How to AVOID NUMB Hands when Cycling 

great advice on the loose hands. really does help. And I really do remember those ramps back in the BMX days...even having 4-5 kids lay down beyond the ramp and trying to clear them on the jump. No kid wanted to be at the end of that group!

Just perfect, maestro! Tomorrow i'll get to adjustments!

Great timing to see this video pop up 1 year from the day of release! I"m 52 and have in the last few years started having numbness in my left hand and discomfort inside of my left arm. I did a 200 mile fun ride a few years ago that pinched either the ulnar nerve and/or the radial nerve in my left arm or shoulder? It took months for the feeling to come back and I lost interest in cycling until this year. I've been stretching every muscle in my arms, shoulders and neck area religiously this summer and have had some great success the last couple months with zero pain or discomfort. I also started cutting the arm cuffs as they seemed to be cutting off circulation and that has helped also. I'm feeling reinvigorated again with cycling and would like to never experience this again. I have a goal for next summer of the same 200 mile fun ride but instead of doing it over a couple days I want to enter the 1 day class and finish in 12 hours or less. Any tips would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Keeping it real. Thank you Cycling Coach.

How fantastic. Your videos get straight to the point about body kinetics and 'bicycle fitting'. That has clearly up a number of old problems I have had. Perfect. Thanks coach. Simon, Australia.

Love your tips. Learned a lot from them! Thank you!

I literally watch this video 6 times, it just wasn’t sinking in at all, I just wanted to hear what I wanted to hear, but you are absolutely correct, I have been fighting with numb hands for months, raising and lowering my saddle, trying different bars, the last time I watch the video I looked my self in the mirror and admitted I needed to loose weight, I am top heavy in my 50’s 😢 I didn’t want to admit it but you are absolutely correct, many many many thanks 🙏

Thank you. Your tips have been a lifesaver.

Thanks for this - some good advice! I do wear gloves but not ordinary biking gloves but rather, weight-training gloves with the built in wrist wraps. I place the wraps securely starting from the wrist then extending upwards to just beyond the wrist bone. I find that by doing this any vibration and strain is significantly (but not all) dispersed (almost) over the entire arm rather than the wrist alone. Your comments about losing weight are right on - something I definitely need to do. Thanks again.

cycling has helped my jiu jitsu massively because it is all grip fighting. the tracking grip you develop on a bicycle teaches you to follow the bars and only really grip if you feel a bump or a pullaway. the same technique applied to bjj allows you to roll longer without gassing out your hands.

I have been delaying the inevitable....numb hands....It is now time to fix the issue...Thank you COACH SCOTT!

Your channel is real helpful! I’ve reduced a lot of numbness & pain watching you for the past week. Your suggestions when applied, work. Now I have to start working on losing some upper weight, but you’ve given me the confidence that if I can, I’ll be a lot more comfortable before, during and after long rides. Thank you for your generosity of all the info you provide. 😊

Good information as always. I’ve got a couple months of the bike, SI Joint surgery, it will give me plenty of time to go back and watch all of your videos.

Great information and really helped me identify why my hands were going numb on longer rides. Thank you Coach Scott!

Thank you for this! It’s given some food for thought. Used to be a skinny lad, but life caught up with my gut! Lower saddle and more time on the bike to lose the weight is what I’m gon be trying! Thanks Coach! 👍🏼

Great RU-vid. I accepted that gloves do not correct a bad position, but if you come off they can save you a lot of damage, I always ride with helmet and glove and both have saved me a lot of pain. Gravel rash and cuts on the hands take a long time heal and this is from experience of 70 years of cycling.

The best solution for numb palms I know so far is "Core exercise by Coach Scott". Stronger core supports upper body better. Bike fits also certainly helps a lot.

Apart from the great advice, I simply love your sense of humour and your beautiful accent!

Awesome thank you!

Good video. I ride a Specialized Roll 2.0, a more 'upright' riding position. Did the whole going fast thing when I was a kid-even got pulled over for doing 65 on I-90 drafting behind a semi-trailer. :D Now, as I prepare to ride around the world, fast isn't a thing. Upright puts less weight on your wrists, making your core take the weight and I always keep my hands open and loose on the bars, fingers mostly straight over the brake handles. Been doing wrist exercises pretty much forever. I'm 65 now and have no issues unless I get lazy and lean on my hands. Stay safe out there! Good info!! Stretch your wrists, people!

Great video. Thanks.

