# thumb joint "arthritis" solutions for riding...?



## holiday (Apr 27, 2004)

Ok,
new to this 50 plus thing... but this is the first summer I've had pain in the base joint of my thumb. maybe arthritic, but looking for others that may have come up with solutions.

I went back to ESI chunky grips, and actually cut a spot on the bottom for my thumb, so it doesn't have to extend as much, helps a bit, but not gone.

I read in a review that the RevGrips have helped 1 guys with thumb arthritis, and I may try that.

Any other experience, thoughts or guidance?

I ride 3-5 days a week, full suspension, ride it plush, have good skills from riding for 30 years, just looking to relieve the latest pain..

Thank you!
Wade


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

Togs or something similar may be helpful.

https://togs.com/collections/togs-1/products/new-flex-togs


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## pctloper (Jan 3, 2016)

Welcome to the club-----I have been using the inboard bar ends from sqlabs---I use these on climbs to keep pressure off and then grip the bars normally on descents---this has made a big difference.
I also can no longer shift with my thumb---just too painful----I have rotated the shifter up as high as it will go and shift with the palm of my hand-----also made a big difference--slows a shift a fraction but surprisingly not much and I get huge relief.

I also use sqlab bar with a bit more backsweep.

We all will have different successes----you can see I have experimented but the above really has helped me.


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## pctloper (Jan 3, 2016)

Another observation---the new geo with steep STA and short stack will aggravate the situation especially for those of us with very long legs as it pivots our weight more on the hands----you will see chatter on this----I wanted to love the new Ripley but after an hour I almost could not ride it from hand pain.


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## Ptor (Jan 29, 2004)

pctloper said:


> I also can no longer shift with my thumb---just too painful----I have rotated the shifter up as high as it will go and shift with the palm of my hand-----also made a big difference--slows a shift a fraction but surprisingly not much and I get huge relief.


Gripshift can help there -- several of my "older" friends have made the move and it's helped immensely. All my geared bikes going forward will have it -- I have one set up that way now and it's noticeably nicer on my right thumb than my main "push to shift" ride.

I ride singlespeed a reasonable amount and spend as much time as possible on the bar -- easy on the thumbs and the best climbing and cruising position. But when it's rough I have to be on the grips and I've really irritated my thumbs there lately. I'm thinking of trying a Jones style H-Bar, thinking that won't leverage on my thumbs as much when crashing through rough stuff.


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## Ladmo (Jan 11, 2013)

I had a push button dropper control that made my thumb joint sore. Then, when I switched posts, it was a lever that was even more uncomfortable. Seriously hurt by the end of a ride, some days. 

I switched to a Wolf Tooth dropper post remote. It fits right where a front derailleur control would normally go, and operates with a very light touch, so that solved that problem. It is around $65, I think, and was 100% worth it. Tucked right in under the bar. Works like a charm. The posts should come stock with a quality lever like this one, IMO.

The other thing is my right thumb, which used to get sore from shifting. I focus on hand placement relative to the derailleur lever. If my hand is outboard and I am stretching/twisting my hand to shift, the extra strain doesn't feel good by the end of the day (or for the next day or two, in fact). If my hand is properly positioned relative to the shift lever, I have no issues.


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## In2falling (Jan 1, 2005)

holiday said:


> Ok,
> new to this 50 plus thing... but this is the first summer I've had pain in the base joint of my thumb. maybe arthritic, but looking for others that may have come up with solutions.
> 
> I went back to ESI chunky grips, and actually cut a spot on the bottom for my thumb, so it doesn't have to extend as much, helps a bit, but not gone.
> ...


I sprained my ulnar ligament few years back on a small spill and used this brace for 8 weeks to allow me to ride while it healed up.

Worked really well and was not able to ride without it.

https://www.amazon.com/Bracoo-Splin...ords=Bracoo+Thumb&qid=1564759062&s=hpc&sr=1-3


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## TheBaldBlur (Jan 13, 2014)

Not in my hands but in my knees and what has worked wonders for me is turmeric supplements. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory and I'm taking 1,000mg/day. At first I wasn't fully convinced that it was the turmeric that was helping so I went off of it and my knee pain came back; resumed taking it and the knees pain disappeared. I'm convinced.

YMMV


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## holiday (Apr 27, 2004)

Great feedback,
thx!

