# Carbon vs Aluminum handlebars- hand numbness



## pedalfeet (Jun 22, 2009)

So my question to you all is, would switching from a aluminum to a carbon handlebar help with hand numbness. I've tried just about everything I can think off to help, I only get hand numbness in my left hand. I've double wrapped the bars, worn gloves, moved the hoods up higher. Since I've had my bike (Cervelo S2) I've had the problem, I've had a specialized Tarmac and didn't have any troubles, maybe because the longer head tube? I'm open to all suggestions, I've got to long of a summer ahead of me to have no sensation in my hand. Thanks in advance


----------



## FBinNY (Jan 24, 2009)

I don't think the handlebar material will make that much difference. You're probably be better off experimenting with your hand position. Pay particular attention to the alignment through the wrist to ensure that there are no pinched nerves or loss of circulation.


----------



## Fogdweller (Mar 26, 2004)

I'll agree with the previous. If your hands get numb easily, carbon wont help in the bars or stem. I don't think it helps at all but that's another thread. I'd either put a strip or two of bar tape lengthwise on the bars before you tape them or look for the thickest pad glove you can find (I've found some Serfac I use for distance that are nice) or both.


----------



## heathb (Nov 1, 2008)

Go with a flat top bar like the 3T Ergonova or several other brands that do the same thing. 

If the hands are numb you'll need to get rid of the pressure points and that usually means a handlebar with a larger diameter and flatter top.


----------



## Kontact (Apr 1, 2011)

Hand numbness is much, much more affected by fit, bar shape and bar covering (tape/gel) than the material.


----------



## Peanya (Jun 12, 2008)

Kontact said:


> Hand numbness is much, much more affected by fit, bar shape and bar covering (tape/gel) than the material.


This is correct.


----------



## twinkles (Apr 23, 2007)

I've found the flat top of FSA wing compact pro bars to allow the bars to flex in a very positive way. I don't really have problem with hand numbness, but a buddy and I have both noticed how much more comfy my FSA bars are than my old Oval Concepts. Both the fsa and oval concepts are aluminium. If where you ride allows it, you might want to consider some aero bars like the tri folk ride. Good luck trying to get that nerve tamed down.


----------



## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Lots of possibilities, but I see this as more of a fit issue, so if you haven't already done so, check that your saddle is level (I tilt mine _ slightly _up at the tip) and consider adjusting it back ~3mm's. The latter shifts your weight slightly rearward, and that should take some pressure off your hands. 

Also:
- keeping the upper torso relaxed (arms slightly bent)
- avoiding a 'death grip' on the bars
- changing hand position frequently
- running the correct tire pressures...
can all help. 

Lastly, JMO, but assuming that pressure is causing your numbness, I think double wrapping the bars has the potential to hurt rather than help your situation. I'd try the fit adjustments and use single wrapped gel tape and gel gloves. 

Related info on the topic:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/pain.html


----------



## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

PJ352 said:


> Lots of possibilities, but I see this as more of a fit issue, so if you haven't already done so, check that your saddle is level (I tilt mine _ slightly _up at the tip) and consider adjusting it back ~3mm's. The latter shifts your weight slightly rearward, and that should take some pressure off your hands.
> 
> Also:
> - keeping the upper torso relaxed (arms slightly bent)
> ...


I agree 100%,,,,,correct position is crucial.. Numbness means too much weight on the hands... I use very thin bar tape and no gloves and never have hand numbness..


----------



## Kontact (Apr 1, 2011)

PJ352 said:


> Lots of possibilities, but I see this as more of a fit issue, so if you haven't already done so, check that your saddle is level (I tilt mine _ slightly _up at the tip) and consider adjusting it back ~3mm's. The latter shifts your weight slightly rearward, and that should take some pressure off your hands.
> 
> Also:
> - keeping the upper torso relaxed (arms slightly bent)
> ...


Raising the nose of your saddle will generally move the numbness and weight from your hands to your perenium. Most people have their saddles at a given angle for a reason that involves their pelvises. Sliding the saddle aft isn't bad, but it will affect your knees, feet, etc.

Moving the bars makes a bit more sense, but getting a proper fitting makes even more because that will establish the proper parameters for all of these things, rather than making changes with cascading effects that move the problem from hands to saddle to knees to neck.


