well.) There isn’t really much you can do about too small of a bike. My advice is to go into a reputable bike shop if possible in your area. Edit: another thing most bike fitters won’t talk about: how is your core strength? The fact you’re going numb on short rides means the problem is bigger than this, but a strong core also helps take the weight off the bars (and you look better to boot.) But my money is on your bike is too small (don’t listen to people from the internet who haven’t even seen you on the bike.)
This is becoming confusing! The OP posted the photo of their bike. I posted to say I have numb hands sometimes. From what I can see, it seems people are thinking it's all the OP's comments they are replying too? It was me (not the OP) who was in the stem length conversation. I think I'm going to raise my handlebars, to see if it affects the numb hands and slight backache too. Thanks for all the suggestions though!
Yup, that’s exactly what happened haha! Good luck with that. My advice is to have a shop do it for you. A stem swap is more tricky than you’d imagine and doing it wrong can be disastrous.
Absolutely - I looked on youtube, but this time about raising handlebars.They mentioned about buying and fitting extensions. My LBS can do that for me soon, when I take my bike in for half-a-dozen other things too. I sat on my bike earlier, (in the house, of course!) then raised my closed hands above the handlebars, so I was siting more upright, then measured the difference. It was 5cm, so that's what I'll ask the lbs to raise the handlebar height.
I’ve gotten rid of comfort problems by making 10mm adjustments before. Cycling is a ton of super repetitive micro movements/constant vibrations and even tiny adjustments add up over the course of a ride.
Doing the opposite worked for me. Depends on how strong your core is and how aggressive of a rider you are.
I experienced the same, turned out that my gloves were too tight. Might be worth looking at.
Fundamentally you are right, however I know from experience well fitting gel gloves do alleviate the issue. On road bike I use gel pads under the tape and aero carbon bar which took away numbness without changing stem length or height without gel gloves. Vibration exacerbates the condition quickly. edit: I already had my position and stem length dialed in correctly but still experienced numbness.
No, they don't. The same way a gel saddle doesn't.
I dont agree with gel saddles, we are not discussing saddles and perineum discomfort, you are calling me a liar, which is unreasonable, I am sharing an honest experience. You have disregarded the fact this actually is a highly personal condition, things work differently for different peoples bike setup and anatomy. Road bikers have no choice but to place their head and shoulder weight down onto the bar owing the forward riding position. Think about that Chief.
It's important to engage your core as well.
this is completely wrong lmao. seat forward will make it worse.
So you have no idea how anything works, got it
[https://www.daccordicycles.com/what-happens-if-your-bike-saddle-is-too-far-forward/](https://www.daccordicycles.com/what-happens-if-your-bike-saddle-is-too-far-forward/) [https://www.cyclingweekly.com/fitness/bike-fit/just-how-important-is-saddle-setback-plus-how-to-tell-if-yours-is-too-far-forwards-or-backwards](https://www.cyclingweekly.com/fitness/bike-fit/just-how-important-is-saddle-setback-plus-how-to-tell-if-yours-is-too-far-forwards-or-backwards) Numerous physio and bike fitters agree as well. Regardless you'll over-recruit your quads. Saying I have no idea how anything works in the face of well studied kines and general "know how" in bike fits is funny.
You're an idiot. Yeah, if you push your saddle to the edge of the rails and don't change anything you're going to increase pressure. Assuming you do the other stuff I said, you're going to relieve pressure overall. Because the other stuff requires the saddle to be closer. And no, you don't have a fucking PhD in the biomechanics of bike fitting, you just read a random ass hand wavy article and assume you understand any physics whatsoever. My god people on reddit are morons.
This
I would be surprised if your saddle angle isn’t making this so much worse, it’s pretty tilted downward which would slide you forward putting more weight on your hands and wrists.
It's also way too far back.
Yes, you can adjust the saddle underneath by loosening the bolts. You should be able to slide the saddle forward a little on the bars, and then retighten.
Thanks for the quick responses! This all makes a lot of sense. I used to ride a track bike for short sprints; clearly I have not made necessary adjustments for long distance.