Good advice. For me it included all of what you mention. I think of it as engaging my core, and you feel it when you lower your elbows and can feel your lats in your back engaged when climbing, for example. Also, i regularly bring one hand to the front of the bars while one hand is on the hood, and naturally lowers your elbows and promotes the weight to the seat and off the hands. It also relaxes the shoulders. I have also found that when exerting a high effort i used to grip the bars tight and it is fatiguing. Also i do some regular stretching I do on the bike which relaxes the hips. I find tightness in the hips results in a lot of issues you would be surprised.

Thanks for the info this will really help when I do the Southern Teir Bicycle Route in a week

THANK YOU!!!!!

What a great video! I’ve got an issue with numb hands and I’ll tell you I have to make a real conscious effort to not grip the bars so hard. I have noticed even in the car I’ve got the death grip on the steering wheel and I have to be mindful of that too! Not a fan of gloves? I hate cycling gloves, but I wear leather motorcycle gloves that are more agreeable to me. I’ll have to try ditching them all together on some rides and see what’s up. Fine video, again. I’m subscribing! 😁

I'm surprised I haven't got more injuries as I grew watching Evel Knievel, for me horse riding has helped with not gripping the bars to tight, I did your mummy arms test and it's worked for me, big thumbs up because they aren't numb👍

I found good lever positioning and one finger braking helped. * on the mtb.

Thank you

One small comment coach. Way back when I first started to learn advanced cycling technique I was taught to put most of my weight on the pedals. NOT on the seat. The seat is to stabilize you and make sure your hips aren't gyrating like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. Directing weight to the feet keeps it off my arse and hands. It also allows the bike to float over bumps since it can rotate around the crank axis. Letting the bike float significantly reduces vibration transfer to the rider since our leg act as shock absorbers.

He knows what he is talking about. I ride dirt bike and hands are the one thing that can take away the fun and get dangerous if they are Numb or fatigued. We call it’s arm pump in dirt bikes

After watching the saddle adjustment video this one become a walk in the Park. I can clearly see how relax your upper body is on your trainer. Watching your video help me a lot I think my bike was position 50 50 upper and lower body pressure on handle and seat i also stretch out causing some discomfort.. Ha now I am good .👍🏼

Even if it hurts, true words Coach. 🤔😉

Totally agree on loosing weight. I made a different to foot numbness with a shoe arch insert but my weight is my main problem - 2 stone overweight is not helping my posture on the bike. ❤

I like full finger gloves and arm sleeves to keep the sun off and wick away sweat. It is also a decent protection against ticks and contact with wild parsnip along the path.

Physical therapy aid for biking numbness hands wrist fingers: The dreaded wrist numbness / pain.. as my rides got longer I felt that also, who here has not? Sometimes it’s the gear and fit, sometimes it’s our bodies and we need to do PT. I’ve done both with mixed results .. until 4 months ago found “the” solution. I think I've solved it, just before I turn 60 in October 2022. Yep, tried the various ergonomic handlebar pads, changing hand positions as I ride, bike fit tunings, yada-yada, nothing gear wise really seemed to work. I'd feel the dreaded numbness start 30 - 40 minutes in, give or take. Now I’m back to round grips on both 29’er and fattie. Plus, I'm doing 3 - 4 hour rides now without numbness issues :) This is my PT aid, and what I’ve done past 4 months. Take a round stock of wood, I used leftover wood rail, a 2 foot piece no longer than your shoulders needed , drill 3/8”” hole halfway thru. Attach rope say 48” long, I used ripcord, any non fraying rope you have will do. Attach weight to end, I use 4lbs. use it 2x a day , 5-7 up/downs each session, 3x week. Hold your arms out straight 90 degrees to body. Slowly roll the weight up, then down. Trust me, it seems easier than it is. You will strengthen forearm muscles, your wrist muscles, loosen your tendons. Up and down slowly …. Left wrist than right wrist. 2x day, 5-7 reps, 3x a week.

This reminds me of the movie trainspotting for some reason 🤣

Big fan of the channel and I've been watching for years. My problem is numb feet, its very unpredictable and on some rides its very strong and lingers after riding and other times it's completely fine and doesn't present itself at all. Do you think it's a cleat issue, bike fit or a circulation problem? I'm 27, 174 cm, 74kg and ride a BMC Roadmachine, a few spacers removed but not fully slammed.

