Numb hands when you ride? Try this.
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
- I’ve struggled with numb hands while I ride my bike for the last year. I’ve tried all sorts of grips to fix my numb hands. While testing a new pair of grips, I discovered something absolutely amazing!
Enjoy!
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Share what grips you love and that work for your hands.
You haven't uploaded any videos showing your seated riding position. If you get numb hands there are 2 tests you need to do. 1) Film yourself side on, your back and outstretched arms must be at 90 degrees. Raising stem/bars is not as vital as shorter reach/stem.
2)Once you find a suitably short stem put the bathroom scales under the front tyre. Record the weight with you sitting and pulling both brakes. Now change the angle of your seat up and down. Nose up brings weight off the bars, record the scale readings.
3) you need to find the ideal sweep and width bars. Wide bars make you lean forward and weight the grips. For sweep you need to measure pressure points on your hands while pulling back and while pushing down.
You'll need some memory foam, carbon transfer paper, corrugated cardboard to wrap around your grips, then analyse where your hands are contacting. You want the meat of your palm/thumb patch taking most of the weight, don't have the pinky doing the pulling work when pulling back on the bars.
As for grip diameter you have worked it out at least. I work with power tools like angle grinders and sledge hammers, some have massive 75+mm diameter handles which fatigue the hands in minute and grip strength vanishes. As soon as you put on thick/slippery welders/riggers gloves the problem gets 50x worse.
If you want a real world test that the strongmen/rock climbers use, get those big wooden dowels /MTB grips you bought and build a pull up rack and/or lifting kettle bells (buckets filled with water) that have different diameter handles. Record your reps with each diameter and either workout the muscles or eliminate the diameter you hate.
Revgrips Made in USA so far the best grips I have ever used bro
It’s actually called cervical radiculopathy and it’s a pinched nerve in your neck! I have this too. I found that it has nothing to do with your hands but rather results from having your seat too high (in order to properly extend your legs) forcing you to radically rotate your head up to see the road ahead! This causes you to elevate your head back, this putting pressure on you cervical (neck spine bones) pinching the nerve. Notice, when you feel this numbness happening, we usually relax, sit more upright and naturally try to align out head and neck straighter! The pain or numbness usually goes away immediately!
To me, this indicates a bike frame that is too small, forcing us to raise our seat too high in order to properly extend our legs! This is more pronounced in older riders. A touch or arthritis or just more mobility limitations can and do contribute to this. We just aren’t as flexible as we once were!
Longer steering stem, proper angle of handle bars, longer Frank’s, allowing you to lower you seat and possibly more import, spend more time stretching, your next before a riding session. When you feel this happening, take a moment. Relax and stretch your neck for a minute or two, lower you seat about an inch or two. I think you will see a huge improvement!
Good luck my friend! Let me know how this works for you!
@Make-A-Memory! Thanks for sharing the info, great tips! I didn't mention in the vid about stretching, but you're right - it seems to make a big difference.
He did talk about that in his video. He had his bike fitted, but that didn’t fix the problem for him.
@@HakunaMatataAquatics , sometimes “regular” fittings just don’t work for those of us with issues. His issue could be as I described. A person with a stiff knee joint, wrist problem or back issue needs to set their bike up to compensate for those things. This is no different. We need to set our bikes up to fit us individually, including our limitations.
Almost everything you said was backwards .its the lower back/spine nerve pinch that gives numb hands hence paraplegics. Small frames aka less reach makes you sit more upright. Seat height is set to suit you're height so even with a small frame you still raise the seat. Long cranks let you put the seat down more but forces your knee angle to increase which most people can't put power into pedals at extreme knee angles. Longer stem is almost never the answer on a modern bike that uses a long Reach geometry.
@@janeblogs324 @jane blogs C-1 through T-1, including the Atlas (pressing on cranial nerves from the brainstem), are brachial plexus that send nerve signals from the spine to the shoulders, arms, and hands, and these nerves connect to: neck muscles, shoulders, elbows, arms, forearms, wrists, hands, fingers, esophagus, heart, bronchial tubes, and lungs. There is overlap from the cervical plexus C-1 to C-3 with other cervical vertebrae.
