Numb hand....

daver101

So I did my first long road ride Saturday (60 miles). I did pretty well, but two things bothered me after about the 40th mile. The bottoms of my feet were cramping up, forcing me off the pedals, and my right hand went numb, and actually still is two days later. Any ideas what gives?

RickF

Is it the whole hand, or just the ring finger and little finger? If it is just the ring finger and little finger, then the problem is unlar nerve palsy. This is a common problem. The ulnar nurve runs just below the surface of the palm at about the level of the ring finger, and inervates the outer half of the ring finger and the little finger. Riding puts perssure on the nerve. Good gloves and frequent movement of the hand while riding is the best way to prevent this from hapening.

daver101

Actually, it is just the ring finger and the little finger, as well as the lower palm. I do wear gloves. I guess I need to change up my hands more often on my ride.

RickF

I am glad to hear that is what the problem is. At least for that problem, there is a simple fix. I had a similar problem after a 40 mile ride on a hybrid. My gloves were old, and the padding was shot. I had to try many different gloves before I found a pair that had the pading in the correct place to relieve the pressure on the ulnar nerve. That is also why the drop bars on road bikes are a better choice for long rides. There are more positions in which to put the hands, and it is possible to minimize the pressure on the nerve. With a flat bar, there is only one hand position.


If the numbness had involved the rest of the hand, the problem would have been more serious. The radial nerve (thumb) and medial nerve (index finger, middle finger, and inner aspect of the ring finger) run through the carpal tunnel. If those nerves are involved, then the fix is difficult, and sometimes reqires surgery.

daver101

Looks like I'm going glove shopping!

I usually ride with my hands right behind the brakes, bumped up against them. I have never had a problem with them before, but I have never ridden this far before, either.