I am 64 and am having pain on the inside of my left knee when I'm clipped in on my spinbike. What could be causing this? Thanks, I really enjoyed your video.

just one small but quite important thing keep your thumbs underneath the handlebar when in an upright position so that when you hit a pothole you don't loose control

Good video. Got back into riding to lose weight. Now know I need to lose weight to reduce the hand pain. Years of carpal tunnel abuse doesn't help.

Upgrading to Wolftooth Fat Paw foam grips, for my MTB, solved my tumb & wrist pain problems. My avoidance of black trail rock gardens, probably has something to do with it too. 🤔

I’m in Australia and had a Scottish doctor as a kid. I was in hospital and my Mum walked in to hear my doctor ask “Sam, do you have any pain?” “...huh?”, I said. “....do you have any pain?” “....what?” Mum said “Does it hurt Sam?!” “oh, no.” I said. The End. (great video by the way!)

My left hand and wrist were always a problem. Switched from Shimano to SRAM and it is now fine. Possibly because hand was always stationary with Shimano and now it is actively used for shifting.

I have numb hands and Nuts. I ride with a flat bar in my 60s and have not used a drop bar since my teens.

twenty years ago I was having this problem. It tried raising the handlebars and a more erect posture. It put more weight on the backside but didn't help the hands. I tried some experiments with "L" bars quite successfully. From there I got those figure 8 "treking" bars. But installing them as per the writing didn't work. I did some research and turned them over. Then adjusted the angles so that the forearm contacts the back and the wrists the front. Not only did it eliminate the numb hands, it also got me a lot lower and more aerodynamic. If that wasn't enough by locking the body at six different points potholes, rocks or bricks do not knock the steering off line. I did remove the spacers and used an adjustable head stem to get ever lower. I may not be 21, and it is a long long time since I was 50. But I can still hold my own with others because I am better streamlined. My wife fixed the problem in a related way by using TT extensions. Again her forearm is supported taking pressure from the wrists. A low and aerodynamic position ( even better than mine ). It isn't as stable against rough surfaces though. In both cases it gets a better weight distribution on the tyres also. Unconventional maybe but it has worked for years following the test of time. Taking weight off the hands but not off the front of the bike.

With me it's simple, I have to get rid of all the weight again.... but I'm on the right track. I used to ride extremely aggressive positions, but now I have problems even on an endurance bike with a massively reduced reach (Specialized short reach handlebars). I have to adjust the saddle lower than necessary, simply to shift my center of gravity.

Thanks for your great videos! I’m looking for some help for my wife who is very light but still experiencing numb hands and perennial discomfort while riding her Cervelo R2 size 51. She cannot do the floating/lifting hands test while riding because she feels too leaned over. We’ve been thinking her bars are too much of a reach, but you make me think she’s too far forward/too high. Would a shorter stem help at all? What would you suggest? Thank you so much!

I'll just get off the bike and let my hands relax while im waiting for you at the cafe.

Gloves... I am a big fan of gloves during every season and never ride without, for one reason: palms are really easily injured, and we have all had or seen those painful slowly healing wounds that disable our most important bodily tools. Ride safely!

I got numb hands really bad, I have done everything so far but lower my seat. 5'11" with 28" inseam, gonna try your .833 measurement once my ankle sprain is healed. I had to lower my seat 2 inches. Not so sure about that since I used a really thick seat.

So true, double handle bar (recommended in my bike shop) is purely shit, doesn't change anything

The number one reason I found for hand numbness was Gloves or mitts, some of it was down to the saddle being too far forward but I found a massive improvement by simply taking the gloves off.

Fantastic video as ever but what do I do about tingling in one hand?

Thank you for this very interesting video . I've got carpal tunnel syndrome. Could it be lots of spinning and road bike be the cause?

Yes coach I’ve got the same problem. I have the same bike with the same bike fit for the past 3 years. However I’ve gained around 5-6 kg and now having numbness in my hands an hour into rides. Should I add spacers? Also, how to lose weight? Will only increasing ride time while keeping everything else (diet 🙈) constant help?

.. thanks! what about butterfly handlebars? pros and cons.. )

for me gloves are to protect hands in case I fall + my palms tend to get sweaty when biking and that annoys me big time

At this point I’m wondering if it might be related to some of the flexibility issues I’ve had since I was a kid: couldn’t do regular pushups without pain in the wrists.

Some great advice but I refuse to stop weight training my upper body to reduce mass. Therefore, I'll use the other great tips, but I'll still heavy-wrap the bar and use gloves.