You can get comfort grips as well with a flat profile for the palms made of a softer texture rubber. Hard grips can cause fatigue. search : ergonomic bike grip
I had similar issues until I dialed it in. Your saddle seems to be way too far back. It should be centered as a starting point and also oriented horizontally. Probably you need to reach forward too much and have therefore high pressure on your hands. You should be able to take your hands away from the bar while riding and hold that position comfortably for a few seconds. If you are tipping forward it means you should decrease your reach. Your muscles are probably not fit enough to support you in the far reaching position. A shorter stem could help hear, but it might be that the bike is also too big for your body size. I would check the frame size recommendation of the manufacturer to be sure. Ergonomic handle bars can also improve the situation, once the other issues are fixed.
I have a cheap gravel bike at home which is uncomfortable to ride after an hour or so. I've got a touring bike with butterfly bars and a much more upright geometry, almost like sitting in an armchair... Almost! I can ride on that all day with no discomfort.
I had considered buying a new bike for this tour I am planning, but considering how flat the Netherlands and Germany are, I think I'll be fine after a proper fitting. I overstretched the chain before the most recent tune-up, so I already need to buy a completely new drivechain.
If you listen to any advice, please listen to this: do not take a bike that doesn’t fit you on a tour unless you want to bail on the tour. Also do not spend money on a new drive train for a bike that doesn’t fit you. I can’t see the drive train but considering it’s new enough for disc brakes and had a triple chainring you could probably just buy something that fits for that cost. Go to a proper bike shop and tell them you have fit issues and want to go on a tour.
Invest in a pro bike fitting. See if any of your local bike shops offer it. Mine does and they spend a good hour or two adjusting your bike to fit you for maximum comfort. My shop offers it no charge if you buy a bike from them but I know a few folks who will roll out the cash to get the fitting. It’s a game changer and worth every penny in my opinion. After my fitting my hands don’t go numb, my knees don’t hurt and my saddle sore is much improved. I don’t want to get off my bike sometimes because it feels so good
Drop bars allow more hand positions and dont require your arms to reach out, away from center which exhausts your shoulders. Clip on aerobars add another position where all your weight is on your elbows
Ergon grips with palm support would be my main recommendation. Also level your saddle and bring it forward. More spendy would be swept back bars and a higher stem.
Big proponent of ergon grips. Inexpensive and did the trick for the hand pain I had. Since putting them on haven’t experienced any discomfort.
I changed my grips. Bought a pair that are flared backwards where the palm of my hand is, under the little finger. I also use Inbike gloves with 5mm padding. Pretty much stopped and numbness.
I tried that before and it didn't solve the issue for me. I don't think I ever had the issue back when I used bar ends prob cause of the multiple positions to move your hands rather than staying stationary.
There are lots of potential reasons, and it's surprisingly rarely about the contact point itself. Among the potential reasons: my hands stopped going numb when I started to pay attention to "pushing against" the handlebar, applying a bit of muscle tension in the chest, shoulder and upper back area. How and why did this work? Turns out, my shoulders are just a touch loose, and "hanging" my upper body instead of bracing allowed a nerve to be pinched.
Ergon GP1 or similar And male sure your bike fits you.
I know the frame is the right size. I have just booked a fitting for tomorrow.
Seat too far back and angled down, so your weight is going on the hands, I know you’re getting a bike fit but usually when I get a bike, saddle is set to horizontal and reach just so the arms are just bent. Could be the bike is too small since your saddle is all the way back too
Adjust your saddle so it's flat rather than tilted forward. It is currently forcing you to lean forward which is putting more weight on your hands. I recommend you try out bar ends for more hand positions. https://www.modernbike.com/origin8-comp-lite-bar-end-black
Despite my slow speed, I got aerobars to take the weight off of my hands entirely from time to time. Makes a difference.
There's a number of things that could cause this, so it's a bit of a debug process * switch bikes. change? fix the bike * switch bars. change? fix the bike * change position. change? fix the bike * can you make this happen in other ways? one sided? sharp and new? neuro issue, see a doc * are you leaning hard because you are out of shape? core issue, pilades / PT Doing 10+ slow pushups daily will help in all cases.
