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Morning all,
I'm just wondering if anyone else gets thumb pain when they're riding, and if so, if you've had any luck getting rid of it?
It doesn't impact my riding much, except it's a real pain (literally!) to change the front mech back onto the big ring, and much of the time, I have to wait for somewhere I can shift with the heel of my hand rather than my thumb.
No doubt someone will be along soon enough to tell me the answer is switching to 1x11, but both in the interests of economy and actually figuring out what I'm doing to my thumbs, I'd rather explore other options first!
I haven't figured out if it's worse on the left because it's actually worse, or just because the left hand shifter is so much heavier to move, and even now (Tuesday morning, and last rode on Saturday afternoon) I've got a vaguely sore feeling in them.
I have had this recently in my right thumb, I think it's from too much smart phone use, stretching to reach the top/bottom of the screen seems to bring it on, and shifting with the clutch engaged on the XT rear mech is fairly difficult. Could this be attributing to your pain?
gripping the bars too hard is the usual suspect
If they're pointing down, try rotating your brake levers up a touch to see if that eases it a bit. Or some ergonomic grips so you can tuck your thumb up and rest the base of your hand on them on uphills and flats.
Other possibles - I've got a new side-swing Shimano mech on my 2x10 setup. The amount of pressure you need to exert to shift up is massively lower than my previous mech.
I suspect the mech is a symptom rather than the cause - after all, I don't shift all that much on the front - but I'll take my hardtail out this evening to see if that makes much difference with an XT vs Sram mech.
I suspect the mech is a symptom rather than the cause
I agree, but an easier push might allow you to shift with the thumb rather than the hand.
I assume you're too young for it to be arthritis. I'm not, so for me the answer is gripshift and the right bar-end.
I assume you're too young for it to be arthritis. I'm not, so for me the answer is gripshift and the right bar-end.
I really hope so at 46, but how would one find out?
For me, a swelling or lump at the base of both thumbs, where the trouble is, also on various finger joints.
It's an odd things that set it off for me. Sometimes the most gentle movement, like reaching out for something, opening the hand with no weight or force makes me yelp when heavier or harder actions seem ok.
Cane Creek used to do Ergo bar ends, I have a pair, and chose these for a second bike...
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/handlebars/ravx-ergo-x-bar-ends-pair/
... I find they let me keep weight off my thumbs.
PS - next time you see a Doc, ask if there's treatment.
Similar issue here, mine is arthritis and started a few years back, about your age OP.
I got this once when I set up my new bike.
What worked for me was just repositioning the levers a little (rotating). It was a tiny adjustment but solved it as soon as the next ride.
Mines osteoarthritis from motorcycles. the cure is twist shifters
i eased mine by raising my bars and changing my grip to thicker ones
I get pain at the base of my thumb on my left hand, 1 x 11 so no shifter, its probably a bit of arthritic pain (50 y.o). I use Ergon grips which help a lot and riding with thumbs above grips eases it. Ironically gloves with lots of gel padding, ie specialized body geometry, seem to make it worse but that could be the wider surface on the grips.
I had thumb issues after managing to sprain both in seperate incidents 3 months apart.
I found Jones Bars massively more comfy.
Used to get this - swapped to Gripshift, problem solved
Although, on new bike without GS and get it now and again, not sure of the cause but I'm wondering if ill fitting gloves may contribute to it, cutting blood supply or something - are your gloves tight around the base of your thumb when holding the bars in the riding position?
Well, I rode for 26 miles last night - albeit with only iirc two changes on the front - and all was fine with the XT shifter which is definitely far lighter than the SRAM one on my other bike. I still don't know if that's cause or symptom though.
Gloves seem to fit fine, as I had wondered about that as well.
I should have added earlier, ISTR the trouble with shifters was one of the first problems I noticed.
Sorry to be the bringer of bad news.
I find mine is ok with xt shifters as long as I keep the cables fresh - that means annual replacing of inner and full length outers. I have been using dropper remotes on the right side, as that thumb is better, but have recently gone to a Wolftooth light action one on left side on my 1x11 FS - the lever action is way less pressure than even a perfectly setup xt front mech, so all good for now.