Anything from T-1 up to the Atlas that is pinched or subluxated is going to likely cause problems from the neck to the shoulders, arms and hands.
You got it wrong.
Numb hands from my experience can be too much body weight over the bars. It’s a problem for road bikers. Bike cockpits are too long now and it pulls you forward and numb hands are a result. Also results in bikes handling like a boat and we’ve lost the playfulness older slightly shorter bikes once had. Anyway changing the grips will not remedy this, it’s a geometry issue.
Air removes grips. Compressor and a blower with a small tip. Go under the edge of the grip and pull trigger. As long as you don't use grip glue.
@THE TRUE LEFTY - I will try that next time, I had a heck of a time. Thanks!
Another thing that is a problem is 35mm bars. There is no need for 35mm bars at all unless you are doing some serious downhill. 31.8 bars have some flex and help with vibration and arm pump. You don't want stiff you want flex.
The industry recognizes this too. I read somewhere that a lot of the engineers who designed 35mm bars won't run them on their bikes because they are too stiff. GMBN had a segment where they talked about it, and the companies said it was pretty much for aesthetics and nothing else.
I’m running a pair of aluminum Renthal Fatbar V1’s 31.8, 760mm x 30mm rise with Renthal Traction lock on grips. I haven’t gotten numbness since switching to the Renthal bar and the grips helped me reduce arm pump by a good bit. I’ve tried 35mm bars and hated them.
Yep, I have deity 31.8 carbon bars on both of my mountain bikes. I won’t do 35mm.
But 35 is in the center. For handle bars the diameter is still 22
@@radeko.9918 the outer diameter is 22mm but the center diameter does effect the way the bar flexes and “how it rides” I’ve ridden both diameters back to back and found 31.8 to feel slightly better over chatter and 35 to feel slightly better on g-outs.
Rather than grip size, I always thought rider position and handlebar rise/sweep was the main cause of hand tingling/numbness. I have the exact same Ergon grips (not those monster ones you showed in this video), on two of my bikes. I never experience any numbness on my bike with the narrow width handlebar (around 700mm), but on my Enduro bike (around 780mm) I do get minor tingling on my rides. It's annoying but not debilitating. It seems like there are so many factors that could be affecting this. Maybe I should try those thinner grips just to see what happens?
@turntabillist - I think you right in saying that there are many factors that can contribute to hand discomfort and or numbness when riding. For me the biggest benefit of going with a slim profile grip (30mm) is that I can loosen my grip on the handlebars, while increasing control and maneuverability. For me and my hand size, larger grips forced me to squeeze hard just to hold on, which in my opinion aggravated some physical malady. I can't say you will have the same experience I did, but grips are one of the less costly bike components to experiment with.
I've changed bars to carbon, changed grips to most of those you had, got my bike fitted and sized, and still have my hands numb. What you are saying makes sense, so now too try another set of grips. THanks for the video.
@YT Crazies - You'll have to let me know if you're able to make progress when you find some new grips. I also really like what someone in the comments said earlier "light hands heavy feet". Talk about simple, but so genius.
Use an air compressor to get your non-locking grips off. Pull up one spot, jam your air compressor valve in there and shoot air in between the grip & handlebar. The air will let you easily pull it off.
Love your setup and quality of videos. I have small hands and yes the right grip makes a huge difference
@That PR Crawler Guy - Thanks, appreciate that! What grip have you found that works for you?
Love your videos!!! your awesome!
Thanks!
Bar sweep makes a big difference and I switched to 12 degree sweep.
@Truman49 - That's good to know. Did you keep the same bar diameter when you switch to the 12 degree sweep?
i don't know if anyone mentioned it before in the comments, but about taking those ESI grips off your handle bar.. try blowing some air under it with a compressor and sliding it right off.. hope it helps for you :)
There is also Rev grips. They are like spring loaded in a sense and they rotate slightly. Never tried them but have heard good things.