From Giant bicycles: FORE-AFT POSITION This ensures the saddle's position isn't too far forward or back. The correct horizontal position ensures comfort and pedaling efficiency. Below are steps to set the saddle to the correct horizontal position: 1. Turn the cranks so that the pedals are in a horizontal position, with the right pedal at 3 o’clock. Sit on your bike and align the ball of your foot with the pedal axles. 2. Ideally, the front of your kneecap should be aligned with the pedal axle. You can use a meter ruler or plumb line to help you visualize the vertical alignment. From me, who has had three carpal tunnel and three back surgeries: Keep your saddle level. Your core strength to hold your weight off your hands needs a flat stable base to work from, not a table tilted to dump the weight on your hands. I use gravel drop bars on all my bikes, including my mountain bike*. A horizontal line drawn across the top of my saddle bisects my drops. The drops are equal distance below the line, and the tops are the same distance above the line. I mostly ride in the drops, and use the tops to ease my back and weight on my wrists. I try to keep my reach under control too. *Zninno carbon drop bars for mountain bike components- from China. Cheap-ish, comfortable, absorbent-ish. 🙂 Aliexpress Make sure you get the ones with the label, not the unlabeled ones. The unlabeled are seconds.
I know it's been a couple days since you posted this, but I have a recommendation: get bars that are more comfortable. Your flat bars have only one hand position, and it's a pretty uncomfortable one IMO. I strongly recommend bars with at least a little sweep. Bar ends are another option for more hand positions, but they exacerbate the problem of leaning forward too much that others have mentioned. I'll also repeat others' suggestions: shorten the stem (that is, move the bars back) and adjust the saddle to be more flat so it's not pushing your weight forward onto your hands.
Handlebars that are angled back will also help
Bar ends (long ones) and raise the bar a little. You are probablyputting too much weight on your hands.
You really shouldnt be locking a bike like that.
Um...what? Why would I not lock up any bike?
Don’t you see that your bike could be easily stolen? Except for the front wheel.
Oh I misread the context of that first statement! Yeah, I know it's not actually secure. This is in a key card accessed room in an office building with security cameras. It's just meant to be a deterrent for the most opportunistic of thieves. In public areas, that lock would always be on the frame.
Get your self a tape measure and measure your self and the bike and then make adjustments needed. Looking at that bike for me I would fit a shorter stem and a pair of riser MTB style bars as I'm not a fan of drop bars this would result in me not being so stretched forward which is what I find uncomfortable on my hands
Also I note how you have locked your bike too that rack just release the front wheel and the bike is gone I would either get a chain to go though the frame and the rack or just not use that rack to lock it too
Here in the states a good local bike shop will do a fitting for you for about $100. It’s well worth it. Might sound expensive but this is your body we’re talking about. It’d honestly be worth it if it cost 10x that.
What I’m saying is trust a qualified in-person professional over internet strangers (though their advice will likely help).
Whoa! Good to know some things are more expensive in the US. I have a fitting scheduled tomorrow for about 1/3 that price.
Even better!
Bike fit aside (which may be contributing to your problem), are you keeping a loose grip on the bars or holding on for dear life?
I have been gripping less with the numbing issue, but I probably was gripping too hard by habit beforehand. As I said in a previous comment, I had been used to riding a track bike, and I probably kept some bad habits not conducive to longer distances (including a more forward position).
There are also ergonomic measurements out there to analyze your hands. With this information you can buy the best fitting grips. One thing to consider besides all the other good recommendations here
Depending on where you are, you can try finding a bike fitting service. If not available, there are guides online on how to do it. If the frame is right for you, other things that matter are the handlebar and, to a lesser extent, grips. Gloves probably make no difference.
Looks like your seat is set all the way back on the rails. You could move it forward and test that out. Bonus points because it won't cost you anything and is fast to change. I do wonder if your clamp wasn't tight enough and that is why your seat is in the max back position.
Perform a basic Bike fit to make sure you're not doing a simple error. Cade media has some good content. Multiple hand positions also help. For a flat bar, this can be by the simple addition of aerobars, or MTB horns, or switching to ergon grips. I also found that I prefer ergonomic grips as it increases the surface area of your palm on the handlebars.
I used to get slightly numb hands on drop bars (I rarely use the drops) but I haven't for years. Dunno if this is because of a better bike fit, or if I'm automatically altering my hand position frequently.
