Average Old Guy

I ride an old hybrid bike of no particular pedigree for exercise since ortho doc told me to stop running, then HE told me to stop walking but he said riding the bike is okay.

And now I've developed arthritis in the thumb and thumb joint on my right hand -- which is the hand with which I shift gears. It HURTS to shift -- it hurts like 10,000 hells. Fortunately I live on flat ground, rural VA, where the Potomac River joins the Chesapeake Bay so I don't have to shift much. In fact, the pain is so bad now that I leave the right-hand shifter in one spot which is the gear that I can use for my every-other-day 5 - 10 mile ride.

I'm new here and have not posted the required 10 messages, so, I can't upload a photo of the right-hand shifter. The right-hand shifter has a twist grip, which I cannot twist because of the pain from my arthritic thumb. CAN I REPLACE THIS TWIST-TO-SHIFT SHIFTER with a shifter that uses paddles or levers or something other than this twist-the-grip. I have full use of the rest of my right hand, it's just the thumb and thumb joint that does not allow me to grip the shifter with enough force to shift.

Getting old is not for the weak.

Thanks in advance for what I know will be a lot of help.

smd4

Sorry for your pain. I think any other shifters are going to require you to use your thumb in some manner. Are there electronic options available? This would be outside my wheelhouse, but I'm sure someone will chime in.

Average Old Guy

That's what I'm afraid of.

I can use the thumb in a motion such as that used to ring the bike bell, I just cannot grip anything that requires more than a mild grip.

smd4

Well...there may be options. The motion you describe is pretty common. I'm sure folks have some recommendations.

Aardwolf

"a shifter that uses paddles or levers"

Sounds a lot like a down tube friction shifter or similar (you can mount them other places).
We're probably going to need more info on what your bike is.

dedhed

Short answer YES

Grip shifters are notoriously hard to operate. Depending on what derailleurs and speeds on the bike "rapid fire" "paddle" shifters are readily available and probably an upgrade.
One issue is some of the lower level ones are integrated with brake levers so brake type has to be compatible as well.

I'm assuming this is an upright riding flat bar hybrid.

We'd need to know what brand/model rear derailleur is and how many cogs on the rear (speeds) and what type of brakes cantilever, sidepull, or V brakes

jdogg111

you can reverse the shifters if u have a three speed on the left but being on flat ground, cheap fix, take front derailleur off and buy a trigger shift to match rear cassette and mount on the left side upside down so the levers are on top and use your fingers to shift.

dedhed

Something like this.

​​​​​​https://www.eriksbikeshop.com/shiman...er-pr3e22555/p

Or this
​​​​​​https://www.microshift.com/models/ts39-7/

freeranger

Does not come as a surprise that the twist shifter is difficult to operate. A paddle shifter should work better for you. But there are variables that come into play--how many speeds front and rear, shimano, sram, or other? I'd recommend taking the bike to a local shop so they can hook you up with something that will work for your specific need.

Iride01 

If you are getting up in age, you should treat yourself to a new bike. Maybe with electronic shifting if in your budget. And I might have to slap myself for saying this, but an e-bike might let you enjoy riding for a longer time or more often during the week.

I bought a new bike after over 41 years with the bike I had from college and a few other used bikes in between. Don't regret it one bit. Though now I want more new bikes.

icemilkcoffee 

Bar-end shifters?

Racing Dan

Im not aware of any flat bar shifter that doesn't involve your thumb. In shifters for drop bars SRAM has the "double tap" system and Shimano has SIS, that is operated with your wrist and index finger or middle finger. Of course there is electronic shifting, but its expensive.

Average Old Guy

Done!!!

Thanks for all the comments.

Being an adventurous do-it-myselfer, I ordered from Amazon Shimano Rapidfire lever shifters for front (3-speed) and rear (7-speed) derailleurs. Watched a lot of Youtube videos; dragged out my tool box; mounted the bike on my bike work stand; and in 45 minutes (95 deg F, 112 deg heat index) I replaced the old grip shifters, adjusted the front derailleur; hopped on the bike and put in 5 miles, shifting all the way just for the hell of it. No problem at all with my arthritic thumb -- the motion on the right shifter is different from the motion that causes pain.

No problems!! Must have been beginner's luck!!

70sSanO

I’ve got arthritis in my left thumb. I am well aware of your pain. After a while I could use a trigger shifter on my mtb. Twist shifters were of little help for me in easing the pain.

My solution was a thumb shifter. While it might seem counter productive, I got an older XCD 6000 Suntour shifter that is so massive I can use my palm to shift. I’m running 2x on my mtb’s and I don’t have to shift a lot, but there are no issues when I need to.

The downside is that it won’t index with a Shimano drivetrain so you will need to friction shift.

I know you found a solution, but you can file this away in case the pain returns.

John

The Chemist

I had a grip shifter on my Dahon, and my daughter had a grip shifter on her bike. We both disliked them, and I have since replaced both with trigger shifters (Shimano 7 speed on mine, Microshift 6 speed on hers). Much better!

Kai Winters

Glad it worked out for you.
Some "twisty" grip type shifters are nearly impossible to twist/shift as they age.
Today's shifters require much less pressure as the OP indicates. They are also reasonably priced and are relatively easy to replace.

BobbyG

I realize the OP has solved his issue, but yours was a good suggestion. When I converted my old MTB-based commuter to drop bars, I opted for bar-end shifters which I had never had before. Actually they're thumb-shifters mounted at the bar ends. I shift the levers down using the heel of my hand (the pad at the bottom of the palm), and shift the levers up using three fingers and the heel of my hand.

I previously had straight bars which my wrists no linger can handle, and rapid fire shifters, which aggravated my right thumb.

RB1-luvr

nice to see the OP found a solution. That's a victory worth celebrating.

tkamd73 

If where you ride is relatively flat why not consider an IGH hub. Yeah the change-over will be more complex, new rear wheel, or even new bike, but no more shifting with your hands. I converted an old Schwinn bike, and it seems to be the bike I ride the most now.
Tim

thumpism 

Interesting how body problems and those solutions differ. A buddy has a '90s DiamondBack with the original RapidFire shifters, two thumb push levers for the right and two for the left. Killed his thumbs on rides in the rolling hills of central Virginia. Grip Shift that I installed was the solution for him.

If friction shifting is an option, I'd recommend an old friction SunTour power stem shifter. Long lever for better leverage and you could use the heel of your hand so the thumb is not even involved.