Went out for a ride on monday. It was a) bastardin cold and b) done at the pace of a mate of mine, which meant lots of standing around waiting. Burny cold fingers and toes…

Fast forward to wednesday, which is today, and I still haven’t got any feeling in one of my fingertips. No pain, it moves alright etc and it feels warm and all (and no hasn’t gone black and dropped off). I’ve had that before but usually it goes away shortly after, a day at most, 2 days is a long holiday for a finger.

How long do I have to wait before I sack it and get a more up-for-it replacement?

Probably frost nip/minor nerve damage. Had it in toes before. Might be a few weeks, but it will come back eventually!

PS I am not a doctor

Don’t you have a fretsaw?

Have a swift **** while it’s still numb and unfamiliar – it’ll feel like playing away!

Was going to suggest frostnip. Oh and get better gloves!

You say you had it before, i would go to your Doctors to get your Blood circulation checked
But glad your aware its Wednesday

I got frost nip in my thumbs recently. Horrible, they looked colourless and dead. Until they thawed out they had no sensation, then a weird tingly sensation for a couple of weeks while their colour returned. A couple of months on they are coming back to life.

Don’t cut yours off just yet like Ranulph Fiennes did in his shed with a Dremmel.

Nerves can grow back sometimes, even if you’ve properly knackered them. The top of my right index finger had no feeling for several years after I chopped almost all the way through the first joint with a penknife. A clever chap in Glasgow put it back together (using a power drill, among other things), and it was all back to normal after a few months apart from the nerves. Feeling came back randomly one day long after I’d got used to the idea of just having a numb finger forever. Presumably some nerve tissue managed to bridge the gap to the old nerves which still worked or something, I dunno. Pretty cool really when you think about it.

Sounds not too bad then. I’ll leave it a few more days before breaking out the Park Finger Loppers. I’ve got good gloves but only motorbike gloves keep my hands properly warm,and they’re a wee bit bulky!

grantway – Member

But glad your aware its Wednesday

I was pleased too.

My circulation in the extremities is pretty poor, long term effects of diabetes I think (or maybe I’d be like that anyway, my brother’s the same, who knows)

Druidh, sadly it’s only one finger. Might have to go out again tomorrow and sort out the others.

Do be careful in future as once you have damaged the nerves (if you have) through frost nip or frost bite it is much easier to do it again with worse consequences. I would definitely suggest some better gloves, and maybe stick some hand warmer sachet things down the back on very cold days

I don’t think there’s much warmer than the Antifreezes tbh. The other guy I was riding with had the same gloves and no problems (quite often the case actually- I always ride with the liners in, he usually just uses the outer shells, but I get colder)

Just got a pair of Perfect Curves to try though, not sure they’ll be warmer in the dry, we’ll see I guess.

Pogies

Northwind Any good Battery Heated Gloves

Doesn’t look like anything there I’d want to use on a bike tbh but thanks! (my old Spada motorbike gloves are bulky but do the job well, so no need for the battery pack etc I think)

My finger tips were almost numb and yet tingly for over a month after getting fkn cold on Ben Nevis during a 3 peaks attempt a couple of years back! They did return to normal with no permanent damage:)

Motorbike gloves in them situations – especially if its a slower less tech ride.

long term effects of diabetes I think

I’m not a doctor but if you have diabetes your finger problems may not resolve the way they do for other people. Without mention of diabetes, I’d have agreed with the other posters, but with it I suggest you see a doctor.

get some milk bottles (I’d suggest the plastic type 😉 ) and make MX-style shields for your grips – keep the wind off

Just finished reading his autobiog – it was a fretsaw he used, having tried a pair of secateurs, with his finger wedged in a Workmate. Took him 2 hours, then a day each for 3 middle fingers then 2 days for the thumb…

Highly recommended reading! Not for the OP though.