Why Your Hands Go Numb While Cycling—It’s Not Always the Bike

Think your bike is causing your hands to go numb during rides? It might not be. Our expert reveals surprising causes of hand numbness—and how you can prevent it. By Natascha Grief

Many cyclists have, at one time or another, experienced hand numbness on the bike. While hand numbness can be (and usually is) caused by a collection of factors, there are a few places to start our investigation when looking for the reason(s) our hands are unhappy.

Generally, the first thing to examine is bike fit, followed closely by developing more core strength. This is a good place to start—do both of these things first.

But what if you’ve dialed in your bike fit, started doing core exercises at least 3-4 times per week, and your hands still get tingly and hand numbness still happens to you during your rides?

Overlooked factors that have nothing to do with the bike can contribute to developing hand numbness, and these may be hiding right under your nose in your everyday life. Let’s take a look at some of the sneaky potential triggers that could lead to our hands going numb when we ride.

Forward Head Posture a.k.a. Tech Neck

Our modern lifestyles coupled with the forward-leaning posture our riding position necessitates while on the bike makes cyclists especially prone to what’s officially called “tech neck.”

Visually this looks like the head protruding forward and out in front of the shoulders, hence the other name this all-too-common postural distortion goes by: Forward Head Posture (or Upper Crossed Syndrome, if you want to get fancy).

If this posture becomes chronic it can and usually does lead to nagging neck discomfort and other issues, like headaches. And for some of us, it can pave the way for developing hand numbness on the bike. If you think this might apply to you, here’s a deep-dive into Tech Neck and guidance for what to do about it:

Side note: the vast majority of the people I’ve trained present with a lack of upper back mobility that keeps them stuck in forward head posture when they start strength training. And it’s almost always a surprise to them just how challenging it is to simply stand up straight with good posture.

To test this for yourself, stand with your back against a wall with the back of your head, back of your shoulders, your upper back, your butt, and the back of your heels touching said wall. This closely approximates standing up straight for most of us.

If this is a challenge for you, I highly recommend adding foam rolling and stretching to your routine several times a week, more often to start. Here are some resources to get you started: Related Stories

7 Foam Roller Exercises to Alleviate Back Pain
6 Keys to Using a Foam Roller the Right Way
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Hands Going Numb While Riding? Check Out Your Neck

Incorrect Monitor Height

The ergonomically ideal computer monitor height allows your eyes to hit the middle of the screen while your head is in a neutral position, which is looking straight ahead and not up or down. And this goes for your TV, too!

I’ve noticed that good desk and workspace ergonomics are becoming standard practice for a lot of us, but all of that can be undone by a poorly placed television screen that is either too high, forcing viewers to crane their necks, or low enough to necessitate looking down.

Looking Down at Your Phone

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received from a chiropractor is to hold my phone higher up and in front of my face while I’m looking straight ahead instead of holding it in a position that forces me to look down. It doesn’t sound like a big thing, but this small change made a noticeable difference.

Helmet Weight

One of Bicycling’s fabulous readers emailed me a while ago after she read this story about neck pain, and she told me about something she did to solve her own nagging neck aches that I had never considered before.

She wrote: “I have pretty significant neck arthritis, and my absolute fixes were 1) Re-visit my bike fitter; 2. Physical therapy: Stretching of the neck (now I do it every day) and upper back strengthening. 3. I bought […] the lightest MIPS [helmet] on the planet and [it was] worth it. Neck pain—begone!”

Car Seat Posture

The way the driver’s seat of your car is positioned can have a major impact on your neck and back health, and if it’s not adjusted ergonomically for your body, the resulting bad posture will play a part in back pain and hand numbness on the part. One of the reasons for this is that poor driving posture can translate right over to poor cycling posture, which is a common cause of aches and pains on the bike, including numb hands.

Ideally, your headrest should be about as high as the top of your head, and close enough so that you can comfortably rest the back of your head on it while driving.

Chin position matters, too. Keep your chin in a slightly tucked position; this will keep your head in a neutral position. You may find that your car seat is reclined too far back to comfortably rest your head on the headrest. If this is the case, straighten your seat until you are able to.

For more resources for fixing your posture both on and off the bike, check out some of our best stories about developing healthier riding posture. Related Stories

3 Posture Exercises to Correct Muscle Imbalances
The 10 Minute Shoulder Mobility Routine You Need
5 Chest Stretches for Cyclists

Crappy Pillow

This is particularly true for side-sleepers. It’s important for your pillow to support your cervical spine, cradling it in a neutral position while you sleep. Sadly, those floofy down pillows are usually the worst option. It may take some trial and error, but it’s worth trying as many pillows as you need to until you find the right one for you.

Once you do, an added bonus is what an upgrade the quality of your sleep gets as well. (This is something I can personally attest to. I tried at least half a dozen pillows before I found the right one, and someone will have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands).