You enjoy cycling, but your hands fall asleep as soon as you grip the handlebars? And this happens even though you usually like sitting on your bike? Here are some expert tips that can help you if your hands or individual fingers become numb, tingle, or feel numb in spots.
There are different reasons that can cause hands to fall asleep while cycling, often a poorly adjusted bike is the cause of the problem. Even if too much weight rests on your hands, it can cause your hands to fall asleep. This has nothing to do with your body weight, but rather an unfavorable sitting position causes the arms and hands to be unevenly loaded.
Why do hands fall asleep when cycling?
When nerves are pinched, muscles are overstretched, or blood flow is restricted while cycling, hands fall asleep. Maybe your bike is simply not set up correctly? Just a few small adjustments can change the seating position and thus the load on the arms and hands. If your hands continue to fall asleep while cycling, the huge selection of bicycle parts available today can help! With a few small changes, you can do your hands a favor – and the corresponding bicycle parts don't even have to be expensive!
We suggest 3 steps here to wake up sleeping hands on the bike:
- Perhaps the sleeping hands on the bike are simply a matter of adjustment? If you adjust your bike, the complaints can disappear!
- Cycling gloves – so small and so important!
- You may need to replace one or two parts of your bike to solve the problem. Here you will learn which parts can cause your hands to fall asleep and what can help.
1. Important measures to correct hand positioning
If your hands fall asleep on the bike, you don't have to dig deep into your pocket right away, it may be enough to simply adjust your bike correctly. How and where you can adjust the bike depends on the specific model, but most bikes offer a little leeway.
This riding position may be extreme, but it shows that a lot of weight can rest on the arms! In the worst case, the hands fall asleep after a while. Image © Jonathan Borba
If the bike is not set up correctly, hands fall asleep!
If your hands are causing you problems or individual fingers fall asleep or become numb, you can change the handlebar position. This may be enough to relieve the hands.
- You can adjust the handlebar height. This changes your entire seating position and can also relieve the sleeping hands. Your bike may not be maximally efficient then, but at least your hands won't go numb.
- It also depends on the height ratio between the saddle and handlebars – the higher the saddle, the more weight is carried by the shoulders, arms, and hands.
- If your bike doesn't have an "integrated cockpit" in one piece, you can rotate the handlebars in the clamp. Of course, this depends on the shape of the handlebars, but if they aren't completely straight, a rotation can change the position of your hands by a few centimeters.
- Maybe your stem isn't completely straight but angled. Some of these stems can be mounted in both directions (note, follow the manufacturer's instructions, this doesn't work with every stem). When mounted with the angle pointing down or up, not only the bike's riding characteristics change, but also the position of your hands is realigned.
This stem has an inclination of 6°, it changes the position of the handlebars. Image © Zipp
In general, the lower you sit on the bike, the more weight rests on your arms and hands. If the wrists are then unfavorably bent, it's no wonder that the hands fall asleep while cycling!
❗If you need a guide for adjusting your bike, you can continue reading at "Adjusting the Bike Handlebars – this is how it fits!".
2. Cycling Gloves Against Numb Hands on the Bike
Before you move on to replacing bike parts, you can try a simple trick: Buy yourself a pair of really good cycling gloves! Many cycling gloves have a padded palm, which makes gripping the handlebars much more comfortable. Some gloves not only have a foam pad, but also a gel pad that provides particularly good cushioning.
The grip surface of a cycling glove is also made of a material that offers good adhesion between the handlebars and the glove. This way, you need to exert less force to steer your bike safely. For this reason, it can be very helpful to always have a second pair of gloves in the saddlebag! When you sweat while cycling, your hands quickly become moist, and this can also make it slippery inside the glove. If you can then switch to dry gloves, it is less strenuous for your hands to hold the handlebars.
> In our blog post "Cycling Gloves for Summer" we help you find the perfect cycling gloves.
