I have several hard tails about the same size with similar cockpit setup. One of my bikes gives me numb palms and I can't figure out what to adjust to improve the fit The only difference possibly is this bike has more of a riser bar to get my posture where I want it.
Do all your bikes have the same grips? How about brake lever setup? It could be that your posture on the bike due to the riser bar is pinching a nerve in your back/ shoulder.
Try taking a look at Sheldon Browns website?
Sorry. Im not much help...
I battled this a few years back and the culprit was my hydration pack. The shoulder straps were putting pressure on my shoulders and causing hands to go numb.
A trip to rei for an osprey fixed the problem. I was using a wingnut pack. They are cool but didnt work for my setup.
I played with every imaginable adjustment untill a friend suggested i ride without a pack for a few rides. Problem solved.
Check the angle of your brake levers. Loosen the pinch bolts to where the lever will rotate with a little pressure. Sit on the saddle in a riding position and rest your fingers on the brake levers. Rotate them until you feel no pressure in your hands, wrists, fingers, etc. Sometimes it helps to close your eyes so you rely entirely on feel. It may also be a slight reach adjustment. Play with the rotation of the handlebars. Check your saddle pitch and distance from the bars. Sometimes a very slight down angle on the seat or a seat that is slightly too far or close on the rails can cause this by affecting how you reach the handlebars. Change one thing at a time and test it.
maybe you can try to rotate your riser bars so that you get the pressure off the spot on your hands that is causing the discomfort. as well as adjusting your saddle tilt correctly for the new bar position.
the numbness could be due to your riding position / weight placement on the grips & saddle.
I hope this helps: as a roadie I had that problem when I began getting serious about biking. The answer FOR ME was core and back strength. Seriously. Firmed that area up and it's been years since the problem has returned.
My hands go numb on my hardtail, but not on my FS bike. Fit between the two is very similar. I just blamed it on more trail chatter getting to my hands on the hardtail.
The geometry of the bike can affect this. Bikes that stretch you out longer and lower put more weight on your hands than those that have you more upright.
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