Rider Technique

Here are 26 suggestions from fellow riders:

Note: We can’t vouch for these tips — every person, and bike, is different. See what works for you:

1. Lighten up on the grip/ avoid overgripping the bars.
2. Put less weight on wrists. Hold weight up with core abdominal and leg muscles.
3. Bring a small rubber or tennis ball on long rides and squeeze it on breaks
4. Keep hands relaxed, upper body loose, only lightly touching and steering the bars.
5. Grip gas tank with knees to keep weight off wrists. Ditto foot pegs.
6. Shake out hands out every half hour or so.
7. Flip the cruise control on and rest one hand at a time in your lap.
8. Squeezing/pumping the hands to release muscle tension.
9. Remove rings before venturing out.
10. Increase exercise off the bike in order to Improve overall fitness and core strength.
11. Place hands backwards to stretch fingers the opposite way.
12. Move hands out beyond the end of the grips and rest pinky finger on the bar-end.

Bike Mods/Gear

1. Replace stock grips with softer/foam grips.
2. Add grip covers/grip puppies Kuryakyn grips and palm rests
3. Add throttle lock, throttle rocker or throttle pads.
4. Wear well-padded gloves, like gel palm gloves.
5. Replace OEM bar end weights with heavier ones.
6. Adjust brake and clutch levers to straighten out the wrists.
7. Reposition your bars so your wrists are more straight
   • loosen the handlebar mounts/rotate the bars for a more comfortable angle on the wrist.
   • Reposition handlebars closer to the body, or choose a different bend.
8. Check tension on the steering head bearings to reduce vibration on the handlebar ends
9. Make sure seat is not set too high.
10. Fill handlebars with silicone or Bar Snake. This cylinder gauged with a high-tech polymer absorbs high frequency vibrations thus, reducing vibes.
11. Use Anti-vibration risers.
12. Try cruise control attachments. The Crampbuster ™ helps maintain steady control of the throttle.
13. Try heated grips: they’re like a heating pad for the hands.
14. Wear carpal tunnel arm braces

What causes hand numbness?

You may be wondering about a medical explanation.

According to the Mayo Clinic, hand numbness is “usually caused by damage, irritation or compression of one of the nerves or a branch of one of the nerves in your arm and wrist”.

As it happens, the ulnar and median nerves run right through the palms which are also the same spots which support your weight on a bike.

And, according to Dr. Robert Shaw, a leading rheumatologist as well as a former rider:“… While there are many causes to numbness and tingling of the hand or fingers the most common cause is carpal tunnel syndrome. Interestingly, one of the most common causes of this is the use of vibrating instruments and prolonged or repetitive bending of the wrist. It thus is not unusual to see this in motorcycle riders …”

The median nerve and several tendons go through a “tunnel” across the underside of the wrist. Keeping your hands bent up and pressed against the handle bars for extended periods puts excess pressure on this area, leading to numbness, tingling and weakness in the thumb, pointer finger, middle finger and half of the ring finger.

Symptoms may resolve shortly after relieving the pressure on the nerves, or they may persist and worsen, potentially leading to muscle weakness in the hand.

Self-Help Solutions

There are a number of things you can do to relieve persistent hand numbness.

1. Wear gloves: Vibration itself can put stress on nerves, but it also causes you to grip harder than you normally would. Wearing gloves with padding, particularly on the hypothenar eminence (the pinky side of your hand) can help – just make sure they do not fit too tightly as this can make things worse. Check out our online shop for this one.
2. Get a grip: consider using thicker, softer grips that are also tacky so you don’t have to hold on as hard.
3. Adjust your hands: Change the position of your hands throughout a ride to avoid putting the same sustained pressure on your wrists the whole time.
4. Relax your elbows: In all positions, keep your elbows relaxed so that you can adequately absorb vibrations from the road or trail. Relaxing your elbows will also engage your core and back muscles, taking additional pressure off your hands.

Exercises

Be proactive! Prevent hand numbness with these simple stretches and strengthening exercises for your hands, wrists and forearms. And don’t overlook the importance of your core – the ability to keep your core stable while riding can significantly reduce the amount of pressure on your hands.

Shock Absorbing Gloves:

Shop here: we make 22 styles of gel palm gloves, many available with free shipping.