# yay.. so I am now 50yrs old.. / working on bikes with hand injury / nerve damage



## atarione (Aug 24, 2018)

so.. I turned 50 10days ago.. fair enough I guess only the two options live to 50 or don't I suppose.

So partly I am saying hello fellow people who have lived 1/2 a century or more..

and then also.. I worked on my bike today (new tires and chain and general blah blah maintenance.) doubtless mostly from trying to remove old / install the new tires my hand is killing me..

I had a mishap that cut an artery in the ring finger of my right hand a couple years ago.. I have nerve damage in this finger also.. on the upside I have full range (almost) of movement in the finger but it twitches some. most of the time I kinda forget about it, but if I think about it the finger feels weird all the time / if I do something like change bike tires it kinda kills me later on..

Other than paying someone else to change the tires next time I'm trying to figure out how to not hurt this hand so much trying to change tires next time .. work gloves?? thoughts..

on the upside I am left handed.. so there is that..

this is the finger you can see the scar(s) one runs most way up finger..oops










on a related note.. my quest for the best grips / gloves to deal with this issue is ongoing also.. currently using Deity knuckle dusters which are fine~ but my hand starts to hurt after 1/2 hour pretty bad..so ??? still looking.


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## atarione (Aug 24, 2018)

probably should have posted this earlier in the day... all the geezers are probably in bed by now =p


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

Or the geezers are still out riding


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## Rev Bubba (Jan 16, 2004)

Congratulations on turning 50. Depending how you look at it, you either just hit middle age or have 20 years to go according to those who say 70 is the new 50.

Being on the east coast of the US and down the shore, I was in bed when you wrote and will be surfing again today. I'm 70, just hitting stride at middle age.

Aside from marrying an RN like I did, I have no medical suggestions on fingers or other body parts.


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## sturge (Feb 22, 2009)

Congrats on 50 and your quest to keep riding. The inevitable increase in aches and pains is part of the deal. Most of us have at least one chronic physical issue that we have learned to deal with. I'm 59 and ride 3X/week...some days sh*t just hurts more than others. Recuperation is important and I take note of what my body is telling me. Every now and then I may skip a ride. 

Try some mech's gloves during tire changes, they are cheap and easy to find at home improvement or auto parts store. Good luck on the quest for gloves/grips that help...you will figure out what works best.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

I'm 53, also a left handed evil genius. I have been a diesel mechanic most of my life and feel fortunate in that I've never really injured my hands. I did however somehow manage to injure my left ring finger on the handle of my service van door a long time ago. For the longest time, the tip of my finger was numb and it finally came back. Now, if I pull too hard on the laces tying a work boot, I lose it again for a while. 
I use Mechanix gloves when doing certain types of work. They certainly seem to help. 
I like the grip ones that have a textured surface on the finger tips for increased grip and finer work. I use the regular ones when doing brakes and other dirty jobs on my cars.
I ride with Troy Lee Air gloves and silicone foam grips. None of this makes as much of a difference as the Jones Loop Bars I ride with. Super comfortable.


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

Welcome to the next decade. I ride in whatever gloves I find on sale, but find that Ergon grips work best for me. I like the ones with the small bar-ends so I can change hand position regularly during a ride, especially during endurance events.


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

Happy 50th! That seems so long ago, just turned 54 on the 5th.

Sorry no medical advice from me either.

Whoever married the RN, good move.


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

Welcome to 5 Wing North Geriatrics Unit. Your room is 218 towards the end of the hallway on the right.

If you feel up to it and have enough energy before ya take the final escalator to the heavens. Maybe join the 50 plus age poll.

https://forums.mtbr.com/fifty-years...-part-ii-***-continuation-thread-1086272.html


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## Rev Bubba (Jan 16, 2004)

That would be me. She is also over five years younger then so the law of averages says she will outlive me and be stuck taking care of me when I can no longer find my way to the bathroom. It's called advanced planning.


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## Scott O (Aug 5, 2004)

Next time put the tire in your clothes dryer for a few minutes to soften it up. Saves you a lot of frustration. If your wife finds the tire in the dryer deny, deny, deny, or claim senility.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Happy Birthday atarione ! You made it to 50! That's half the battle... if you can make it through to your 60's you're laughing  I think we all have some issues with body parts by the time we reach 50. Things just aren't what they used to be but there are ways around it.

I am an RN. My field specialty is not hands but I'd recommend seeing an OT. I'm not sure of referral process in your neck of the woods. Maybe your GP can refer you or there is a sports medicine clinic that has one on staff and you can make a request. Occupational therapists have expertise in functionality and can assess and work with you to improve or work around your dexterity issues.


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## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

Welcome to the over the hill gang.

I bashed the middle (PIP) joint on my right ring finger into a car frame when changing an oil filter as a kid. It was stitched and splinted for a while due to tendon damage. My issue for a years was inability to reel in the ring finger... it would stick out when making a fist for example.

Finally got back full range of motion on my own at some point. Occupational therapy is an excellent suggestion...

You may want to try cheap medical/surgical gloves for more grip. I tend to wear them for more greasy and grimy bike work anymore myself.


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

The dryer idea is good. How about splinting that finger for tough jobs like tire installation. That way it's isolated and you're not using it. I find grippy grips with good gloves really cut down on arm/hand pump for me. So if your ifinger is irritated grom squeezing/holding on tight/over gripping than one could extrapolate it may help you too. The Velcroiest grips I've ever found are Sensus lights v2.1 and I've tried lots and lots of grips. I also prefer minimalist gloves with no padding like handup.


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## atarione (Aug 24, 2018)

hello everyone thanx for the helpful / funny ideas... I think I will NOT try the dryer idea as my wife would be quite unamused I'm sure.. she already gets mad when I put my baseball caps in the dish washer (no seriously works quite well).


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

atarione said:


> hello everyone thanx for the helpful / funny ideas... I think I will NOT try the dryer idea as my wife would be quite unamused I'm sure.. she already gets mad when I put my ball caps in the dish washer (no seriously works quite well).


Ball caps?
Is that a euphemism for underwear?


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## atarione (Aug 24, 2018)

lol.. no meant baseball cap.. whatever.. underwear would be weird in the dishwasher.. it would probably work..but I'd probably rewash the dishes...????


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