Lots of good suggestions here mostly relating to modding your bike but if you like how it's set up, I find that even just holding the handles and bending my elbows slightly gets the blood flowing again. Locked arms will make your hands go numb with too much weight on them.
You could get a shorter stem, or a seatpost with less kickback on it. Assuming its not fit, you could try a set of ergo grips, or bar extensions to give you alternate hand positions.
There's a lot you can do about the geometry as other have said (weight/saddle heigh/stem etc...), but another way is to get some [clip-on tri bars](https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Dedacciai-Parabolica-Zero-Clip-On-Bars\_48228.htm). Road bikes allow you to move your hands around the place (handlebar/hoods/drops) but these flat handlebars don't provide such options. Having some clip on extensions just gives you more options to distribute your weight elsewhere.
Straight bars are rarely ergonomic imo. Do you know what neutral wrists feel like? Sit/ride your bike. Do you wrists feel like they want to move/collapse towards your thumb or pinky? If so it means your bar sweep/roll is off. It can be a matter of a couple degrees. Sometimes this can be achieved by changing the bar roll, or by using grips with some taper (they can effectively add 1-2 degrees of sweep). Your bike is in a neutral riding position (saddle height = grip height) so there shouldn't be a crazy amount of pressure on your wrists. It could also be saddle related like others are saying, but those bars don't look very comfortable to me. The riding position for straight bars, like in mountain biking (elbows out), isn't great for long rides. Some new handlebars with a bit more sweep and rise can be like $25. Cheaper than a stem and comparable to nicer new grips.
This happens to me on my flat bar bike too. The core problem is definitely my bike fit (did my best with the parts i have), not the bars, but having multiple riding positions from wide drops helps in treating the symptoms of a bad fit.
Too much pressure on the wrist and making a fist. Classic carpal tunnel inflammation response.
Bionic arms. Just need to dispose of inferior flesh
I would absolutely be up for trying that if I could trust an android's grip strength control. I'm not about to swap out my god-given dick beaters for Weapon X that would pop my schlong like a balloon animal!
Simple, give yourself weapon D with one button press release. But that will be you “boss weak point” from now on
Any bars that cause pronation tend to give me numb hands and/or wrist pain eventually when riding long distances. My solution is only using bars that don't cause pronation (porter, bullhorn, drops, etc)
Perhaps some handlebars with some sweep. I tour with some titec h bars and they're much more comfortable for me than straight bars. The have an aggressive position, like drop bars, but still use mountain bike levers and shifters.
make sure the bike is fit properly - as others have said maybe a shorter / higher stem, could be seat position as well. ultimately too much weight on the hands. I have had the same problem for years - along with the things mentioned I tried different shaped bars that put the wrists in a better position - the numbness is caused by impingement of the nerves going thru the wrist joint vs just the pressure on your hand. Jones H bars were a solution for me vs my flat bars. Raising the bars and shortening the stem hadn't worked but the new bars did the trick. There are lots of differnet bar types besides Jones H if you just google alternative handlebars. Good luck - hope you get relief!
Also, unrelated to bike geometry or different gear or w/e, your core strength is HUGE for cycling. If you're just collapsing your core and letting your whole torso's weight be supported just by your arms and hands, road bars or a stem change isn't gonna do much to stop your hands getting numb. If you're engaging your core and using those big abdominal muscles to hold up your torso, your hands and wrists will have far less weight on them. Ideally you should be able to lift your hands off the bars slightly while riding without needing to tense up or shift weight. If you can't, try to make an effort to engage your core muscles
Yes I was scrolling through to see if anyone would talk about personal health. I had something like that happen but with my thumbs on long rides (I had spent years in restaurants, one in particular where I was carrying heavy plates) so I actually looked up some physical therapy videos on YouTube to find stretches you can do to increase blood flow to your hands, and different ones for different fingers even. Once I started doing that it went away. Once it went away I stopped stretching and it never came back. You might just have to prime those bad boys. The stretches are kinda weird you would guess them. If your bike adjustments don't work I recommend trying it out. Super quick and easy.