I had continued hand numbness after some car racing in the past. Only thing that made it go away was acupuncture. 4 visits, and it was gone. Now I pay close attention to my grip on the steering wheel. After this video, I might try to find a thinner steering wheel for the race car.
@turbovolvos40 - Thanks for the info on acupuncture, that could be a good lead to track down for help with the numbness. Thanks for watching!
Man, been through the same thing and I just accepted it. Would have to take my hands off the bars quite frequently to regain feeling. Going to try these grips as well as cutting bars from 800mm to 780mm and possibly narrower. Thanks!
For long bike rides, SRAM locking foam contour grips. The bulge in the middle relieve pressure on the median and ulnar nerve running up the side of the hand. And they are skinny.
To get non lock grips off, stick a thin screwdriver between bar and grip and squirt in some soapy water
It matters quite a bit on hand thickness as well . Extra hold hair spray is what I have used for over thirty years . Spray the bars and inside of the grips slid them on a position the grips where you want them if they have a pattern . I generally let them set overnight and your good . Of course you don't need to go this route with locking grips .
Great video. My hands also go numb and I also have tried all the fat silicone grips. I didn't realize I needed thinner diameter grips. By the way I had the same problem taking off the silicone grips. I didn't want to cut them off. Eventually I discovered if I slid one of my plastic long thin car trim removal tool under the grip and lifted it so I could spray isopropyl alcohol under the grip it would easily twist and come right off.
@Walter Magana -Thanks, I appreciate it! I could have really used the tool you mentioned yesterday - I spent 10 minutes trying to slide zip ties under the grip so I could pour alcohol and slide it off, It worked, but what a chore.
Use an air compressor and shoot air between the grip and handlebar. pull up on the grip to separate from handlebar then slide the end of your air valve in so it release air between the grip and handlebar. Now while releasing the air start to pull the grip off. It may take 4-5 shots of air but you should be able to get it off fairly easily. You can also use a can of compressed air that you'd use for cleaning your keyboard. Just stick the tube between the grip and handlebar and release the air while pulling the grip off.
I've recently started having problems with numb finger after around an hour of smooth riding. It didn't occur to me that it started after I changed grips, but I also have neck issues like others have described.
My hands also get numb. I just ordered some handlebars with more rise and back-sweep which should enable a more upright riding position and less pressure on the nerves. I will be needing grips for the new bars. I would have chosen massive chunky grips before I saw this video - Thanks.
You'll have to let me know if your new bar helps your hands. So many variables with this issue, hard to pin point exactly what will help the most.
I am going with different bars with a sweep and more rise. I do not ride off road but rather commute and do 20 miles or so for exercise. I am middle aged and cannot tolerate hunched over straight mountain bike handlebars.
@myvicariouslife - Have you found the new bars to make a positive impact on your rides?
A toothpick and a little soap under the edge of the grip and work it a little and/let it set, then should come off pretty easy. Also a shot under the edge from air compressor or even canned compressed air will get the soap farther in or pop the grip off completely. No cutting.
Seems like on any of the 12 bikes I have with various grips/bar tape - if I'm death gripping the bar, hands go numb. Totally fine if I'm keeping it fairly loose. Also always wearing gloves.
Regardless of what size you go with, ditch the lock on grips as they have a plastic tube inside and hence less rubber or foam to absorb vibrations.
Just got about 100 miles on the new trail 429 with the pivot lock on grips and gotta say I’m really liking them. Was running Ergon GA2 and like them but these Pivot grips are about the same diameter and feel squiggly but not mushy if that makes sense.
Drilled the plastic ends out with a step bit and installed my Kustom Kaps bar end plugs.
@Bob Traweek - 100 miles already! Dang I'm jealous, can't wait for the snow to melt where I'm at. I just looked up the Kustom Kaps - they look awesome and will probably help save the carbon bars in a crash. Great idea to match the Kaps with the ESI grips I'm running now. Thanks!
