The Chainlink

I'm starting to feel like I have very odd sized hands.  This year I have bought about 5 different sets of gloves and none of them fit right after a few rides. 

The main issue is my pinky finger and then ring finger going numb on longer rides (+20 miles).  I always choose gloves that will have good padding at the "exposed" nerves in my hand; After 5 rides or so the gloves always stretch out in the palm move the pads!!  I've tried Bontrager, Giro, and Pearl Izumi gloves all of them stretch too much in the palms.

Is anyone else having this problem?  Has anyone else had better luck with other brands? Should I just give up and wrap my hands with gauze like the Karate Kid or a boxer? My hand size seems to be between a medium and a large for most brands.

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Wash them in the laundry and put them in the drier (the manufacturer will most likely advise against this). They will shrink "back" to a functional shape in my experience. They probably wont last as long but they will fit better for the time you use them.

What are you riding? Specifically, what kind of bars? Is the problem new? Did anything else change? Different bike or anything? I had a lot of trouble with hand numbness back when I was touring on converted mountain bikes - seemed like the flat bars were the problem and i solved it by adding bar-ends so I could mix up my hand positions. The bar ends also gave me the option of riding in a more upright position which took some of the weight off of my hands which may have helped also.  

I think bike fit is a far more likely explanation for the numbness.

I have been meaning to go in for a fit, I ride a cyclo-cross from Fuji, Tread 1.1.  Drop handle bars and stock bar tape (I know, that's changing this weekend). 

My worry from the glove is annoyance of the moving pad.  Where once a pad would be under the "meat" of my palm it slides to the outside by the pinky.  Padding by the thumb starts to move to the outer hand.

I'm not a fan of heavily padded gloves (or saddles for that matter). It's a bit counter-intuitive, but having a solid connection at the five contact points of a properly fitted bike is most comfortable for me. Heavy padding feels too "squirmy." YMMV.

I'm "renting" a stem from my local bike shop to see if a 7 deg will help.  I am half expecting to need new bar tape soon.

When your pinky and ring finger go numb, it is called "Cubital Tunnel Syndrome" (as opposed to Carpal Tunnel, where the index and middle finger go numb). Experimenting with the above suggestions will probably help but you can always google Cubital Tunnel and see if understanding the mechanics behind the problem helps you develop some good work-arounds.

Thanks Nancois!  I'll have to look that up.

The Cubital Tunnel is the 'funny bone' spot on your elbow. Compressions here are common- usually from keeping your elbows bent for long periods during sleep and work over a long time, but that doesn't seem to be what's being described in this discussion.

A compression at the pinky side of the wrist/hand is called "Guyon's Canal Syndrome" (also Ulnar Tunnel syndrome.)

My feeling is that the reliance on padding is backfiring here regardless of what's happening inside the gloves. Either the pressure needs to be spread out to a much broader area, or it needs to be eliminated completely from the outside of your hand. If you let this go you could end up with lasting weakness of the small muscles in your hand and thumb.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulnar_tunnel_syndrome

I just gave these gloves a terrible review last week. http://www.specialized.com/us/en/ftr/gloves/short-finger-gloves/bod... (Tony27)

I used to wear gloves and ran into similar issues.  I stopped wearing them altogether except for weather conditions when it is cold.  I found I was grabbing my bars way too tight in order to get a "good grip".  I am fairly sure this was causing me problems.  Barehanded I grab with much less force and can feel bars much better.  You can always get some super cush bar tape like Lizard Skins or some thick cork/rubber to compensate. YMMV.

I found i was gripping a bit too tight, and after loosening my grip my hands felt a little better.  I saw the Lizard Skins at my local shop; I might switch to them.  For now I changed the stem, and that seemed to add more of a bend at the elbow.  Hopefully I'll have time this weekend to test it out.

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