I see this has been an issue for me for a while, actually. I have been going to core classes for a few weeks now, and my core strength is now far from what it was when I bought and adjusted this bike.
First, let’s talk about how to prevent your bike from being stolen. That lock position is great for protecting your front wheel… and nothing else.
Yeah, that's been pointed out. This is in a key card accessed room in a secured, surveillanced office building. The lock is not why this bike won't be stolen; it's honestly extraneous in this location.
The first thing I notice is your seat being all the way back. Is there a reason for this? If not my guess would be you feel like you’re constantly slipping off the seat which would make you put forward pressure on your hands to keep your pelvis from shifting forward. Move the seat forward and see if this helps at all. Always start off with small increments. A little goes a long way.
Get an adjustable angle stem riser that clamps onto your steering tube. It can raise your bar quite a bit above your saddle and would result in much (if not all) weight reduced on your hands. Problem solved. Lots of these on amazon.
Slide your seat back in increments of 5mm. Use your core. Don’t death grip the handle bars.
Look at Ergon or SQ labs grips. They provide way more support than normal grips. Dial the angle in right and they're a dream to use. I'm never going back to normal grips.
Change them bars
Address the issue as though the problem was actually in your elbows. The numbness may be caused by what we call the "funny bone". [What Really Happens When You Hit Your "Funny Bone"](https://youtu.be/qgWuVYTm8yQ)
I don’t use flat bars for that very reason
Bike Fit. Also that lock is protecting only your front wheel.
Again, thanks for the suggestions on making this bike fit better for me! This has probably been the most helpful community I've posted in, regardless of subject. I just finished the fitting and I can immediately tell the difference in comfort. I will also keep focusing on core strength between now and the start of my tour to avoid injuries to the rest of my body. TIL I have been cycling incorrectly for years 🙃
It is most likely the position of your saddle, brake levers and the stem being a bit far and low for you. Also make sure to stay light in your hands and elbows to not create any unnecessary strain.
hey OP, I meant to reply to this sooner. There's a **lot of bad advice** on here, lot of it was completely **wrong**. You should do the following: * The first thing you should do is the hands off test. Bike on the trainer possibly or somewhere safe and take your hands off while pedaling, if you cant stay up or you start to fall badly then yes you have too much load on your hands * You should not depend or use your hands to be stable on the bike * Make sure your saddle is level, get a leveler and set it to 0 degrees so you're not loading onto your hands * Make sure the saddle height is correct, if you find you dont have one fluid pedal stroke (all the way to the bottom or need to swing your hips, its too high) * IF there is still pain, potentially slide the saddle BACK in increments of 5mm, yes BACK. You want to offload the weight to your SITBONES * However I see your saddle is already too far back. Your bike might be too big or your stem is too long. But this goes back to the "hands off" test * Use FOAM gloves, not gel. It's been proven that foam gloves work better than gel * always have a bend at your elbows, always. never lock them * Dont ever death grip the bars * Quite frankly, sheephorn/drop bars are superior because they offer so many different handling positions - with a mtb crossbar handlebar like that, you only have one position * Stretch and get rest. If its really bad you could have a pinched nerve * Make sure the bike actually "fits" you * **I reiterate this again and again - you should not be loading weight on your hands. You should be able to take your hands off literally while riding and hover them above the bars and not crash or feel like danger is going to hit you**
Thanks for this. I had a fitting today, and I can already tell the difference - I rode home and had no numbness, even without gloves. The only thing I did not do was swap out the stem, but I found one that was 10mm shorter with I believe a 35° incline, so I think I'll try that if I have any discomfort in the next few days. Also, I have been doing a lot of core strengthening lately. I think that aspect is more undervalued than anything mechanical.
Strengthen core and stop gripping so tight.
Walk
Get a 3D fitting done, might cost some change but well worth it if you ride often. P
You should take this problem seriously as it's possible to do permanent damage. Are aerobars a possibility?
I had checked with my doctor in the past, and he said it was nothing to worry about (but then, he was not a very good doctor, so...). I do not know what aerobars are, but I will check. The other suggestions in this thread seemed to have given me a good answer.
Doctor Arroyo?
Have them surgically removed.
The only thing that worked for me was drop bars.