The dreaded numb fingers….

[Harleyboy]

Evening all, have been finding increased amounts of numbness in both hands in the last few weeks/months. Can occur on a 20 miler as well as an 80. Hoods or drops makes little difference. It goes quickly if I reposition my hands.

I had a bike fit a couple of years ago before an event. I had aero bars in the bike at that point but these are no longer on the bike. My saddle is angled down quite steeply and I wonder if this could be the issue as it’s pushing me forward without the aero bars on.

I have no other issues and think the fit was fundamentally good. I don’t really like the bars being on if I don’t have an event so don’t want that as a solution.

I’m think of treating myself to an integrated cockpit which will fix a lot of the bar adjustment I have so keen to get it right. I’ll probably contact the bike fit dude but it’s pricey and quite a long way away.

Picture of bike for info - any other thoughts, things for me to try?

Cheers

[BoRED S2upid]

Try the saddle position first it’s a free 2 min adjustment and you would kick yourself if the bit fit guy does it and charges you for it. That certainly doesn’t look right for everyday riding.

[frisbee]

It looks like the saddle has been set up to try and replicate a TT bike position. I would set the saddle level as a starting point and probably even move it back a bit, you might have to drop the height a little as well.

[Harleyboy]

Thanks guys, appreciate that. Seems a sensible place
to start…

[addey]

The common test is to try and ride with your hands behind your back whilst maintaining your body position. In other words, whilst cycling with your hands on the hoods, take both hands off and move them behind your back without adjusting your body position. This may be safer to try on a turbo trainer if you have one! I would expect you to struggle to do this as your body would pitch forward without your hands on the bars, suggesting that your weight is on your hands too much. Saddle flat, back and down slightly should fix as suggested above

[Hugo Stiglitz]

That saddle is angled downwards?

[rs4al]

Did you set the seat angle or did the bike fitter?

https://youtu.be/8TGQa2j7Slg

[Harleyboy]

All signs pointing to adjusting the saddle so will try that and see how I get on.

I do have a turbo so will swap this bike onto it and try the no-hands test.

The bike fitter set it up when I had aero bars on so that might explain the extreme saddle position?

Cheers

[Matt_N]

Saddle is the first thing, level it off at the appropriate points, probably the peak of the nose and the point at which the back just starts to kick up.

Also what gloves/mitts if any do you wear? I go given some Specialized mitts that had a pad right in the middle of the palm that made my hands feel funny, most pads are normally under the knuckle and at the base of the palm.

[Harleyboy]

So, the downward angle was 7 degrees! Have adjusted to 2 using the two highest points. Gives me more room to tweak. Also dropped the height by 5mm. Will head out after work and see how it feels

It’s now level taking a point just before the rear kicks up

Edited by Harleyboy on Monday 5th July 12:18

[TwistingMyMelon]

Decent gel gloves helped me, as does decent bar tape, but I reckon that saddle is/was the root of your issue

[Harleyboy]

yes, I hope so. I ride with some Castelli padded mitts. A few years old but the gel isn't either worn out or excessive.

Will see what impact the saddle move has. It might need to drop a little more but can experiment.

Thanks everyone for the input and as there was consensus, let's hope the TT/aero bar set up saddle was the main problem

[rs4al]

My lack of core strength can cause numb thumb and index finger sometimes, if I ride with my shoulders hunched up it comes on quite quickly but if I concentrate on my position then no numbness.

[Harleyboy]

So, a short 16 mile ride produced no numbness so a good result so far. It felt a bit weird but I could tell there was less pressure on my hands. The saddle might want to drop a few more mm.

Long ride this weekend so that will be the tester…

[waynecyclist]

You would be better to put the spacer on top the stem under the stem to bring the bars up, higher bars will help a lot.

[loudlashadjuster]

I have never suffered from this...until recently when I had my bar tape replaced as part of a service in April.

Since then I can get a bit of numbness on longer rides and I think I'll have to get new gloves (I have been using very thin Rapha pro team ones for the past couple of years) or change the bar tape back to something with more cushioning (I did have 2.5mm LizardSkins before).

It's nice tape and very well applied, but I have no idea what my LBS put on (maybe I should've checked ) but I trusted them as they're run by something of an ex-pro and I know they always use good gear. It just doesn't have any cushioning.