Cycling gloves with pads or a gel pad can prevent numb hands. Image © Leatt
Our tip: A cushioning gel can also be processed in the grip of a bicycle (more on this below). A gel layer in the glove and in the grip can also be too much of a good thing. Gel on gel tends to feel "spongy," then your hands slide back and forth on the double gel pad. This can cause you to grip even tighter and your hands to tire even more.
3. Bicycle parts that can prevent numb hands
New grips don't cost much and they don't require major modifications to your bike. That's why they are a good starting point to look for the cause of the problem.
The right grips can prevent hands from going numb on the bike
There are many different grips, so you have a lot of choices and might find a pair that relieves or supports your hands in the right places.
⇨ Grips that have a pattern of ribs or knobs can give way at particularly stressed points and thus relieve the hands, reducing pressure and vibrations.
⇨ Modern bicycle grips are not just made of rubber, they consist of synthetic high-tech blends that provide good cushioning, and they are of course skin-friendly and non-slip.
⇨ There are bicycle grips with different material thickness. This way they fit better in smaller or larger hands.
By the way, there are always reports of cyclists who are allergic to the material of the grips! This manifests as itchy palms, rashes, or numb spots. The symptoms can occur with allergies to latex or other components of the grips. Gloves or new grips can help here.
Ergonomic grips
They come under different names - ergonomic grips, comfort grips, or anatomical grips. It always means the same thing: A bicycle grip that is perfectly adapted to the human hand and is therefore particularly comfortable. You recognize these grips by thick "wings" that support the palm. They bring your hand into a relaxed, natural position, preventing hands from going numb or numb spots. Especially when individual fingers, especially the little finger and ring finger, fall asleep, these grips often help. They have another advantage: The more surface area a grip offers, the better the pressure is distributed over the entire inside of the hand.
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Attention, since ergonomic grips need to fit your hands, there are some available in different sizes. |
Grips that are ergonomically shaped prevent numb hands on the bike! Image © SQLab
However, bicycle parts that prevent numb hands are not just the grips!
Does your stem fit you?
The handlebar is held by the stem and there are many different stems. Longer or shorter stems bring the handlebar closer to the saddle or increase the distance, which also changes the load on the hands. The stem can be straight or angled and thus position the handlebar slightly higher or lower.
For trekking bikes, there are adjustable stems, whose height you can adjust on the go with a turn of the multitool. If you notice that your hands suffer from one-sided stress on longer bike tours, this can be a good solution.
A new handlebar helps if your hands fall asleep on the bike!
Your handlebar can be straight, but there are also curved handlebars. A curved handlebar has two interesting properties:
- You can rotate the handlebar in the clamp and thereby adjust how much you need to stretch to grip it.
- Additionally, you can influence how much you need to bend your wrists with a slight rotation.
A new handlebar can help with numb hands. Image © Gusset
⇨ Additionally, there are bike handlebars with very different widths. The width of the handlebar can ensure that your wrists need to be bent more or less.
Road bike handlebars & butterfly handlebars
There are two bike handlebars that allow you to change the position of your arms repeatedly on the go and thus avoid a one-sided posture.
A road bike handlebar allows for many different hand positions. Actually, a drop bar is built to create optimal aerodynamics, but it may also solve the problem of your numb hands. Bikes have even been spotted with road bike handlebars mounted upside down – with the drop facing up. This solution is rather unconventional, but if it helps…
The butterfly handlebar is often found on trekking bikes, and here too you can grip at many different points, allowing you to change your hand position while on the go.
The stripped-down version of the butterfly handlebar is a “flatbar” (a straight handlebar) with bar ends. This allows you to hold the handlebar in at least two different places and change your position when your hands fall asleep.
The material of the handlebar is important!
Just like bicycle frames, handlebars can be made of stiff material or somewhat flexible. This can make a big difference in riding comfort! There are also handlebars that specifically absorb vibrations. If you suspect that your discomfort is caused by constant vibrations, you can test ride such a handlebar.
Do a new bike fork or other tires help with numb hands?
The tires are far from the hands, what do they have to do with whether they fall asleep or not? Quite simply – a lot.
If you ride a lot on rough surfaces, the whole bike vibrates. And these vibrations can cause problems for your hands. There are two bike parts that can help:
- Are you riding on the right tires?