----------



## pedalfeet (Jun 22, 2009)

Wow, thanks to everyone for your recommendations. I've been fit before, (specialized bg fit), so I feel great on the bike, just my left hand problem. I have a shallow drop handlebar, but since my hand goes numb on the hoods, I'm not sure a new bar would make any difference? I guess I'll continue to experiment, always open to more suggestions, thanks again


----------



## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Kontact said:


> Raising the nose of your saddle will generally move the numbness and weight from your hands to your perenium. Most people have their saddles at a given angle for a reason that involves their pelvises. Sliding the saddle aft isn't bad, but it will affect your knees, feet, etc.
> 
> Moving the bars makes a bit more sense, but getting a proper fitting makes even more because that will establish the proper parameters for all of these things, rather than making changes with cascading effects that move the problem from hands to saddle to knees to neck.


IIRC, you and I have already gone around on the saddle tilt issue. Suffice to say our experiences (and opinions) differ. Every rider, their anatomy and position are slightly different, so IMO being closed to a specific adjustment _in all instances _isn't a positive related to fit advice, because the fitters opinions might preclude a possible remedy. 

Speaking of which... fit issues being more gray than black and white, I'll generally agree that a bar/ shifter adjustments can help in similar instances, but I suspect that the OP's frontal weight is part of his problem, thus the saddle adjustment advice.

I can't argue the value of a proper fitting from an experienced fitter, but many relatively minor fit issues (such as this, IMO) don't warrant a full fitting. I'd wager that my recommended adjustments will have no 'cascading effect', but as long as the starting points are known, nothing's permanent and can be reversed.


----------



## keppler (May 25, 2007)

I've gone from aluminum bars to carbon, and prefer carbon, easier on the hands overall and really help eliminate a lot of vibration and harshness I would get from aluminum. 

As for the numbness, I find when I push on the bars too long (flat top 3T) my hands do get numb, so I move them around a lot from drops to hoods, to different areas along the top. 

Grip is another issue, too much grip for too long tends to do the same, so I vary my grip and try to be conscious of how hard I grip at certain times. It's all helped.

Lastly, I use less tire pressure than I used to. I found the rides too harsh, but with 100psi the ride is more manageable, especially for longer rides.


----------



## latman (Apr 24, 2004)

I have ridden for nearly 30yrs and still get it with alloy and carbon bars , some lever/hoods seem to line up better with the top of the modern compact bars and make a nice long flat area to rest your palms which may alleviate the problem for you.


----------



## JKLEE (Jun 28, 2011)

Always carbon.


----------



## cdhbrad (Feb 18, 2003)

Are you sure your arms are the same length? My left arm is about 1/2" shorter than my left, so I have the left hood set higher on the bar to balance the pressure on my hands. If both your hoods are set to the same position and your left arm is shorter, you will put more pressure on only the left hand, causing the numbness.


----------



## captain stubbing (Mar 30, 2011)

[
Lastly, I use less tire pressure than I used to. I found the rides too harsh, but with 100psi the ride is more manageable, especially for longer rides.[/QUOTE]

This ^^^^^^^ could be that u are overinflating your tires, i was doing this before i finally worked out that i this issue disappeared wehn i hadn't pumped up my tires for a couple of weeks.

Also prevention is better than the cure, u should often move your hands from the tops to the hoods and the drops. It appears that this issue arises particularly in riders who use the hoods predominately, and this is becuase they have too much saddle to handlebar drop.....which then puts the drops too out of reach. raising the bar will also take weight of the hands.


----------



## AtBothEnds (Sep 8, 2010)

Not that this is the exact same thing but I fight with tendinitis/carpel tunnel syndrome so I have to pay a lot of attention to my wrists and hands. I double wrap my bars but also put some Fizik gel pads under the tape to add to the cushioning, I find that both the added padding and resulting larger bar diameter both help. I have to constantly change how I grip my handlebars and am very aware of how tightly I grip my bars. I do my best to stay really loose on the bike and use my arms/wrists/hands more for steering/balance than weight bearing. What might also help is focusing on wrist/hand stretching before you ride, I usually focus more on that than any other part of my body; Googling some of these stretches might be worth your time. Hope this helps in some way.


----------



## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

I'd agree with everyone else about checking saddle levelness & fit, but would also add another possibility-
I have thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), which is where the nerves and/or blood vessels entering the arm through the shoulder girdle get compressed by the muscle/bone structure somewhere on their way out of the shoulder. Any time I elevate my shoulder girdle (think shrugging your shoulders), my right hand will go numb within a minute or two. I can't sleep on my right side, either. When I ride, I have to make a conscious effort to relax and drop my shoulders otherwise my right hand/arm can go numb. 

Just something else to consider.


