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I generally have no problem with numb hands on most rides but there are certain sections of trail that always leave me with a numb left hand, to the extent that I can't feel my fingers on the brake levers even though it's fine elsewhere & recovers quickly when I move on. I've tried padded gloves & even Ergon grips but they made no difference so I'm wondering if a wider bar (685ish at the mo) might make a difference as it'll change the angles of my shoulder/arms.
Any experience out there in STW land?
Too much weight on your hands? Weight should be centred over the BB, through your feet/pedals.
There are lots of factors that could cause numb hands - a proper bike fit would be the best bet if you can find someone locally.
One thing that worked for me (on the road bike) was shifting the angle of the saddle, minor adjustments to the saddle angle have a big effect on how much weight you put through the bars. Try angling the saddle slightly less nose down by a few degrees.
Numb hands for me happens when I have too much weight directed through my hands - so it's just eliminating the cause of that.
Obviously your experience may vary....
Moving the bars forwards or backwards a few degrees can make a massive difference, but there is a trend towards wider bars and it can cause pressure points on your hands ime,rickon has some good tips too