Quote Originally Posted by batsheva View Post
yes - i started riding 3 weeks ago and have had no pain anywhere except sore thumbs - despite quite long rides for a beginner-- it's how i rest on the hoods, with just my thumbs hooked over them....

Batsheva - I bet as you get more comfortable with your bike and with riding in general, you will find that you can change your hand position more often. I know that helps me when my hands start to hurt. When I first started riding, I always had my hands near the hoods so I could reach the brakes. Now I ride with my hands all over the place on the bars. I've found that I don't use my brakes much unless I'm coming to an intersection or a sharp turn. I'm always alert and ready to move my hands to the brakes with a second's notice, but a lot of the time I've got my hands elsewhere on the bars.