The thicker the bike tires are, the better they can absorb shocks. Therefore, it may be that on a racing bike with super narrow tires your hands fall asleep, but on a gravel bike with wider tires less so, and on a trekking bike with thick tires not at all.
You can also include tire pressure in this consideration!
- A suspension fork for your hands
The vibrations caused by the road surface reach your hands, and a suspension fork is there to smooth out surfaces. The fork compresses and absorbs bumps before they reach you, creating calm at the handlebar. If you ride a lot on bad roads, gravel, or other bumpy paths, a bike with a suspension fork can help you.
⭐ Bike parts that can help with numb hands ⭐
Handlebars | Grips | Stem | Tires | Suspension Fork
Nothing helps...?
If changing the handlebar and grips is unsuccessful, an optimal handlebar adjustment doesn't help, and cycling gloves don't work either, you have to bite the bullet and come to terms with the idea that your bike might simply not be the right one for you. If a bike doesn't fit you well because of its shape or frame size, it may be the reason your hands keep falling asleep.
How you sit depends not only on your specific bike, there are tendencies with different types of bikes:
- On a racing bike, you sit particularly low.
- On a MTB or gravel bike, you also sit more sportily.
- On a city bike, urban bike or trekking bike, the sitting posture is much more upright.
- On leisure bikes like a Dutch bike, you sit almost completely upright, with the least weight on your hands.
You might sit significantly better on another bike or model!
The good news is: There are bikes like sand at the sea and each has a different fit. So you have plenty of alternatives!
Numb hands on the racing bike
A racing bike offers many possibilities to adjust the handlebar individually! The drop bar can be gripped in many different places, which is a good prerequisite for avoiding numb hands despite the extreme sitting position. There are also the most diverse handlebar tapes, you can buy particularly thin handlebar tape, there is padded handlebar tape or even tape with a gel core.
Additionally, you can place a pad – or a “shock absorber” – under the handlebar tape at critical points, so your hands don't feel every crack in the road on the otherwise unsuspended racing bike.
These measures also work on the gravel bike!
Hands falling asleep on the MTB?
On the MTB, very wide handlebars are often seen – and they cause the hand to be awkwardly bent at the wrist. Additionally, vibrations are a problem that occurs particularly strongly offroad.
- A slightly narrower handlebar or a handlebar with more backsweep would be a way to get the problem of numb hands under control.
- “Grip” is a good keyword – try shock-absorbing grips, because when you ride offroad on the mountain bike, it can rattle quite a bit.
- The handlebar itself can also dampen vibrations.
- And it's okay on the MTB to use grips with wings that support the hand.
The handlebar with bar ends allows you to change posture when your hands fall asleep. Image © Sourabh Narwade on Pexels
Numb hands on bike tours
On bike tours, the duration of the trip often becomes a problem. You want to ride long tours, sit in the saddle for a long time, and your hands remain in the same position. Eventually, they fall asleep, become numb, or even sore.
Here we recommend the following measures:
- Mount a butterfly handlebar or at least bar ends, so you can keep changing your grip.
- Install a stem that is height-adjustable. This way, you only need to loosen one screw on the go to change the position of your arms and hands.
- Take the bike fitting very seriously! The longer you sit in the saddle, the more important a well-adjusted bike is.
- On long tours, good gloves are essential!
Help with converting the bicycle can be found in the blog post "Conversion and change of stem and handlebar".
✅ Checklist: Measures against numb hands on the bicycle
- Check the bike's settings, especially the handlebar height.
- Can you rotate the handlebar? Maybe it's more comfortable in a new position!
- Does the stem offer adjustment options?
- Gloves with padding or gel inserts can help with numb hands.
- Test different bike parts, a cheap and easy start is the grips.
- Change the position of the handlebar with a stem.
- Try a different handlebar width or shape.
- Reduce vibrations with wide tires or a suspended bike.
- Another bike will hopefully not be necessary after these measures, but it may be the last option.
Cover photo Efrem Efre on Pexels
