Wrist Pain and Numb Hands from Cycling: Bike Fit, Grips and Gloves

Wrist pain and numb hands on the bike usually come from too much of your body weight resting on the handlebars, with the wrists bent and pressing on the same spot for a long time. That pressure can irritate the nerves that run through the wrist, which is why your little and ring fingers (or sometimes your thumb side) go tingly. Changing your hand position often, adjusting your bike fit and choosing the right grips and gloves fixes it for most riders.

I spend my life thinking about wrists that carry body weight, and cycling is a sneaky one, because you don't feel like you're leaning on your hands until you get off the bike and can't do up your shoes.

Why do my hands go numb when I cycle?

Two nerves cross the wrist into the hand, and the handlebar can press on either of them.

• The ulnar nerve passes through a small tunnel on the little finger side of the wrist, called Guyon's canal, right where the heel of your hand sits on the bar. When this one is irritated you get numbness or tingling in the little finger and half of the ring finger, and sometimes clumsiness or weakness in the hand. This is what people mean by cyclist's palsy or handlebar palsy.
• The median nerve runs through the carpal tunnel in the middle of the wrist. Pressure here tends to affect the thumb, index and middle fingers, and it's more likely when your wrists are bent back sharply for a long time.

It's very common in long rides. In one prospective study of riders on a 600 km event, 23 of the 25 cyclists developed some hand symptoms, and the authors recommended gloves, good bike fit and frequent changes of hand position. Physiopedia's overview of cyclist's palsy lists the same culprits: steady pressure on the heel of the hand, road vibration and how much body weight goes through the arms.

Which wrist pain is it?

Paying attention to where the symptoms are helps you and your doctor or physio work out what's going on.

If thumb-side pain is your main problem, my article on thumb-side wrist pain may help, and pinky-side wrist pain covers the opposite edge.

What should I do when my hands go numb mid-ride?

1. Move your hands now. Swap to a different part of the bar, take one hand off and shake it out, then the other.
2. Soften your elbows. Locked-straight arms send road buzz straight into your wrists, while slightly bent elbows act like suspension.
3. Loosen your grip. Try to hold the bar the way you'd hold a cup of tea, firmly enough to steer and brake but no tighter.
4. Take a short stop on long rides. A couple of minutes off the bike every hour or so gives the nerves a break.

Tingling that fades within minutes of getting off the bike is a warning sign to adjust something. Numbness that hangs around for hours or days, or any weakness in your hand, means it's time to stop riding for a bit and get it checked.

Bike fit changes that take weight off your wrists

A professional bike fit is worth every cent if you ride a lot, but there are a few things you can check yourself first. Make one change at a time, ride it for a week and see how your hands feel.

Do cycling gloves and grips help with numb hands?

They can, as long as the padding is in the right place. Gloves with gel or foam pads on the outer heel of the hand spread the pressure away from Guyon's canal and soak up some road vibration. Very thick padding isn't always better, because a bulky pad can press on the very spot you're trying to protect and makes you grip harder, so try a few pairs on while holding a handlebar if you can.

Other things worth trying:

• Ergonomic grips on flat bars. Grips with a wide, flat wing under the palm spread the load over a bigger area and help keep the wrist straight.
• Thicker or double bar tape on drop bars. It adds cushioning on the tops and hoods.
• Wider tyres at a slightly lower pressure (within the tyre's range). Less vibration reaches your hands.
• Bar ends or inner bar grips on flat bars, which give you an extra hand position.

Use all your hand positions

On drop bars you have at least three places to hold: the tops, the hoods and the drops. Each one loads a slightly different part of your palm, so moving between them every few minutes stops any one area from being squashed for too long. On flat bars, bar ends or inner grips do the same job. Some riders set a little reminder, like changing hands every time they reach a junction or start a climb.

Masha's tip: Whatever you're holding, look down now and then and check the line from your knuckles to your elbow. If the back of your hand is folded up towards your forearm, ease it back to a flatter line. It's the same thing I watch for in my pole students when they press into the floor.

Off the bike: stretches, strength and rest

Your hands carry less weight when your core and back can hold your upper body up, so planks, bird-dogs and back extensions really are wrist care for cyclists. Gentle forearm stretches after a ride also feel good: arm straight in front, palm up, use the other hand to ease the fingers down for 20 to 30 seconds, then repeat with the palm facing down. It should be a mild stretch with no tingling.

If you cross-train with push-ups, yoga or handstands, your wrists are working on those days too, so it's worth reading my guides to strengthening your wrists and exercises for healthier wrists. That's also where SneakyDeez wraps fit, by the way. They're elastic compression wristbands I make for pole and training, and some riders like them for floor work in the gym. I wouldn't wear them on the bike, because they won't cushion the handlebar pressure that causes cyclist's palsy, and gloves do that job much better.

How long does cyclist's palsy last, and when should I see a doctor?

Mild cases often settle within days to a few weeks once you take the pressure off, and most people don't need anything beyond rest and bike changes. More stubborn cases can take longer and may need a hand therapist, and sometimes a splint.

Please see a GP or physio if:

• numbness or tingling doesn't go away after you stop riding
• your hand feels weak or clumsy, or you struggle with buttons, braking or shifting
• the muscles at the base of your thumb or between your fingers look thinner
• symptoms wake you up at night (the NHS page on carpal tunnel syndrome explains why night symptoms are typical of median nerve problems)
• wrist pain hasn't improved after two weeks of looking after it, which the NHS wrist pain advice also suggests

If you play other sports too, my articles on wrist pain from boxing and wrist support for bowling look at how those sports load the wrist in their own ways.