Reducing Weight on Arthritic Hands

[Lectric Bill]

A fork crown failure 20 years ago broke all 4 metacarpals in both hands (among other things). At age 76, the resulting arthritis calls for some modifications to my Specialized Turbo Como 5.0 bike.

I’ve taken three actions:

1. Swap out the standard stem with a Kinekt suspension stem. (100 mm, 30 degree rise)
2. Replace the grips with SQ Labs 702 grips.
3. Reverse the stem to bring the bars 7 ½ inches reward.

No. 3 was the most radical, but they all work together to give me almost no pressure at all on my hands as I ride. Downhill, cruising, or working hard uphill, no pain!

While the very upright posture puts more pressure on my sit bones, the Como’s Specialized Body Geometry “The Cup” saddle is very accommodating. And yes, the posture isn’t quite as ergonomically efficient at delivering power to the pedals as a more crouched position, but that’s what my motor is for. After mounting the bars, I did have to tilt them up slightly to make sure my knees cleared the grips in tight turns. After tilting the bars, I had to re-flatten the position of the grips to make sure my hand-wrist-forearm are in a straight line.

I find that I’m smiling again after even long rides.

I know: without pics, it didn't happen. So...

1.

2.

3.

Note: the ugly black duct tape on the top tube is to protect the paint from my U-lock.

 

[theemartymac]

I've added a bit of a riser bar with a better sweep, the SQL 702's with the integrated Inner bar ends, and it has made my bike very comfy and ergo friendly. I plan to swap out the stock springer fork with a better one in spring to finish off the front end, but so far I'm loving the upgrades.

 

[Lectric Bill]

Not trying to hijack your thread but because you mentioned about handlebar, it kind of reminded me of this.

There's a Japanese ebike company called Kyoei and they found out that this hand position is the most comfortable for people with hand mobility issues.

What do you think?

I'd have to try that setup on a leaning 2-wheeler, but the principle seems sound to me. Having the radius and ulna bones aligned vertically is anatomically neutral, sort of like those radically vertical ergonomic keyboards:

That said, I wonder how the hands would react to having to grip the bar to keep them from sliding down when putting any pressure on them from above. Sitting totally vertically on a 4-wheeler, and having the arms out in front of you, would avoid those kinds of forces.

 

[Art Deco]

Mabe not quite as radical but member @Marci jo has a very similar to the picture above vertical bar end arrangement on her Turbo Vado that I noticed and asked her about in one of the pictures from rides threads. Maybe I can find it, but the short answer was a injured wrist causing permanent pain with the standard handlebars and grips, IIRC.

 

[Art Deco]

Didn't find that photo but did find her mention of a stem riser similar to @Lectric Bill here

Reason(s) for the harsh Vado ride

Given the number of suspension seat posts mentioned here (and I'll probably join the crowd soon), I suspect I'm not the only one to have noticed this, and I'm simply curious about why this seems to be so. Mainly, I've been surprised at how jolting the ride on my Vado can be. As an example...

electricbikereview.com

Edit pictures of her bike at post 900 of this thread

Specialized Turbo Vado/Como/Tero/Tero X User Club

Decided to "pimp-out" one of the ebikes with neon pink accents. None of it is permanent so the bike can be returned to its boring gray color at anytime. The shirt is from a cycling trip through part of Slovenia-Austria-North East Italy. Europe rocks for cycling and I can't wait to return!!

electricbikereview.com

 

[tomjasz]

The best part of being old and a throttle head is being able to ride a crank forward upright handlebar Townie style frame and saying f*ck all to worrying about drag.

 

[Art Deco]

That's the thing that sold me on the Como, not the throttle, the upright position. My issue is not wrist or hands, but spine. I'm bone on bone, no discs left, and even the vibrations from pushing a lawn mower can cause real pain. Leaning over drop bars just isn't for this old man.

 

[6zfshdb]

It seems the "elder-riders" I meet all have their own recipe for minimizing riding discomfort. It's a highly individualistic process and differs on almost every e-bike I've encountered. This is no surprise since senior riders suffer from a great number of ailments which require varying remedies. It must be comical to youngsters who see us seniors gathered at parking lots and trailheads discussing our infirmities. In any case, I think it's a good thing that we share our health related problems here so others can learn of possible solutions.

I've learned a lot on this forum and through much experimentation, I've settled on a combination of accessories which work well for me. My wrist & arthritic hand pain used to be the limiting range factor until I added the following to my ride:

Wake 6" stem riser, Redshift 30 degree suspension stem, Jones H bars and Bontrager Ergo grips. They are tough to see in the pic due to all the bolt on accessories but have all but eliminated the wrist & hand discomfort.

Now all I have to do is work on butt discomfort. The Kinekt 2.1 suspension seatpost and Spiderflex split saddle have increased my range to 60 - 70 miles but I walk funny for a while after such a ride. If I could only figure a way to bike mount my Lazyboy recliner, I could ride forever!

