Numb thumb

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#1 Unread post by **MZ33** » Sat May 10, 2008 4:02 pm

Now that I've been able to be out & about on my bike for longer jaunts, I am noticing that my right thumb gets numb after about 45 minutes to an hour. Left thumb takes longer and isn't as severe. The vibration of the handlebars becomes troublesome for my hands in general by the 2nd or 3rd hour--even with taking breaks. Do I have unusually sensitive hands, or an exceptionally buzzy bike? The grips are stock. I have tried a couple of different gloves, but none of the high-end, gel type. I am wondering what other people's experiences with gel gloves has been.

Would new grips help? If so, what kind? Is there something else that I'm overlooking?

Thanks!

#2 Unread post by **Wrider** » Sat May 10, 2008 4:51 pm

Ummm, well you might want to look at heavier bar end weights... It'll help dampen the vibrations down to better levels for you...
Wrider

Sat May 10, 2008 8:38 pm

Are you hanging on too tight?

If the vibrations are a problem you could try some ISO grips and a handlebar snake.

Sat May 10, 2008 9:21 pm

Possible causes:
too tight a grip. Get a throttle rocker so you can relax the grip and keep the speed constant with pressure from the heel of your palm.

Also. rather than grab the grip like a baseball bat, slide your hands outward a tad and make sure there is a 'V' shape between your thumb and forefinger. Somewhere out there, there are photos of this I need to find.

You might be putting weight on your hands by leaning forward and resting your weight on your palms.

Sun May 11, 2008 3:28 am

grip puppies will help on both thumbs. Big soft and easy to hold onto. About $10, they slide right over your grips and reduce vibration.

#6 Unread post by **MZ33** » Sun May 11, 2008 4:47 am

Thanks to all of you for such speedy replies!

I don't think my grip is too tight. The vibrations kind of discourage that, actually. I find myself rearranging my grip pretty frequently to try and reduce the numbness on my thumb. I'm more likely to let the tension collect on my shoulders, which I occasionally find up around my ears. So then I go back to dropping them down and thinking yoga thoughts.

All of the suggestions sound very helpful--its great to have so many options to look into. For all the mods available for bikes, I kinda guessed there were a few out there for grips & handlebars. Just didn't know what varieties there were.

Thanks again. I'll let you know what works.

RhadamYgg · #7 Unread post by **RhadamYgg** » Sun May 11, 2008 4:11 pm

MZ33,
What do you do for your daily work? My wife was a working biologist for many years developed carpal tunnel problems (not exactly, different tunnel, but a nerve through the wrist). The symptoms you mention sound similar to hers when she was early in developing problems that needed surgical solutions.

RhadamYgg

#8 Unread post by **MZ33** » Tue May 13, 2008 3:29 am

My daily work. Hmm. I'm a homemaker, actually, with a bit of a twist. For instance, yesterday, I put another layer of joint compound on a wall at a friend's house. I had previously sawn a hole in the wall to place an electrical box for a light fixture that didn't have one

, as well as lower the placement of the box. So, now I am repairing the damage I made. (That is only part of a long list of things her parents and I are doing at her house.) Then I went and started insulating the attic at a house that my husband and I are s-l-o-w-l-y renovating. After that, I delivered some blood products for Red Cross.

My day's activities vary quite a lot. In my previous life, I was a traveling nurse. Before that, when I was working my way through RN school, I did a lot of clerical jobs that actually did start to affect my hands & wrist, i.e. repetitive motion injuries. But once I quit that and started as a nurse, I didn't have continue to have those difficulties. It's usually been other aches & pains! And so far, I've only noticed the numbness when I ride for more than a half-hour or so, not with anything else that I do.

I'm going to look into all the grip options, but I am also going to go try on all the gloves available at the Iron Pony (MC megastore near me). I suspect that the seam at the V between forefinger and thumb is playing a part as well.

If all else fails, get more gear!!

(Beats surgery!)

RhadamYgg · #9 Unread post by **RhadamYgg** » Wed May 14, 2008 3:52 pm

MZ33 wrote:My daily work. Hmm. I'm a homemaker, actually, with a bit of a twist. For instance, yesterday, I put another layer of joint compound on a wall at a friend's house. I had previously sawn a hole in the wall to place an electrical box for a light fixture that didn't have one , as well as lower the placement of the box. So, now I am repairing the damage I made. (That is only part of a long list of things her parents and I are doing at her house.) Then I went and started insulating the attic at a house that my husband and I are s-l-o-w-l-y renovating. After that, I delivered some blood products for Red Cross.

My day's activities vary quite a lot. In my previous life, I was a traveling nurse. Before that, when I was working my way through RN school, I did a lot of clerical jobs that actually did start to affect my hands & wrist, i.e. repetitive motion injuries. But once I quit that and started as a nurse, I didn't have continue to have those difficulties. It's usually been other aches & pains! And so far, I've only noticed the numbness when I ride for more than a half-hour or so, not with anything else that I do.

I'm going to look into all the grip options, but I am also going to go try on all the gloves available at the Iron Pony (MC megastore near me). I suspect that the seam at the V between forefinger and thumb is playing a part as well.

If all else fails, get more gear!! (Beats surgery!)

My wife is a home maker now herself, but she doesn't do any of that extra stuff you do. She takes care of my boys, but getting her to clean is another thing entirely.

Anyway, damage to the wrist could be under control until you stress it - and then you might need to fix it; however, taking stress off of the wrist with different gear might help.

So, I took a long ride on my bike today - wracked up 109 miles on my longer than usual commute - and my left finger tips were numb on the ride in.

So, I might be in the market better gloves and maybe hand-rips as well.

RhadamYgg

#10 Unread post by **Skier** » Wed May 14, 2008 7:12 pm

storysunfolding wrote:grip puppies will help on both thumbs. Big soft and easy to hold onto. About $10, they slide right over your grips and reduce vibration.

Whoa, I had no idea those existed. A quick search of the interblags show a lot of people like them. Those may be in my future soon: inline fours are buzzy at, err, spirited highway speeds when touring.