There are tons of reasons for numb hands rather than grips only... Saddle height vs bars height (riding position), saddle inclination, headset length, position of your wrists and/or brake levers, bike reach and/or RAD (maybe you chose a wrong size bike), bars width, stem length, bars material, and even lack of exercise... I tried many different grips brands, materials, shapes and even gloves and didn't solve the problem. It was until I increased the rise of my bars and saddle position that I solve the problem without having to replace the grips.
I have 2 weak wrists from injuries. I started using Oury slip on grips and theyre very thick. So much relief. You get extra rubber in your hand when you use slip on instead of lock ons.
You're the first to say grips are too big. I'll have to check my grip size next time.
I suffer from Cubital tunnel (nerve impingement in the elbow resulting in pinky and ring finger numbness when I grip or have my elbows bent too much for too long) and therefore get hand numbness quite often (even happens when I read a book). I too did the grip exchange over and over until I went to ESI Chunky (bigger hands I guess). They helped for sure but were not the cure all. Rather, getting a set of bars with more set back angle that better matches my hand angle when I ride seems to made the biggest improvement. PMW bars for the win. The straighter I keep my wrist the less numbness I experience. The whole death grip thing comes into play too. I cannot grip too hard or the numbness returns. So...a combination of the right parts, the right fit, and the right riding style adjustments have resulted in nearly eliminated hand numbness when I ride.
@Paul Thompson - Very well said. You're right in saying there's a lot more grip size that may need to be considered. I released an update to this vid where I look more factors in the hope it may help open the door for more people. Thanks!
Do try slimmer handebars, even if you have to literally cut the handles and weld metal rods inside them, optionally with a bit of machining to make it a tight fit. Sure, you might need to glue the handle cushions, to make sure they don't fall off, and you might also need to cut away a part of the cushion, but it would give you both cushioning AND control.
@Sapioit - Moving to a slimmer bar is one of the top recommendations so far. I never would have even thought.
I saw on my bike's website, they say "The oversize 35mm cockpit is designed to work as a complete system that maximizes stiffness and control where it benefits the rider most while at the same time, providing the perfect amount of shock absorption and vibration damping for your hands and upper body."
This goes to show what works one person doesn't necessarily work for another person. Don't be afraid to switch things up - thanks for your tip!
I fit size XL gloves for Fox,Fasthouse,TLD and Fly so I bought some ODI Rogue grips for the cushion....hands went numb within 30 minutes. Switched to Spank 30mm grips and they felt way better. But they felt too slim. Went and bought some Ergon GD1 Evo Factory grips just the other day and so far so good.
@JP WessGate - The Ergon GD1 Evo Factory grips look very interesting with their tapered design. Good find - thanks!
I too have some big ass hands and am numbing them with some ODI TLD grips... I think it was around ten years ago I got some chunky grips from bontrager and remember they where good for me, looking into some lizards north shore
I use the same grips. Lots of isopropyl alcohol in them and on the bars before sliding them on, and if you only get them part way on before they stop take two small allen t-bars (2 and 2.5mm works well) and slide them between the grip and the bar. They'll go on the rest of the way then pull the allens out, magic
@dangoesfast - Great tip, thanks!
i found some real nice raceface slim lockons last year. ive had no numbness.
I buy knock off Ergon grips w lock rings on both ends. They are like $20. The little wing gives support but has enough flex to bend when you need to adjust your hand angle on the bars. The shape actually keeps me from squeezing the life out of the bars and to stay loose. It has also ridded me of my hand pain on longer rides. They look goofy and take a bit more adjustment than a tube shaped grip, but what is mtb if we don't have more things to fiddle with in our set-ups? Lol.
@Pete Dog - I love the idea of trying out gear until you find what works for you. I guess that's why when you begin to look into options for things like grips, seats, pedals their are hundreds of options out there. Thanks for sharing what works for you!
WHEN I DROVE BIG TRUCK i would find my self having a death grip on the steering wheel alot . .yup told myself many time 2 stop. but nope.!! my joints in fingers got big over time . but since i had to get out of truck .because of type 2 . most of it went away . i have started walkin more to force sugar burn up and more . i have a FAT BIKE COMING . should be here by april 1 . i ordered . ever since i saw them come out i have wanted one so much . thank you for this advise . i have been learning much from youtube school about nutrition and foods herbs and all . THERE is so much on here this school of youtube college. BUT ya becareful.
