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@tiny_steps_tam ·

Is it normal for my hands to go numb after 30 minutes of riding Route & Safety

New to commuting, about six weeks in, 40 minutes each way. Around the half hour mark my ring and little fingers on both hands go pins-and-needles and it takes a while to clear after I get off. Shaking them out while riding helps for a few minutes. Bike is a second hand flat bar hybrid that I set up myself off a YouTube video. Is this just something you get used to?

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  • @thoracic_tim · 7mo ago · 3 replies

    Not something you get used to, and I'd fix it sooner rather than later. Numbness in the ring and little fingers specifically usually means pressure on the outside edge of the palm, and the usual cause is too much of your body weight going through your hands.

    Things to try in order, cheapest first:

    • raise the bars. On a hybrid you can often flip the stem or add spacers for nothing, and 20-30mm of height moves a surprising amount of weight back onto the saddle
    • check saddle tilt. A nose-down saddle slides you forward and you brace with your arms without noticing
    • ride with bent elbows and a light grip, not locked arms
    • ergonomic grips with a flat wing under the heel of the hand, which is what they're actually designed for

    If it persists after all that or you get any weakness rather than just tingling, see a physio or a doctor rather than buying more grips.

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    • @tiny_steps_tam · 8mo ago

      Flipped the stem and tilted the saddle back a couple of degrees. Rode the full 40 minutes yesterday with nothing. Two spanners and no money.

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    • @easy_pace_ellis · 8mo ago

      Saddle tilt is the sneaky one. Mine was two degrees nose-down and I'd have sworn it was level until I put a phone app on it.

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  • @hive_tool_hal · 8mo ago · 2 replies

    A proper bike fit is 80-150 in most cities and for a daily commute it pays for itself in about a month of not being uncomfortable. On a second hand bike set up from a video, it's the single best money you can spend.

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    • @two_stroke_tess · 8mo ago

      Agreed, though I'd try the free adjustments first. Half the time a fitter's first move is the same stem flip and you've paid for it.

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  • @flat_rate_finn · 8mo ago

    Padded gloves help but they're a band-aid over a fit problem. If your weight distribution is wrong, gloves just move where it hurts. Fix the position first, then add gloves if you still want them for vibration.

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  • @quiet_stacker · 8mo ago

    Also check your grips aren't rotated. Flat bar grips with a wing are meant to sit almost horizontal, and people install them pointing down where they concentrate pressure exactly where you're describing.

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