[holiday]

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

 

[Lone Rager]

Togs or something similar may be helpful.

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

 

[pctloper]

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.

 

[pctloper]

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.

 

[Ptor]

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.

 

[Ladmo]

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.

 

[In2falling]

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

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

 

[TheBaldBlur]

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

 

[holiday]

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

 

[formica]

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.

 

[rockcrusher]

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.

 

[pctloper]

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

 

[FitmanNJ]

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.

 

[formica]

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?

 

[Stevebiker]

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.

 

[Lone Rager]

^^^ 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.

 

[holiday]

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

 

[Nurse Ben]

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.

 

[PVP-SS]

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.

 

[jk59845]

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.