(tl;dr? Just to the bottom for the questions.)
I've been experiencing numbness in my outside fingers on my 61cm Roadini
with 54cm Noodle bars on an 8cm Tallux stem. Particularly after 30 or so
miles of on-road riding. It's become clear that most of the numbness comes
from gripping the bottom curve of the drops so I can keep my index fingers
on the brakes when riding curvy roads, downhill, and in areas with traffic
and driveways/intersections where quick brake access is needed. I get much
less numbness when I'm riding the flats of the drops near the bar end, and
that numbness is not focused on the outside fingers.
I ride the drops nearly exclusively; I find the tops give me less control
and the hoods feel too far away. Back in the 1990s, I routinely rode my
Nishiki's tops with safety brakes, but I've never liked riding so far
forward as to favor the hoods. That hasn't changed now that I'm riding a
road bike again. I rode a 58cm Trek Domane last fall for a month and found
that riding the hoods was uncomfortable and quick to numb my hands, and the
whole far-forward geometry made me feel unstable and the 44cm handlebars
reduced my range of motion. (I have wide shoulders, and so I previously
rode an XL Trek FX3 hybrid for the width and stability; the L size that the
Trek bike shop recommended was again too small.)
Riding the wide drops on the Roadini and reaching the brakes from the drops
not the hoods took care of all that.
Still, with the hand numbness on longer Roadini rides, I thought maybe I
should get gloves with greater padding than my current ones, especially as
I am riding longer distances (I've done a couple metric centuries and a
true century planned for summer). When I went to the LBS to check out the
Specialized Body Geometry Dual Pad gloves, they suggested I get a quick fit
check in case the issue was about fit not gloves.
The bike fitter absolutely hated the Roadini: too big, too wide, quill
stems are bad, handlebar not ergonomic, and I shouldn't be riding the drops
routinely. I know from test-riding a buddy's 57cm Roadini and from my month
on the 58cm Domane that my 61cm Roadini is not too big. Yes, the reach to
the hoods is further than on the Domane, but it's fine to the tops and
drops, where I ride. I had seen the Riv posts about their thoughts on
handlebar width and geometry being so different from the major
manufacturers, but I didn't get how diametrically opposed they are until
the bike fitter's clear disgust. Wow!
Anyhow, the Roadini is an incredibly comfortable bike, and I can go a good
pace on the road and feel fully stable on turns and stops, unlike with the
Domane.
Still, I wonder two things, and would live to get people's comments:
- What are your thoughts on reducing or preventing hand numbness,
especially in my riding position of my hand at the base of the curve with
my index finger on the brake levers ("trigger finger" position) That bike
fitter thought the resulting hand angle was causing undue pressure, but I
can figure out any adjustment to address that.
- Should I be trying to find a way to ride the tops more? (That is, how
concerning is it that I am so drops-oriented?)
Thanks!
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