What type of trainer are you using in the video???

I wear gloves to protect my hands going down and sliding on the road. It takes the fun out of an afternoon ride.

I even get numb hands on my electrical city bike in an upright position so I guess it might also come from the neck, back or saddle. I have more pressure on the right hand side of my sit bone and this might cause numbness on my right foot, right hand and pain on the right hand side on my saddle. I visited 3 professional bike fitters in Belgium and they all came up with differen ideas and solutions but the problem remained. Now I ended up with a piece of 4mm below my right heel and 1mm below my left heel in order to get my hips stable. Does it help? Not for the numbness? For stability of the hips? No clue. Does it help to get confidence in bike fitting? No. It costed me already 700€'s and an SMP saddle and the problem is still there. I'm riding a Trek Domane which is known for its comfort but not between my legs, my right hand and my right foot. 😪

I have tingling and numb hands coming from compression on the ulnar nerve. I believe my problem is related to my upper body weight (too much fat + muscle from being a swimmer for so long) I want to loose weight by a combination of better nutrition and exercise, but this numbness is preventing me to do long fat-burning trips on my bike, so I'm not really getting any further. I tried looking for gloves that are specifically designed to relieve the ulnar nerve, but haven't found any. Do you have any advice?

I get pins and needles in both hands after about 25 to 30 mins it lasts about 5 to 10 mins then subsides. Is this linked to the issues you mentioned in this video?

................................................. @4:25 "Maybe taking it a little bit back" -That was the second reference to which it is suggested that a seat too far forward is hard on the hands. I had the opposite experience. I moved my saddle forward and then experienced a noticeable relief to my hands. With the saddle to the rear I was leaning forward too much placing too much weight on the handlebars. With the saddle adjusted forward I leaned forward less and kept more weight on my butt. Am I missing something?

This video (and others I've seen) suggests sliding the seat backwards (away from the bars) reduces the weight on the hands. I don't understand this. It seems like the angle formed by the torso and the arms would increase as you slide your seat back, increasing the percentage of weight on the arms/hands. Alternatively, if one were to slide the seat forward (conceptually) until it almost reaches the bars the weight on the arms/hands would approach zero (sorry, I think like an engineer). This would suggest the forces on the arms/hands would decrease by sliding the seat closer the bars, not further away. But I may be missing something. Could some explain the reasoning? thx

The cause of numbness in the hands is tightness in the shoulders... sort out the pressure your shoulders are being subjected to and bye bye numbness!!!

Billy Jo-ell 😂🤣

What is that trainer bike? Thx

I found my hands used to get numb because I was locking my elbows. Once I stopped doing that the numbness stopped.

Very helpful video. But I must add something - gloves are your first line of protection in a crash. You may hit your head one crash in ten, but you will land on your hands ten times out of ten.

You called me fat! 🤣

I have an extremely reliable solution. It simply involves persuading someone else to ride my bike for me. The pain in the hands vanishes and more time is freed up for snacking.

i'm German but have been living in the US for 40 years. I've been wondering what you accent is. It sounds good to me and the more I watch your clips the less I need the subtitles LOL Is it Scottish?

Hi, I bought new bike recently with Sram rival sifters. I have had pain on my right side wrist and forearm. Side that changes the gears. Is there good way to prevent it?

I am a 'generously chested' woman and those things aren't light. I get really numb hands and ride with flat bar bikes. Any advice?

How about numbness in the nimbly bits?? Any wise thoughts?

I like the suggestions but gloves do more than mask the problem and pad your hands. They give u a more secure grip so you don't have to squeeze the bars as hard. Relaxed hands = more blood flow

I’ve never heard of billy joels name pronounced like that before

Risk? What risk. Brakes? What brakes?

Billy Joel oil?

As a kid my risk level was probably a 20 on a bike.

Try a unicycle, no hand pain.

A bathroom scales under each wheel would maybe show weight distribution. No gloves.....dont fall off.

You've heard Billy Joel but wait till you hear Billy Joelle!

Of course the best solution is - ride a recumbent....... ;)

How about stop watching porn. J/k, great tips. Thanks for sharing.

Holy s#/+! NO gloves! But perhaps you don't crash when riding a stationary, but the most important safety idem are GLOVES! I've shredded my palms only once. Now I don't get on the bike without gloves

Easy remedy: DON'T LEAN ON YOUR HANDS !

The whole race bike position is ridiculous anyway.