Numbness, Tingling and Loss of strength in hand

[dayjack119]

Google 'handlebar palsy'.  It's a nerve problem from too much weight resting on your hands while riding.  Change hand positions often, raise handlebars or lower seat.  Hands might be numb and tingle for a month or so but the feeling comes back.  If you go too far this way and really screw things up, quit riding.  The damage can become permanent.

[JJTom]

I rode  an upright and had that, but wasn't to bad  then stopped riding for many years, then rode motorcycle for a while and it got worse, (plus my job doesn't help), any how it turned out to be carpal tunnel, had the surgery in both hands and its been great since. Started riding my upright again. Hands were great  but other aches arose  switched to a recumbent and now i'll never go back.

[MNRider]

+1 on getting bar ends if you ride with a flat bar. I've got Ergon GC2s on my flat bar touring bike and they give me multiple hand positions very similar to those I use on my drop bar road bike. On the drop bars I ride with my hands on the hoods probably 75% or more of the time and the GC2s give me an almost identical position on the flat bar.

I think one of the biggest hand and wrist problems is that I see many people riding "slammed" road bikes with the bar top well below the saddle. Great for sprints or short fast rides, dang rough for touring unless you are exceptionally flexible.

While riding I freqently open and close my hands multiple times, wiggle my fingers, or ride on level straightaways with my hands loosely resting over the bar ends. I catch myself locking my elbows when I'm tired and have to fight that tendency or my hands get numb. When it is safe to do so, I'll sit up a bit and take one hand at a time off the bar for a minute and let it hang while doing some wrist movements.

I also think that a lot of riders neglect training their upper bodies and loose strength and support in their upper backs, arms and wrists.

[dayjack119]

In 2013 I did a 7,000 mile tour with mustache handlebars and changed hand positions consistently.  Afterwards, it took 6 months for the numbness in my fingertips to go away.  In 2014 I followed that with a 4,700 mile tour after some adjustments.  I had put a three inch extension in to raise the handlebars and then lowered the seat.  No numbness or tingling after the ride.  In 2015 I plan on adding aero bars which will really take pressure off my hand nerves.

[Ride4fun]

AS mentioned there are many different hand problems and different causes but it may be the mountain bike itself.  I rode 335 miles on the GAP and C&O two summers ago and did about 60 plus miles a day.  After a day or two I found that I had hand and wist pain.  I found I had to stop about every hour for 10 minutes or so just to get some relief.  This summer I rode the same tour with a cylco-cross bike with drop bars and had no hand problems other than the typical fatigue from vibrations on dirt roads.

I also recently brought a 29er and found on 40 plus mile dirt road rides that my hands and wist feel the same as on the Gap trip but on the cross bike I feel fine.  I believe the forward position of a racing style mtb is the problem putting too much weight on my hands.  I intend to try Jeff Jones H-loop bars as at the ends put your hands back further and give a more upright position.  I have an older mtb form the 80's with a more upright position and it seems more comfortable on long rides. My stump jumper and Super Fly feel get on single track but that's usually only 15 miles and you use more of your body which I think helps.

[william101]

I had the same problem on my diamond frame bikes mine was more bad in my elbows my whole hand would loose all feelings in them almost quit riding cause of it  so I switched to a recumbent tour easy and have yet to have that problem again and I have been riding it for about a year and a half . And yes I had a bike fit and didn't help. so the recumbent was the way to go.

[mucknort]

No matter how much fit adjustment you do, you are still supporting a fair percentage of your body's weight with your hands/wrists/elbows. On a recumbent, you are simply resting your hands on the bars (same as your hands on the steering wheel of a car). One's neck and rear end are also positioned as comfortably as in a car, as well, on a recumbent.

[william101]

Yes exactly that why I ride recumbents more than any bicycle

[william101]

And the bad thing is most people think recumbents are slow some are but not all. Most people think they cant climb some can some cant. Most people seem to think you got to be old or have a physical disability to ride these .Most of us don't have no disability we ride them cause more comfortable and we can actually ride more miles on them cause we don't tire as easy plus they are seen more easily by motorist . Some clubs don't want us riding with them cause we are faster in the long run than they are. Yeah maybe able to sprint fast climb faster in the short term but we rule the long term that is why they use recumbents in the race across America instead of all df yeah sore riders ride df but not many most use low racers or swb rans rockets or similar . Don't rule out something if you have never tried it I used to be a die hard diamond framer but I started thinking and exploring different options. And yes I still ride my diamond frame but my bike of choice is my recumbent for touring longer distances but if I am going off road then I will use it.