@teddy bear - The compassion you make is awesome! I commend the work and effort you are making to improve your situation. You'll have to keep me posted on how you like your new bike when it comes.Take care!
Lift up grip with a screwdriver and slip some dish soap in there. Or, if u dont want to scratch handlebars use zip ties and dump alcohol or dish soap in there and work it loose.
Your idea sounds way better than mine did, I was going to have to cut them off. Thanks!
Same thing happened with me. I want mother gone for a little bit. This year I am riding the sdg thrice 33 grips and they seem to work for me so far.
Good info, have you tried using REV Grips? Suspension grips that do not make contact with the handlebar
@elrv25 - The REV grips are new to me, I just looked them up and they look very interesting. I wonder how they feel, have you tried them?
@@elroobike yeah I have them on my trail bike and I really like them now I want them for my enduro bike
You got an air compressor? It makes the install of esi grips a lot easier
@Harry Kennedy - It was the removal I had a problem with. I did see a vid on using the compressor to remove them - might be worth a try. Thanks!
Mind blown! been dying with numb hands. extreme riser bar helped, but now gonna try skinny grips. I kept thinking bigger/thicker/better. maybe not.
I thought the same thing as you did; more cushion equals more comfort. For me and my hand size, the 30mm seem to be a good choice.
I find burgtec greg minaar grips, deity lockjaws, and supacaz grizips work very well.
@Inverslady - Thanks for sharing!
I had the same situation, and it turned out to be my posture and upper spinal nerve stress.
Not saying it's same for everyone, but it's worth mentioning.
I changed the seatpost and changed the handlebar. Bought integrated carbon-fiber handlebar from china and saved my 7th disc on spinal cord!
Take a good care of your position when you ride, do not push so much stress on your upper spine when you bend front.
Changes I did:
Changed 11x62 handlebar to 8x64 handlebar
Changed straight seatpost to 15° bend seatpost
Changed round handlebars to ergonomic handlebars with palm support
Result:
I get slightly wider arm position to reduce stress on spine on bumps.
My seating position is 2-3cm behind the previous position now I get less shocks from front.
I don't have to hold grip the handlebars, I just put my hands with less pressure than before.
@XavierBetoN - Thanks for sharing the detailed info. I hope others notice from what you shared, that if something hurts when you bike, and you don't want to let that stop you from biking - keep working to find a solution that works for them. You may have to really get into the weeds, but if it let's you keep doing what you love, it's worth it!
When dealing with foamy’s…. Cannot compressed air with the nozzle on. Slide right on.
@Sean Knight - Can of air? That's an easy one to try. Thanks!
Are you running 35mm bars instead of 31.8? My trance had 35mm bars That killed my hands. Fast flex bars are good too
@E Spence - I just looked up my bar specs and it looks like they are 35mm. I hadn't thought about 31.8 being something to try. I am looking into it. Thanks!
I like my fasst flexx bars too. I also switched to smaller grips over this past year i used to swear by large ergons gp1, now i run the small gp1 ans i have large hands
Light hands heavy feet that hinge position so important but ergon ge1 love them and come in regular or slim
That's great advice - light hands heavy feet. Love it!
@El Roo Bike motocross riding school thanks
Firstly, the storage compartment? Yes, I did watch until the end, that wouldn't last 2 minutes on the trails.
Back to the grips, obviously this worked for you and great, it might for some others, however as the comments below have stated already there can be numerous causes. Mine, body position, I was leaning too far forward and resting on my hands too much, putting pressure on the carpal tunnel. I've seen plenty of people on bikes that are too big for them and they lean too far to the bars. I also tried plenty of grips, found ESI grips to be awesome but just don't last. Cannot believe you say you've only just discovered them. Next, shock setup/tyre pressures. Many people run pressures that should be on the road, sending harsh vibrations up the arms, then try to reduce this with chunky grips - wrong. Similar with fast and slow rebound on you shocks. Get the rest of the bike set up, in the correct size and you can ride with any grip.
