Lots of great info here. I appreciate all of it, and now rereading it again. With several shoulder and neck surgeries, it's always a struggle to get the right fit when I get a bike. This one has surprisingly been pretty good for me but then the RA developed and I'm back to riding being a bit of a struggle. I totally believe in the small adjustments being the key to better comfort. I put the gel pads on over the original handle bar tape then wrapped another roll of tape over them for more padding and that has helped a lot. I have the Ergon grips on my Crossroads bike and I really love them. It was the first thing I added when I got the bike. I really love the comfort of that bike and except for the weight, it is a fun bike to ride. I meant to ask about some gel gloves in my original post and if any of you use them and some recommendations for them. Just had an injection in the one hand yesterday so I won't be riding for a few days. I'll try fooling with some adjustments in the next few days and I'll be traveling for almost 2 weeks over Christmas so that will give my hands a little break. I realize that at 65 I have limits on what I can do as far as riding goes but it is an addiction, and a good one at that and I will find the right combo to make it as enjoyable as I can. Thank you all very much for your advice and expertise on this subject, boomer.