# Looking for arthritic thumb shifting solution



## thecanoe (Jan 30, 2007)

I posted this in the drivetrain forum, but, thought I’d repost it here. I currently run a 2x10 Shimano drivetrain. My right thumb and wrist have arthritis causing pain after the ride. 
I was thinking of going to a 1x with a wide range cassette. Maybe an 11-42 with a 26t front. But I was thinking of using a grip shift and installing it on the left side of the bars. Anyone ever do this?


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## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

As a short-term help, try swinging the shifter around the bar so that you press the thumb lever straight down. This is more comfortable as you don't have to rotate your wrist to shift and less thumb effort is required.


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## ddoh (Jan 11, 2017)

I had a friend who reversed it w/o issues. However, not a grip shift. If you're using the other hand, do you really need a grip shift? Also, this is a question your LBS should be able to answer pretty easily.


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## thecanoe (Jan 30, 2007)

I like the thumb forefinger feature of Shimano. I always up shift this way. How would a paddle shifter work when switching sides?


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## Sidewalk (May 18, 2015)

I don't see why GS wouldn't work reversed. I have XX1 11s GS on my XC bike and it works great.

Unpopular opinion maybe:
Di2


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## scottyferrari (Nov 25, 2004)

I have a bit of hand arthritis but not enough that it has caused my issues on the bike. Having said that, I have GS on one of my bikes (older) and I like it just fine.


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## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

I pulled the grip shift off of two bikes because my wrists were getting swollen and painful when doing a lot of riding. I switched to trigger shifters because they are much easier on hands than grip shifters and have no more problems. Note that teaching myself how to telemark ski the backcountry was hard on both wrists and they are not in new condition.

I ride a 1 x 11 right now and like it a lot. However, the other hand, the one with skier's thumb, still operates the dropper lever.


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## bootsie_cat (Nov 3, 2004)

DI2 with a K-Edge shifter pod?
https://k-edge.com/shop/accessories/k-edge-pod-shifter/

I have a buddy with a bad thumb who started to use this. So far it is an improvement from a trigger shifter.


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## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

So, exactly how do these pods work? They look interesting even though I don't dislike my trigger shifters.


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## LyNx (Oct 26, 2004)

I messed up the ligaments in both my thumbs when I was younger, more so the right one and I stuck to the Shimano Rapid Rise 9spd RD for along time because of how it worked, which made the pressure needed to shift either way, much easier. 
Last year I decided to guinea pig a 10spd setup on one of my bikes using Shimano stuff, XTR shifter and XT M770 RD with good cables and was surprised by how smooth and easy it was to use and have now switched all my bikes to 10spd 2x10 setups. The important thing is good cables and cable routing so there are no tight spots, also, try adjusting the clutch tension, that can make a big difference for only a marginal loss in stiffness.

Also, as Mr.Pig said, how you angle the shifters makes a huge difference in how hard the shifting will feel. I would definitely stay away from the newer Shimano 11spd stuff, have found that it is much harder than previous 10spd and personally not a fan of the SRAM ergonomics. Easiest setup would of course be electronic shifting since the derailleurs do all the work.


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## Guest (Dec 28, 2017)

If you switch sides with the grip shifter (and change to a compatible derailleur) you'll be twisting forward when you shift to the larger cassette gears which may be harder on your thumb than trigger shifters, but you'll have to try it to know for sure. An option I'm considering is Jones H-Bars and bar end shifters. My thumbs also have discomfort from the bar angle and I think more sweep would help. Just a thought.


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

There is this wireless electronic actuator shifter/dropper add-on:

https://www.xshifter.com/


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## mactweek (Oct 3, 2011)

I have arthritis in the base of my thumbs and I cannot use grip shift. It really bothers me to wrap my thumb around the shifter. Fortunately trigger shifters work ok for me. One other option is thumb shifters. Microshift makes 10 and 11 speed thumb shifters that work with Shimano mtb derailleurs. I had some 10 speed ones on my fat bike for 3 years and they worked fine. You can even shift with the base of your palm if you need to. You can find these at universalcycles.com.


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## bootsie_cat (Nov 3, 2004)

They are buttons for DI2- Just push on to go one direction, the other to shift the other way-



telemike said:


> So, exactly how do these pods work? They look interesting even though I don't dislike my trigger shifters.


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## In2falling (Jan 1, 2005)

thecanoe said:


> I posted this in the drivetrain forum, but, thought I'd repost it here. I currently run a 2x10 Shimano drivetrain. My right thumb and wrist have arthritis causing pain after the ride.
> I was thinking of going to a 1x with a wide range cassette. Maybe an 11-42 with a 26t front. But I was thinking of using a grip shift and installing it on the left side of the bars. Anyone ever do this?
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


I used a thumb brace for four month earlier this year to allow me to keep riding after tearing the ucl ligament in my thumb.

https://www.amazon.com/Bracoo-Reversible-Neoprene-Stabilizers-Reliable/dp/B00JQM9126


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## thecanoe (Jan 30, 2007)

In2falling said:


> I used a thumb brace for four month earlier this year to allow me to keep riding after tearing the ucl ligament in my thumb.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Bracoo-Reversible-Neoprene-Stabilizers-Reliable/dp/B00JQM9126


 Thanks. Looks interesting. I'm going to order one. Thanks.

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## Yalerider (Feb 14, 2017)

Yeah I agree would look electronic


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