Will look at shifter position, check out the brace, take tumeric and my dropper remote is already in the position. I have togs, used them for indoor training, but climb w/ my hands on top of bar anyway, so little change there. 
Thx!
W


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

No suggestions to go after the arthritis itself? I have terrible arthritis in my hands from my work. I've gone with a strict anti-inflammatory diet (no wheat, dairy, nightshade, sugars) and it's worked wonders on my arthritis. My hub thought I was just being silly but after six months on this diet, I had a beer and a cinnamon roll after a ski day. One could watch the joints turn red and flare up within a space of about 15 minutes.

And tumeric.


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## rockcrusher (Aug 28, 2003)

you might also want to consider a higher sweep bar. It removed the pressure on your hands as they sit at a more natural position on the bar, less holding the bar between thumb and index and more like gripping a suitcase where you use all fingers and can even not use your thumb except as retention. I use a jones bar and initially it feels weird but I can ride all the tech I could with a flat bar but not feel hand pain at all and I ride full rigid. There are sweeps in between from all sorts of manufacturers. Similar to bar ends but you don't have to swap back and forth and you can brake and shift and do your seat all from that comfortable position.


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## pctloper (Jan 3, 2016)

I also find tumeric to help but not for good-----for me it seems to help for a few weeks and stops---then I get off it and start at the next flare up and seems to help again----who is to say


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## FitmanNJ (May 23, 2011)

rockcrusher said:


> you might also want to consider a higher sweep bar. It removed the pressure on your hands as they sit at a more natural position on the bar, less holding the bar between thumb and index and more like gripping a suitcase where you use all fingers and can even not use your thumb except as retention. I use a jones bar and initially it feels weird but I can ride all the tech I could with a flat bar but not feel hand pain at all and I ride full rigid. There are sweeps in between from all sorts of manufacturers. Similar to bar ends but you don't have to swap back and forth and you can brake and shift and do your seat all from that comfortable position.


Yes, I have a 30-degree backsweep bar from TiCycles and it reduces my thumb joint pain exactly as you've described.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

pctloper said:


> I also find tumeric to help but not for good-----for me it seems to help for a few weeks and stops---then I get off it and start at the next flare up and seems to help again----who is to say


Look at your diet. What is causing the arthritis to flare up?


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## Stevebiker (Feb 17, 2004)

Twist grip shifter has helped quite a bit for me. Sram twisties will work with a Shimano rear derailleur if that's an issue for you.

This one is a little hard to explain. If your brake levers angles are to steep you have to rap your hand around more to reach them, putting more stress on the base of your thumb , especially on the down hills when you might be pushing on the bars more.


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

^^^ that's a very good point and something I've done. I used to run my brake levers in perfect line with my hand in the attack position, which had them angled downward pretty far, more than 45 degrees. I've raised them up to around 30 degrees and found it works better for me.


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## holiday (Apr 27, 2004)

good tip, I've done this one too.
thx!
W


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Did you change anything on your bike from the previous season?

Do you ride 3-5 times a week year round?

Assuming you didn’t have a crash that injured your thumb, it could be an overuse injury.

Don’t look for zebras. If this is a new problem, then it’s not because you turned fifty or ate the wrong things.

If you haven’t changed anything on your bike, set up, components, etc... and you haven’t crashed, I’d chock it up to a use injury.

Take prophylactic nsaids, ice after riding, and try a splint or supportive glove until it feels better.


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## PVP-SS (Jan 28, 2019)

Just wanted to mention hand exercises helped me with this. Use one of those resistance devices, whether it be the old fashion spring or the newer elastomer style.


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## jk59845 (Aug 9, 2017)

TheBaldBlur said:


> Not in my hands but in my knees and what has worked wonders for me is turmeric supplements. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory and I'm taking 1,000mg/day. At first I wasn't fully convinced that it was the turmeric that was helping so I went off of it and my knee pain came back; resumed taking it and the knees pain disappeared. I'm convinced.
> 
> YMMV


There can be challenges absorbing turmeric, and you may want to look into a form that is hydro-soluble form better absorption.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

PVP-SS said:


> Just wanted to mention hand exercises helped me with this. Use one of those resistance devices, whether it be the old fashion spring or the newer elastomer style.


