+1 to all the braking comments. Now, forgetting about that for a minute I'm really confused by your issue with the hand cramping.
Originally Posted by
FreakyFast
and just dealing with a cramped right hand (my lefts hands okay cause I don't have a front derailleur/shifter). Unless I can find a shifter that, when butted against the brake lever, doesn't push my fingers towards the end of the handlebar (I like to have a nice wide grip on my bars).
Every flat bar geared bike that doesn't have integrated shifters/brake levers has a brake lever next to a shifter on BOTH sides. I've never heard of this being an issue. Could you post a picture or something? Maybe you just have really narrow grips. The fact that a shifter and brake lever is on the same side of the bars should have no effect on your hand position.