I only ride my bicycle occasionally, and when I do, my hands start to go numb after about 45 minutes (+ or -) due to the type of bike where I have to lean forward with straight arms and a bit of weight on the handlebars.
If one rides regularly, will one’s hands eventually get used to the weight and not get that numb feeling any more? Or is it just part of the game?
Generally yes, but some people have problems related to the fit of the bike. Did you have a bike fitting? If not, that can help a lot of the issues.
Also well padded cycling gloves help immensely.
It’s part of the game, but there are things that could be making the problem worse than it should be - bike not properly adjusted for you, not wearing gloves, not changing riding positions occasionally, etc.
Padded gloves plus padded tape around the handlebars will help.
+1 to the bike gloves. I like the Gore ones myself, but lots of brands make them and your bike shop should have many to choose from.
And +2 to the bike fitting. Even a basic fit (if you didn’t get one done when you got the bike) can make a HUGE difference, all without any additional parts (different saddles, stems, handlebars etc.), just by adjusting distances and handlebar tilt and such.
If nothing else, if you can bring the handlebars closer without changing your pedal position (such as by adjusting the stem and/or handlebars), that means you can ride with a slight bend in your elbow and let your muscles absorb some of the vibrations instead of stiff-arming it all into your hands.
As already said, you’re arms shouldn’t be straight w/ locked elbows; they should be relaxed, with a slight bend at the elbow. Hand position on the bars can make things more comfortable. Do you have drop (“10-speed”) bars or flat ones? The former allow for more hand positions.
Where did you get the bike at a bike shop or a sporting goods store like Dick’s, or :eek: Wal-mart? Go to your LBS (Local Bike Shop) & get a fitting. Possibly you don’t even need any new parts, just an adjustment. However, it’s possible you might need a shorter stem, or if it’s a really bad fit, a new frame/bike.
Cycling gloves have some padding but also protect your hands if you happen to crash/fall. I suggest wearing them.
I ride a bike a lot, and I don’t find that my hands hurt, although I mostly ride mountain bikes which have a less forward posture than road bikes. Padded gloves will help, as others have said, but also make sure you are not gripping onto the handlebars tightly. I find with mountain biking, if I’m on steep and rough terrain it tends to result in the “death grip” and I end up with sore arms and shoulders too. Relax the grip and let the bars move around inside your hands (it also improves control!).
Shaped grips like seal_cleaner linked to above might also help. On my long-distance bike I use Ergon grips which have short bar-ends incorporated into them. These let you swap hand positions which helps a lot on long rides (and also gives you a better position for climbing).
+1 - basically, any position more aero than a housebrick means you are leaning forwards and supporting weight with your hands. Shake 'em out before descents!
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One thing missing from the extant answers is the effect of conditioning. In general your body contacts the bike at your hands, feet, and seat areas. (butt)
Casual riders put most of their weight on the seat, and if the bike is fitted for more aggressive riding, then they end up carrying a lot of weight on the hands as well.
As a rider gets stronger, more and more weight will be supported by the feet, which is required to put more power into the pedals. It is one reason (another is aerodynamics) that stronger riders lean farther forward…they are putting more body weight over the forward pedal (which is the one producing power). Putting this weight on the feet unloads the hands and butt. Beyond building calluses, this is one reason that strong riders can use narrow “ass hatchet” saddles without being in tears after an hour.
The last reason for forward lean is to engage the hamstring muscles, so a strong rider doesn’t have to rely on just the quads.
All of this depends on adequate core conditioning, which casual riders usually lack. You can build much of that on the bike by keeping arms bent and relaxed, and the back straight to slightly arched. Core work at the gym or yoga studio will also help.
The OP mentioned keeping the arms straight…that is a tell that they are carrying too much weight on the hands. When strong riders sprint aggressively, they are pulling upward on the bars to put more force into the pedals. It is not unheard of for a really strong rider to bend the bars upward in such circumstance.
The posts regarding bike fit are correct, but they neglect the fact that bike fit needs to be appropriate to the type of riding, and will need to change if the rider cycles regularly enough to build conditioning.
Yes to all above. It can also help to move your hands to different positions while riding. Even if you just have standard grips, you can alternate removing one hand and then the other, or holding predominately w/ one hand with the other resting on the heel of the hand, not circling your thumb under, etc.
Of course, best to do on smooth, uncrowded straightaways, where there is minimal expectation of needing to quickly maneuver/brake.
Another possibility could be that the hand symptoms reflect neck problems - from the position of leaning forward while looking up. If so, those might be tougher to fix.
Great comments, I cycle a lot and I’d only add a couple things:
He then said until I “really got into riding” I should stick with the cheaper bike and if I found my hands numbing I should first make sure my grip tape is good, next buy well padded gloves and then lastly (if required) replace the forks. All solid advice from previous posters.
In regard to cycling positions and building your core strength - others posters have nailed the posture perfectly, but I got advice from some former Canadian Tour de France cyclists when I said I found that “correct” riding position tough to maintain. They said don’t try to switch to the bent arm position etc. all at once. Do it for 30 seconds at at time then take a break then do it again. When that’s easy, you will naturally work your way up to a minute then two etc. Soon you’ll improve your core and be able to ride that way all the time.
I think this may be a myth. The primary shock absorption feature of a bike (other than your legs and arms) is the air-filled tires. Lowering the tire pressure slightly and/or using slightly wider tires should make a much bigger difference than switching from aluminum to carbon fork.
(The main reason early bikes had huge wheels - the “penny farthing” design - was not the gearing, but ride comfort. The “safety bike” design, with chains and sprockets for gearing, was invented earlier but didn’t become popular until Dunlop invented the pneumatic tire. Same with automobiles, to some extent - they weren’t very practical until the pneumatic tire was invented.)
I’m not sure calling it a myth is correct. After all, why do pretty much all bikes except the cheapest have carbon forks? It may not be the primary shock absorbing part of the bike, but it is a significant secondary one.
As far as lowering the air pressure, that makes it more likely that you’ll get a pinch flat. So many people don’t want to do that.
It wouldn’t be the first time something that has no actual benefit became popular because of perceived benefit.
The reason I’m suspicious is, if the fork actually flexed enough to absorb a non-negligible amount of road shock, why doesn’t that affect handling? Or brake alignment, for that matter? There is no mechanism to insure both arms of the fork compress or bend by the same amount.
Also, the fork is mostly under compression, not bend stress. Not a good shape for a shock absorbing structure.
I said “lower the pressure slightly.” E.g. 100 psi instead of 110 psi. You can go lower with with wider tires.