That could also worsen an overuse injury. When injured it is not the time to start conditioning, that window has closed. He needs to rest the joint, reduce inflammation in the joint,support the joint, and not aggravate it the joint.


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## Skymonkey (Mar 12, 2014)

I'm currently experiencing thumb issues but the pain isn't in the lower joint but a burning pain between my upper joint and fingernail. It's gotten to the point where I can't write with a pen/pencil.

Went to a hand specialist last week and got a steroid injection in the upper joint. Things have settled down a bit and I start PT next Monday. Hoping they can show me some stretches and strengthening exercises to help.

Doc's thoughts are overuse injury. I ride 2-4 times a week for 1.5-2.5 hours.

Reluctantly thinking about making the switch to Grip Shift. Ergon even makes winged grips like I use that are compatable with Grip Shift but still, after more than a couple decades of trigger shifting I'm not looking forward to the change.

Already have the brakes tilted pretty far up. No issues with my left thumb....but don't use a dropper for most of my riding. Have a wireless one I swap the rigid with for trips to Pisgah, Moab, etc.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Overuse is easier to do as we get older, in part because we have "used" bodies.

Making small changes on a routine basis can alter ergonomics enough to spread out the use, sorta like making small changes in our seating throughout the day while working or driving.

Even something as simple as raising your bars with a 5-10mm spacer under the stem can make a world of difference in how you support your body when riding. Sliding your seat fore/aft can also be a nice changeup

Also consider using a dropper and playing with seat height as you ride. I have no idea why anyone would use a fixed post these days, to me that would be like sitting in an office chair that doesn't move.


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## Skymonkey (Mar 12, 2014)

Thanks for the advice Ben.

As for the rigid post, I race XC and not using a dropper saves me almost a pound of weight.
Here in the midwest we don't have long sustained climbs. 
My body position is constantly changing on the bike with varied terrain....nothing like sitting static in an office chair that doesn't move.

I also come from a moto background and like knowing where the bike is underneath me feeling the saddle between my legs when standing...similar to squeezing the bike with your legs when on a dirt bike. Old school I know but works well for me.

There's a trail type I do use a dropper for, hence the wireless post I swap to but not for 90% of my riding.

Hope this helps you understand why one would still use a rigid post.


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## jpc111 (Jun 30, 2004)

Several things have helped me.
1. Go to grip shift.
2. daily use of CBD (hemp oil) as an anti-inflammatory
3. Limit my sugar intake.


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## Fuse6F (Jul 5, 2017)

I found that if your chain is a bit short it can make your shifting a bit firmer. Perhaps an extra link beyond the ideal length can help you soften things up a little more. Chain length is tricky in a suspension bike and ive even seen lbs mechanics get it wrong. 

Higher end shifters do provide angle and even indexing of the lever to make a more ideal position. Changing to better cable housing and wire can help a bit more. 

I have recently been having pain on my thumb at the base of the knuckle. Affecting on and off the bike. I discovered that my dropper lever is a bit longer than my other bike and it Is creating an over use injury. So i repositioned it and hopefully that will cure it. I may try to trim the end if neecessary just to move the load to a different spot.

Hope that helps. I have no solutions for arthritis as an ailment.


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## holiday (Apr 27, 2004)

Nurse Ben said:


> That could also worsen an overuse injury. When injured it is not the time to start conditioning, that window has closed. He needs to rest the joint, reduce inflammation in the joint,support the joint, and not aggravate it the joint.


Thank you Nurse Ben, and all for thoughts.

I'm trying to take it easy, riding less, when riding my last few, 90% of the time, thumbs on top of the bars, running esi chunky now, and I cut gaps for my thumbs so they are less open when wrapped around the bar.
I also ordered the rev grips to try them, as a few said they helped.

I live in lake tahoe, so I take all winter off when trails under snow, in season, I ride 3-5 days a week.

I did lots of curls and other weights this winter to strengthen my other joint issue, medial epicondylitis (golfers elbow), and am thinking that dumbbells may have put more stress on thumb joint (but elbow much better this summer, I'm a tennis pro, so need that elbow)!

your thought has come to me as well lately, no acute injury, and both thumbs, so I was thinking arthritis, but maybe not...

I'm still on court a lot, but it's the bike that seems to hurt it most, so all these thoughts are helpful!