----------



## Nielly (Sep 21, 2009)

I do most of my riding on the hoods and I've found on my most recent bike that the tilt of the bars was causing this issue. It wasn't alot of difference but if I tilt my bars back just a little bit from where they are fine it will make my hands go numb after a while. I would play with the bar and hood position.


----------



## adam_mac84 (Sep 22, 2010)

I am a big guy (taller) 6'3, started riding at 220, now 188... anyhow, i found the biggest comfort improvement in switching from 44cm bars to 42 (most 58cm and up bikes are stocked with 44's)... kept my wrists much more neutral... i grab the hood like a pistol more or less (palms almost facing each other) maybe 10-15* wrist extension versus the 44's where i would cock my wrists in (20-30* extension)... no more numbness

and concentrating on keeping my shoulders depressed and elbows 'relaxed' has fixed all of my problems whether i am in a relaxed geometry (6cm bar drop) or more aggressive (10cm drop), road or cross... doesn't much matter, the bar WIDTH change fixed it all for me


----------



## nor_cal_rider (Dec 18, 2006)

I switched from FSA Carbon K-wing's to the Zipp SL SS V2 and added some gel-cork tape. 100% difference in comfort.


----------



## Trek2.3 (Sep 13, 2009)

twinkles said:


> I've found the flat top of FSA wing compact pro bars to allow the bars to flex in a very positive way.


I, on the other hand, am getting rid of my FSA Wing bars because they cause my wrists to bend in a painful fashion. I used round aluminium bars on a month long tour in June and had no pain.


----------



## Sylint (Jul 27, 2009)

Andrea138 said:


> I'd agree with everyone else about checking saddle levelness & fit, but would also add another possibility-
> I have thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), which is where the nerves and/or blood vessels entering the arm through the shoulder girdle get compressed by the muscle/bone structure somewhere on their way out of the shoulder. Any time I elevate my shoulder girdle (think shrugging your shoulders), my right hand will go numb within a minute or two. I can't sleep on my right side, either. When I ride, I have to make a conscious effort to relax and drop my shoulders otherwise my right hand/arm can go numb.
> 
> Just something else to consider.



So it has a name..... Mine does this exact thing w my left arm....


----------



## the sarge (Jan 10, 2011)

It was already mentioned but the opposite way. I used a slight amount of tilt back in the bars and this helped me quite abit with this issue. Before you spend a bunch of money( unless you har that nagging urge to upgrade lol) try playing with the bar tilt and hood positioning. A slight inboard or out board movement of the hood may have an impact for you as well. No answer is the cookie cutter right one, but play with some common things and see if it can help you before you make a change. At worst you find this works better or works worse in different ways and learn some more about fine tuning to your needs!


----------



## amryna96 (Jul 15, 2011)

Carbon is the best!


----------



## cyclequip (Oct 20, 2004)

Most of the replies here have missed the fact that the issue is with the left hand only. Typically hand numbness/pain in both hands is a bar position-relative-to-saddle-position issue with too much pressure being exerted on the hands. I'd like to ask the OP if he has changed the saddle width from his previous (comfortable, issue-free) Tarmac fit? Or if he has changed shoes or footbeds or arch-support correlating with the onset of the one-hand pain? Typical single-hand pain comes from the rider displacing his torso to one side of the bike because of saddle width issues or functional leg-length differences. This normally puts pressure on one of the hands. Perhaps put your bike on a trainer and have someone check your pelvic position on the saddle, the displacement of your knees relative to the top-tube and whether both arms show the same degree of flex when in your typical riding position.


----------



## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

pedalfeet said:


> So my question to you all is, would switching from a aluminum to a carbon handlebar help with hand numbness.


The material change won't help. Bend or shape change might, but it is more likely a fit issue.

Also make sure that your gloves work for you. Many gloves have padding in the right place for flat (mtb) bars but not road bars, or just are not right for a given rider.


----------



## haasezlube (May 27, 2010)

I am a clyde and dealt with numbness in my hands for 15 years, i know slow learner and all!LOL After buying all types of tape and gloves and bars and bikes in my experience i have found that it comes down to a mix of handlebar shape or form as well as material molding or layup, and not just material as i had awful numbness on two sets of carbon bars i have tried one of which i actually cracked, and ended changing body positionong and bars for a final good comfort zone, that i now try to mimic on every new bike i build. For me i used FSA Pro Wing or IRD Blackbird Comps and found them very comfortable though they are both a bit different bar shape from one another, and they are both aluminum but very well built for my taste!


----------

