Numb hands and pins and needles.

Supachip

Hi all,

I am fairly new to cycling but have managed to cycle some reasonable distances (50/60km), at the start suffered from a sore backside but wearing two pairs of shorts has sorted this.
What seems to be holding me back now is after around 20 miles or so my hands start to go numb and suffer from pins and needles, this happens with or without gloves.
Do I need to change my riding position ? any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Beasty

Are you using drop handlebars? Vary your position on the bars - ride on the drops, hoods and simply with your hands wrapped around the top of the bars to give some variation.

I suffer this particularly in my right hand riding the track, probably when my grip is quite tight. I try taking my hand off and shaking it just to loosen it up a bit which also helps

Supachip

Hi Beasty,

Yes they are dropped handlebars and I have tried all the things you suggested, obviously i get some relief when i shake my hands out and get the blood back into them but five minutes later the pins and needles/numbness is back.
I'm wondering am I putting too much weight on my arms, but to put less weight on my arms would mean riding in a more upright position.

Brian?

I'd get a bike fit done.

mamax

Have you ever had any back or neck injury ?
If yes then you might need to be careful as it could be a disc/nerve problem but as said get fitted for your bike would be the first thing to do and take it from there.

Beasty

mamax wrote: »

Have you ever had any back or neck injury ?
If yes then you might need to be careful as it could be a disc/nerve problem but as said get fitted for your bike would be the first thing to do and take it from there.

Before anyone tries to diagnose any medical condition, please note that seeking or providing any medical advice is not permitted on Boards

OP, if it persists I would suggest getting yourself checked out at your doctors.

jinkypolly

Sounds like you need a proper bike fit. I suffered from something similar until I realised that my saddle position was too far back and thus my hands were bearing too much weight. I sorted it by bringing my saddle forward and working on strengthening my core through specific excercises.

No Pants

Are you using actual cycling gloves, ones that come with padding?

feck sake lads

is your saddle to far back also make sur its level.
no harm putting a good quality gel bartape on even double it up.
be sure your elbows are slightly bent and your nor leaning to far over handlebars.

other than that i havent a clue

Supachip

Thanks to everyone, I think I'll get a bike fit done and hopefully that will help,
thanks again for all your advice.

New2bike

Supachip wrote: »

Thanks to everyone, I think I'll get a bike fit done and hopefully that will help,
thanks again for all your advice.

Hi Supachip I have the exact same problem fairly new to the sport myself but manged the 80k ride with Nicholas Roche in Cork last week after about 50k I could hardly feel my hands anymore but just ploughed on as there were no stops in that particular ride

I do put this down to a bulging disc in my neck a result of years of playing rugby but I have seen on here a few times about getting a proper bike fit would be well worth the mula best of luck with it!!

Wishbone Ash

Supachip wrote: »

my hands start to go numb and suffer from pins and needles,

Supachip wrote: »

when i shake my hands out and get the blood back

Without wishing to appear give medical advice, it more than likely caused by a trapped nerve rather than blood flow.

Konkers

Not mentioned by anyone so I'll say it. Make sure that your gloves are not too tight or small. Your hands will swell (like your feet) after a few Km's, this can cause the nerves between the bones in your hands to become pinched, numbness will set it and then pain.

Or as Beasty said above gripping the bars to tightly could do the same thing.

Wishbone Ash

Konkers wrote: »

Make sure that your gloves are not too tight or small. Your hands will swell (like your feet) after a few Km's, this can cause the nerves between the bones in your hands to become pinched, numbness will set it and then pain

Happens without gloves.

Supachip wrote: »

this happens with or without gloves

mamax

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Without wishing to appear give medical advice, it more than likely caused by a trapped nerve rather than blood flow.

As I mentioned in post #5
A ruptured disk can lead to nerve damage which leads to those symptoms, so I'd advise seeking professional medical advise along with a bike fit.

Brian?

mamax wrote: »

As I mentioned in post #5
A ruptured disk can lead to nerve damage which leads to those symptoms, so I'd advise seeking professional medical advise along with a bike fit.

I used to get the same thing. A bike fit fixed it. Don't be worrying the OP just yet, it's much more likely to be the angle his wrists are at or his shoulder position.

Rua_ri

Brian? wrote: »

I used to get the same thing. A bike fit fixed it. Don't be worrying the OP just yet, it's much more likely to be the angle his wrists are at or his shoulder position.

I too had this issue , along with neck pain after a 100km or more cycle.
Bike fit sorted me. Fitter changed my stem from 110mm to 100mm. Hard to imagine that 10mm was causing all my problems, but it was causing me to over stretch just enough to cause the pain. I have had no issues since the fit.
Definitely recommend a bike fit.

JMcL

+1 on the bike fit

I used to suffer badly from this as I was putting too much weight on my hands. Changing saddle position and a shorter stem have made the pins and needles all go away. This was reinforced when I used my old knockabout bike to tow the kids around on holidays during the summer, and bang, pins and needles with numbness back

The Big Lebowsky

Supachip wrote: »

Hi all,

I am fairly new to cycling but have managed to cycle some reasonable distances (50/60km), at the start suffered from a sore backside but wearing two pairs of shorts has sorted this.
What seems to be holding me back now is after around 20 miles or so my hands start to go numb and suffer from pins and needles, this happens with or without gloves.
Do I need to change my riding position ? any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

This is an easy one to fix....Most newbie cyclists make the classic mistake of sitting bolt upright on their bikes. This position places too much weight on the hands, and lets the muscles supporting the spine (erector spinae) off scott free.

Now trust me on this...Get a longer handle bar stem. Make your erector spinae muscles do their fair share of work.. and unweight your poor hands..

Rua_ri

The Big Lebowsky wrote: »

This is an easy one to fix....Most newbie cyclists make the classic mistake of sitting bolt upright on their bikes. This position places too much weight on the hands, and lets the muscles supporting the spine (erector spinae) off scott free.

Now trust me on this...Get a longer handle bar stem. Make your erector spinae muscles do their fair share of work.. and unweight your poor hands..

Wow.

You are advising someone whose measurements you do not know to trust you and get a longer stem!
You have also never seen the OP's position on a bike.

I read an early post from you where you outlined that you have short legs and a long torso, so in your case a long stem worked for you. There is no evidence to suggest that it would work for the OP.
IMHO the first port of call is a bike fit, where someone trained can see and make necessary adjustments, if any are needed.

Rambling Man

The Big Lebowsky wrote: »

This is an easy one to fix....Most newbie cyclists make the classic mistake of sitting bolt upright on their bikes. This position places too much weight on the hands, and lets the muscles supporting the spine (erector spinae) off scott free.

Now trust me on this...Get a longer handle bar stem. Make your erector spinae muscles do their fair share of work.. and unweight your poor hands..

Following the logic.... don't sit "bolt upright" and you're fixed?

NeedMoreGears

In my case, my left hand tends to get pins and needles. I found out on last Sunday's Boards spin, that it gets much worse in both hands when I forget my padded gloves.

Otherwise I change hand position every few minutes which helps a lot. I suspect I'm not sitting far back enough in the saddle, which is leaving too much weight on my hands ; although I can't explain why it's only the left hand that suffers.

I'll be remembering my gloves in future!