Thx!
Wade


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## holiday (Apr 27, 2004)

holiday said:


> Thank you Nurse Ben, and all for thoughts.
> 
> I'm trying to take it easy, riding less, when riding my last few, 90% of the time, thumbs on top of the bars, running esi chunky now, and I cut gaps for my thumbs so they are less open when wrapped around the bar.
> I also ordered the rev grips to try them, as a few said they helped.
> ...


PS,
I am also wondering about the electronic shifting and droppers, as I hear they are super light action.


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## careyj1 (May 12, 2017)

I did a 20 mile ride with the AXS electronic shifting. It is a much lighter touch to shift up or down.


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## holiday (Apr 27, 2004)

Thx for the feedback, Carey.

Not sure why my post following up on nurse Ben was put before the other posts, I guess I replied incorrectly. Thought I'd move it down here in case it was missed up higher...

Quote Originally Posted by holiday View Post
Thank you Nurse Ben, and all for thoughts.

I'm trying to take it easy, riding less, when riding my last few, 90% of the time, thumbs on top of the bars, running esi chunky now, and I cut gaps for my thumbs so they are less open when wrapped around the bar.
I also ordered the rev grips to try them, as a few said they helped.

I live in lake tahoe, so I take all winter off when trails under snow, in season, I ride 3-5 days a week.

I did lots of curls and other weights this winter to strengthen my other joint issue, medial epicondylitis (golfers elbow), and am thinking that dumbbells may have put more stress on thumb joint (but elbow much better this summer, I'm a tennis pro, so need that elbow)!

your thought has come to me as well lately, no acute injury, and both thumbs, so I was thinking arthritis, but maybe not...

I'm still on court a lot, but it's the bike that seems to hurt it most, so all these thoughts are helpful!

PS,
I am also wondering about the electronic shifting and droppers, as I hear they are super light action.


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Overuse often follows underuse, so it might be worthwhile riding more during the winter. 

Im not too keen on weight lifting, I find that my hands, joints, they just seem to get sore without any real benefits. I ride and dig trails, pretty much my winter routine.

Sounds like you live on the lake, maybe take some rides in the Carson Valley next winter ... 

I gave up skiing to conserve my knees, so I ride year round, Carson has trail riding ~11mo out of the year.


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## holiday (Apr 27, 2004)

*Solutions.*

To Finish this question thread...

Feeling much better!

This shifter in pic w d I 2. Riding w thumbs above bar almost 100% of the time. 
Rev grips. Seems to be working...

Thx!
W


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## Fuse6F (Jul 5, 2017)

Fuse6F said:


> I found that if your chain is a bit short it can make your shifting a bit firmer. Perhaps an extra link beyond the ideal length can help you soften things up a little more. Chain length is tricky in a suspension bike and ive even seen lbs mechanics get it wrong.
> 
> Higher end shifters do provide angle and even indexing of the lever to make a more ideal position. Changing to better cable housing and wire can help a bit more.
> 
> ...


thumb has been great after repositioning of the dropper lever. I see your having success with a reposition as well. Great to hear. Keep turning!


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## jrm (Jan 12, 2004)

ESI grips helped me a lot. I also found sustaining a loose grip on the bar when allowed helps and stretches as well.


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## Radium (Jan 11, 2019)

holiday said:


> Thx for the feedback, Carey.
> 
> Not sure why my post following up on nurse Ben was put before the other posts, I guess I replied incorrectly. Thought I'd move it down here in case it was missed up higher...
> 
> ...


The place I do my PT at had this "Country Crush" training handle attachment that at first sight, looked like "oh brother!" to me. It's what they had, though, so I have been using it, and for the first time last week, I was a bit blown away to find almost no pain at all in my thumbs anymore. I'm a little bit shocked, to be honest....
EDIT: I mean, my thumb joints were in some serious pain. , I think, many decades joint lock practice coupled with a few thumb dislocations.


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## A/C in Az (Jan 14, 2019)

holiday said:


> Ok,
> new to this 50 plus thing... but this is the first summer I've had pain in the base joint of my thumb. maybe arthritic, but looking for others that may have come up with solutions.