 

[Jetsfan901]

Wanted to raise the handlebars on my Yamaha CrossCore for a little added comfort. Purchased a riser off of Amazon, figured it was an easy enough project, which it was until I realized their was not enough cable length going to the control panel to be able to be able to raise the handlebars. Trying now to decide what my best options are to add a little more comfort to the bike. Already have a Shockstop stem that works pretty well.

 

[6zfshdb]

Wanted to raise the handlebars on my Yamaha CrossCore for a little added comfort. Purchased a riser off of Amazon, figured it was an easy enough project, which it was until I realized their was not enough cable length going to the control panel to be able to be able to raise the handlebars. Trying now to decide what my best options are to add a little more comfort to the bike. Already have a Shockstop stem that works pretty well.

This is a common problem when raising E-bike handlebars. Longer brake and shifter cables can be added fairly easily but the control cables can be a hassle. I don't know anything about the Yamaha but many types of cables can be extended with these products from Bafang:

https://www.amazon.com/BAFANG-Extension-Connector-Conversion-Length/dp/B07WMFFFHP/ref=asc_df_B07WMFFFHP/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=366402336386&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10071497732839242214&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9006891&hvtargid=pla-818565395883&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=77662694833&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=366402336386&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10071497732839242214&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9006891&hvtargid=pla-818565395883

If you can't match the Yamaha pin configuration, these cables can be cut and spliced into the bike wiring harness to gain the slack needed. I wouldn't attempt this unless you are proficient with a soldering iron though. There could be warranty issues as well.

 

[Lectric Bill]

Wanted to raise the handlebars on my Yamaha CrossCore for a little added comfort. Purchased a riser off of Amazon, figured it was an easy enough project, which it was until I realized their was not enough cable length going to the control panel to be able to be able to raise the handlebars. Trying now to decide what my best options are to add a little more comfort to the bike. Already have a Shockstop stem that works pretty well.

Not sure how many wires are in your control panel cable, but if you look at the enlarged version of my setup in post #1, you'll see a rough spot on the wire closest to the steer tube. That is where I spliced in about 9 inches of 2-conductor wire to allow me to fit my headlight above the bars and accommodate the Kinekt suspension stem travel without strain on the wire.

I used bits of vinyl electrical tape around each conductor, covered with heat-shrink tubing to seal the splices. It's not pretty, but the light works, even in the rain.

As, 6zfshdb advises, you'll need to be comfortable around a soldering iron (and take your time).

 

[Sierratim]

This Velo News article by Lennard Zinn (of Zinn and the Art of ----- Bike Maintenance) briefly discusses one rider's experience with wrist arthritis. Scroll to the bottom of the article to see this piece. For him the Redshift suspension stem resolved his pain.

This Zinn article discusses recommendations from a bike fit 'guru'.

I don't have wrist arthritis, yet, but find that the Ergon GP3 grips help relieve my Carpal Tunnel numbness.

 

[ebikemom]

Not trying to hijack your thread but because you mentioned about handlebar, it kind of reminded me of this.

There's a Japanese ebike company called Kyoei and they found out that this hand position is the most comfortable for people with hand mobility issues.

What do you think?

Wow--I also wonder about quads instead of trikes--what would the advantages of this design be--is it more stable than a trike?

 

[6zfshdb]

Wow--I also wonder about quads instead of trikes--what would the advantages of this design be--is it more stable than a trike?

They did away with trike ATV's years ago and went to quads for greater stability. I think the theory would be the same for e-trikes/quads. It would be a challenge to carry multiple quads in a vehicle though.

 

[PedalUma]

Something I do for local people with hand pain are upright position electric bikes with coaster brakes. Stopping without using brake levers is a nice. These bikes do have some weird issues that take two rides to figure out. The rear internal gear hubs have up to eight-speeds on some Dutch style bikes.
The image shows one with the kickstand on the coaster brake arm because the mid-drive took the place it would normally go. This bike also has an old Gatorade bottle covering the battery. Sorry the bike is dirty from riding in the rain. It is a three-speed with a 16-t cog.

 

[Watts Up]

After decades of dropbar/flatbars on my non-powered, I added ergo grips and BMX handlebars to my new e-bikes...Steep uphill/downhill (road) is a breeze.

 

[PedalUma]

Threadless 31.8mm articulating stem risers work well and look good. But do not address the brake lever problem.

 

[tomjasz]

upright position electric bikes with coaster brakes.

My favorite build is still my Trek Pure, 3pd, coaster brakes, front rime brakes with MXUS 1000W DD hub.

 

[tomjasz]

upright position electric bikes

 

[Alvin1957]

My favorite build is still my Trek Pure, 3pd, coaster brakes, front rime brakes with MXUS 1000W DD hub.

Hey Gang, way back in mid-70's I saw a guy that not only reversed his quill stem but installed a set of reversed 'butterfly' handlebars. He tilted them back so far that the grip ends were sticking almost straight up. Looked a lot like the tiller on a small boat. He just couldn't reach any kind of regular bar/grip combination. It did limit knee clearance a bit but worked for him. You could tilt the bar up a little depending on the grip angle. A shorter version of the 'butterfly' bars would probably be safer and might serve some rider's needs. Just something to add to your lines of thinking. Thanks, Alvin