@Corey Edwards - I have to firstly say thank you for not only watching the vid, but watching it to the end! I am working on the vid for that storage compartment now and will have it out soon. You might be surprised with it.
And secondly, thank you for sharing your experience and what helped you. You're spot on, there's no single answer for everyone, and so the more perspective we can have the better we will be to find what works for each of us.
Ergon ge1 evo factory here, fixed my painful hands. Used to have foam grips
@X41N3 - Those have been a super popular option here. I can see how the taper would work. Thanks!
@@elroobike they sometimes feel a bit too small but with gloves on it's super comfortable. Love the grip, makes it easier to hop/pop wheelies
i tried different Grips without success. The problem disapeared when i swapped the original carbon bars against oneup bars. they are more compliant and my numb fingers are gone!
@Juergen Bollinger - I have heard so many good things about Oneup components. Thanks for the info!
The absolute best thing you can do for helping your hands is buy a titanium handlebars from roost. They have stems and bars and they will take away all the vibration and arm pump. A little expensive but by far the best thing out there.
@Andrew Brown - I just looked up the Roost titanium handle bars. Holy crap they are good looking. What rise do you find best for these bars?
@El Roo Bike I like the 30mm. I like a high rise because I have back issues so it helps me sit up straight. Those bars I believe are the best you can buy. I just got them couldn't afford the stem with it. Just the bars alone totally eliminated the issues with my hands. Another thing that Is one of the best upgrades you can do is berd spokes. They are nylon and take a ton of vibration away. Those two things are game changers for me.
after breaking both of my wrists I was struggling to do full runs at 100% pace had to stop and let my fingers rest Recently got revgrips and holy shittt After back to back 10 uplift runs my hands were feeling so much better didn't have that stiff finger feeling at the bottom of the run as well
Well worth the investment if anyone is interested i know its a hard pill to swallow to spend 100 pounds on grips but will it allows you to have even more fun
@F3nic - It sounds like the Rev grips helped a ton. These are now on my short list of gear to try next - thanks for the info!
All of this becomes easier as you get older, because you will care less of what people think of you .
I'm 77 and ride a Nox E bike hardtail .i have back, neck and , shoulder injuries, so i created a double decker handlebar set up with end risers . this enables me to switch from the normal position for downhill and then sit up straight by moving my hands to the riser position .this takes all the stress off of my hands and shoulders . it works fantastic .
however , your riding buddies will disown you on the trail claiming they have no idea who you are .😂
@Sirios Star - You are my hero - rock star! I have to see your invention, it sounds amazing. Share a link if you can.
lol not my invention . try googling
' bicycle boxer bar ends ' . very common .
No mention of gloves? Slim firm grips with gloves that have a thin gel palm pad. Put the padding where you need it, at the heel of the palm. Fingers don't need padding, squishy grips are too fat, insecure and mushy with lack of control.
Come on 42mm 😂? I saw where did you measured those ergons😅
Interesting… never really thought much about grips. 🤔
@Troy Esch - It never really dawned on me what a big difference the right set could make either. But they sure do.
Dread locks, babeyy but I do have massive hands
Same. Best ever for xxl hands.
ESI grips can be removed very easily with zip ties and alcohol.
@Maze Scopak - I tried the alcohol, first on the grips, then on me, that plan didn't go anywhere. But the zip ties is a new one. thanks!
@El Roo Bike works like a charm, slide the zip ties in (about 3 of them) and pour alcohol in grip then twist. It's that simple.
I've always just used a blunt needle syringe to inject alcohol up under the grips, but the zip ties sounds a little easier/more common for most people
Zip tie for putting the on too. Way easy.
Don't feel alone, Donald Trump has small hands.
Damn….get to the f@#$ point already…
Rev grips a little pricey but they work
@David ODell - which version of the Rev grips do you like the Pro or Race?
@El Roo Bike pro they really work well for me