I had the same thing earlier this year and realized it was from using my smart phone. I massaged the joint one morning, "cracked it", massaged it some more then changed how I hold the phone and text or enter data on it and the stiff painful arthritic pain/ feeling went away and has been gone for 3 months.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

holiday said:


> Ok,
> new to this 50 plus thing... but this is the first summer I've had pain in the base joint of my thumb. maybe arthritic, but looking for others that may have come up with solutions.
> 
> I went back to ESI chunky grips, and actually cut a spot on the bottom for my thumb, so it doesn't have to extend as much, helps a bit, but not gone.
> ...


The most important thing you can do is probably not *to* the bike, but *off* the bike. Mobility exercises and manipulating the joint to maximize range of motion helps me far more than any gadgets or crutches. If it really doesn't want to move, you could try something like Synvisc to lubricate the joint (it worked for me after a bad DH crash).


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## Sanchofula (Dec 30, 2007)

Skymonkey said:


> Thanks for the advice Ben.
> 
> As for the rigid post, I race XC and not using a dropper saves me almost a pound of weight.
> Here in the midwest we don't have long sustained climbs.
> ...


Yes, I get that, but you are not able to change your seated position as much as you think, so as we age it is much easier to develop a chronic use injury unless you can routinely and significantly alter your body position.

Think of it this way: If you were sitting in a desk chair, would your raise and lower the chair if your shoulders/arms got sore? Of course you would, but if your bike doesn't have a dropper then you are not going to adjust that seat.

If saving a 1/4 pound of weight on your bike is more important than your comfort and reducing injury, then you have made your choice.

Droppers are a wonderful way to adjust ergonomics to address discomfort while riding.


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## Radium (Jan 11, 2019)

My wife suffers from a complex problem of degenerative spine disease and osteoarthritis, along with peripheral neuropathy in her feet that is very painful. Her pain management Doc is an Osteopath, and he referred her to this outfit:
https://sanabotanicals.com

The company is run by a Nurse Practitioner, here in California, and she prescribed a very dense cbd ointment, about the consistency of "Tiger Balm", but without the strong menthol/camphor smell. It's pretty odorless to me, but my point mentioning this is that she benefits greatly by twice daily applications of the balm to her feet and to her lumbar spine area. She's tried a LOT of different approaches short of surgery, since she is a poor candidate for it.
The NP also prescribes "micro-dosing" formulas of cbd or thc as well, it depends on what her unique system of evaluation indicates.

I have seen a night and day difference in her pain, energy levels, and overall feeling of well-being.

I am not a shill for this outfit, in fact aside from my wife's case, I haven't referred sana sana to anybody yet. Just wanted you, OP, to be aware of another options' existence.


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## ksj (Aug 31, 2019)

holiday said:


> PS,
> I am also wondering about the electronic shifting and droppers, as I hear they are super light action.


The SRAM AXS shifter is a noticeable difference in effort from a GX setup. There is pretty much no effort with the AXS controller.

I have the range of motion I need, but quite a bit of pain from multiple UCL tears over the years (skiing). I used to be a lot more picky about when I would shift and try to minimize the pain, but now I just shift as needed. It's really made riding much more enjoyable, and was worth the $ to me.


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## Crockpot2001 (Nov 2, 2004)

I will go against the tide and say that I am moving away from Grip shift for a moment. The larger diameter shift barrel adds torque to my thumb joint / ligaments unless I wildly flare my elbows. Otherwise I'm just grabbing the whole dang thing with the palm of my hand. 

Someone here mentioned foam grips with a notch cut out and that is exactly what I'm doing in conjunction with going back to the thumb shifter. Also going to get a slightly higher bar. I have long legs and the seat/bar relationship is hard to level.


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## Ptor (Jan 29, 2004)

On August 16th I crashed pretty hard and jammed my left wrist. After suffering for months with a continual ache and sometimes stabbing pain, I finally ended up in the orthopod's office on December 16th. I presented as a navicular/schaphoid fracture and was X-rayed. Perhaps a small chip off the proximal end of the bone, but he zeroed in on arthritis in my thumb, index, and middle fingers and was surprised by my lack of pain in all of those joints (and on both hands). We opted for a cortisone injection into the left thumb joint -- that thin dark line in the attached picture is the needle. 10 days later it's feeling pretty good! This is only a "solution" if it can last 9 months or so.







