Can’t use thumb and forefinger to grip anything after a ride

sounds like too much weight on the hands. Try flat bars with bar ends or aero bars with the present bars, these will give your hands a rest..

fun743 said:

[font=Times New Roman]I ride my road bike almost everyday. Now, I can’t use my left hand thumb and forefinger to grip anything after a ride. I’m wearing those cycling gloves when I ride. Does anyone have any suggestion on solving this problem?[/font]
[font=Times New Roman] 😕 [/font]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I bet you ride with your hands on the brake hoods? If that is so, you may be putting too much weight on the soft tissue between your thumb and index finger. This is somewhat natural because the brake hood fits naturally in that notch.

Try this. When you ride with your hands on the hoods, move your hands back just a few millimeters so your palm are no supporting your weight instead of that notch. This is not a big adjustment and will not affect your normal use of the levers, but makes a big difference in hand comfort.

I used to get numb fingers. Are you properly fitted to your bike? That made a world of difference for me. Also wear the best gloves you can afford and switch your hand positions often.

It is probably the ulnar nerve that is being tortured here. That is the nerve that runs from the wrist to the palm of the hand and does not just have a sensing function but also a motor function, meaning it is used control the function of the fingers amongst other things. I believe that it usually causes a numbness and also affects the fourth and fifth fingers the most. Some people also refer to it as carpal tunnel sysndrome.

I would suggest that you try rectify the cause as soon as possible, because prolonged damage is going to be permanent. Some soultions that I have are - always wear gloves - as you already do - try get a very good pair and peferalbly a gel pair versus a chamois or sponge pair. Ensure that you are correctly sized. Sitting normally on your bike, ensure that you cant see the hub of your front wheel ie it is obscured by your handle bars, two that if you drop a plumline from you nose tip, it must pass roughly an inch from the front of the stem, and lastly that the plumline if dropped from your knee (the bone below the knee cap) that it passes thorugh the center of the peddle axle, when the peddle is in the foremost position (3 oclock). If not try moving your seat backwards or forwards.

Also as mentioned move your position so that you are not always resting on the section of your hand. Try learn this habit as you would change postions for downhill, uphill and flat riding.

I'm going with gruppo on this one, I get this all the time if I spend lots of time in touring possition on the break hoods. While I preffer using the break hoods for controll I have started using the handle bar tops for touring though, I do use combinations of all these but mainly use the hoods for cornering or climbing or sometimes the drops for this. I took me forever to get used to not having my fingers hovering over the breaks 'just incase' something happend but now I find it much more comfertable on the hadlebar tops.

cside said:

It is probably the ulnar nerve that is being tortured here. That is the nerve that runs from the wrist to the palm of the hand and does not just have a sensing function but also a motor function, meaning it is used control the function of the fingers amongst other things. I believe that it usually causes a numbness and also affects the fourth and fifth fingers the most. Some people also refer to it as carpal tunnel sysndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is due to pressure on the median nerve. This leads to numbness of the thumb, index finger, middle finger and maybe half the ring finger. People vary though; some get less numbeness, others get more. It can also lead to weakness of the muscles between the thumb and index finger, as described above.

Cyclists more commonly get pressure on their ulnar nerve. This leads to numbness of the little and half the ring finger. Again the exact extent can vary. Clumsy fingers can follow, but with less effect on the thumb.

In this case, it does sound like a median nerve problem - ie carpal tunnel syndrome. Appropriate remedies are already suggested.