In addition to the medical option, I also thought about the bars on two of my bikes -- 5° sweep and 740mm wide on the rigid single speed and a 11° sweep at 740mm wide on the rigid geared bike (they're pretty much identical except for gearing). I have loved riding the single speed but recently realized I wasn't reaching for it often as it had been hurting my thumbs and wrists. About 2 years ago I went to a much wider bar on both bikes and while realizing some gains in handling on rough terrain I now realize that's when I started to fall out of love with the single speed -- it was just too tough on the thumbs and wrists. So yesterday I put on a Carver MiTi Carbon bar (25° of sweep) at 710 mm wide on the single speed. I've got a couple of other bikes besides the geared bike, all of which have substantially more sweep than the 5° that were on the single speed. The comparison of the old and new bars is shown below. It's 5°F this morning and a reasonable amount of crusty snow around here, so not sure when I'll get a good ride in on it -- but here's hoping that the double whammy of medical intervention and swept bars will be helpful.


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## BLUFF (Dec 23, 2013)

OP, You've not mentioned what you do for work, could this be adding to the problem? Recently a roadie has joined our MTB group of riders as he can no longer use the tops / hoods because of the symptoms you describe.


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## BlackCanoeDog (Jul 26, 2003)

holiday said:


> Ok,
> new to this 50 plus thing... but this is the first summer I've had pain in the base joint of my thumb. maybe arthritic, but looking for others that may have come up with solutions.
> 
> I went back to ESI chunky grips, and actually cut a spot on the bottom for my thumb, so it doesn't have to extend as much, helps a bit, but not gone.
> ...


Wade, when I was in my early fifties I started to get that same pain in the joint at base of thumb. I attributed it to years of of xc mtbiking with trigger shifters, plus "skiers thumb" as I am also an avid XC skier. My spouse was having similar issues. It got SO bad that I could hardly hold a pen to write! Back then I switched all of our bikes over to SRAM GripShift, and that made our rides pain free again! Over time the condition went away, I'm 68 now and have not had that pain for at least a decade or more and I am still an avid mtbiker, fat biker, and xc-skier. Now when I buy a new bike(s) it doesn't even leave the shop until it has been converted to GripShift. If a bike is not supplied with SRAM drive components and compatible with their GripShift option then it's totally out of consideration for purchase.


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## Pipeliner (Oct 30, 2018)

Well, this has gotten to be a major problem for me. I love riding my FS flat bar bike and my fat bike but end up riding with my thumbs on top of the bars most of the time. Strangely, my drop bar road and gravel bike don't bother me much at all. Consequently, I am riding my gravel bike most of the time any more. 

HAS ANYONE MENTIONED THAT GETTING OLD SUCKS?


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## holiday (Apr 27, 2004)

BlackCanoeDog said:


> Wade, when I was in my early fifties I started to get that same pain in the joint at base of thumb. I attributed it to years of of xc mtbiking with trigger shifters, plus "skiers thumb" as I am also an avid XC skier. My spouse was having similar issues. It got SO bad that I could hardly hold a pen to write! Back then I switched all of our bikes over to SRAM GripShift, and that made our rides pain free again! Over time the condition went away, I'm 68 now and have not had that pain for at least a decade or more and I am still an avid mtbiker, fat biker, and xc-skier. Now when I buy a new bike(s) it doesn't even leave the shop until it has been converted to GripShift. If a bike is not supplied with SRAM drive components and compatible with their GripShift option then it's totally out of consideration for purchase.


thx!

I hadn't been back for awhile, as ski season showed up and my elect shifting and rev grips were good to alleviate pain back in spring. I should have just done grip shift and some cash.
thx for the tips!
wade


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## warmonkey (Nov 8, 2005)

I noticed years ago that as bars got wider, the stress on my basal joints increased. Back then it was one thumb, now it's both. I've hung on to a couple of my older bikes (Transition Bandit 29, SC Nomad C- both 2012) because the shorter top tube gives me a few more options, mainly to use a (gasp) narrower bar/65 & 80mm stems with Ergon grips. At 66 y.o. I'm not doing much hucking or tech DH so 800mm bars would be nothing but a pain. I also have a Ridley cx bike set up with flat bars, Ergon grips and XTR 975 brake/shifter combos. It's probably the most comfy setup, no thumb use at all.


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