Why do people dislike Grip Shifts?

Hello there.

I now have 2 pairs of shifters and a set of alloy flat bars that I am
not using.

I have enough other spare parts plus an extra 8 speed wheelset and a
nice cro-moly hard-tail mtb frame to build up an mtb/poor man's
touring bike for another friend of mine who needs a half way decent
bike for dirt road and rail-trail riding but who can not afford to buy
one at this time.

About the shifters I have on hand. One pair of these is a set of
Alivio Rapidfire dual trigger shifters. The other set is a pair of
SRAM MRX Comp shifters. Both are 8 speed and in excellent little used
condition.

Many posts on these groups are from people who do not like grip
shifts. Before I build up the bicycle for this fellow I would like to
find out why so many of you do not like the grip shift. In my opinion
they would be easier for a casual rider to master. I bought the SRAM
ones because too many times I shifted the wrong way using the Alivio
shifters.

So why do so many of you have such a strong dislike for grip shifts?

Thanks from Puzzled Peter.

In article . com,
Sir Ridesalot wrote:

Hello there.

I now have 2 pairs of shifters and a set of alloy flat bars that I am
not using.

I have enough other spare parts plus an extra 8 speed wheelset and a
nice cro-moly hard-tail mtb frame to build up an mtb/poor man's
touring bike for another friend of mine who needs a half way decent
bike for dirt road and rail-trail riding but who can not afford to buy
one at this time.

About the shifters I have on hand. One pair of these is a set of
Alivio Rapidfire dual trigger shifters. The other set is a pair of
SRAM MRX Comp shifters. Both are 8 speed and in excellent little used
condition.

Many posts on these groups are from people who do not like grip
shifts. Before I build up the bicycle for this fellow I would like to
find out why so many of you do not like the grip shift. In my opinion
they would be easier for a casual rider to master. I bought the SRAM
ones because too many times I shifted the wrong way using the Alivio
shifters.

So why do so many of you have such a strong dislike for grip shifts?

Can't speak for others, but for myself I find that during brain-melting
mountain bike efforts, I was more likely to accidentally shift the grip
shifters while riding. Trigger shifters stay out of my way when I'm
honking on the bars, which is good.

For a new rider using it for casual riding, there's a lot to recommend
Grip Shifters. They seem to be a very personal choice, which is to say
that some people like triggers and some people like Grip shifts, and
it's pretty random. There may be a slight bias for newer riders to like
Grips and more experienced riders to like triggers (or bar-top thumb
shifters, for retrogrouches).

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

On Apr 24, 4:31 am, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
Hello there.

I now have 2 pairs of shifters and a set of alloy flat bars that I am
not using.

I have enough other spare parts plus an extra 8 speed wheelset and a
nice cro-moly hard-tail mtb frame to build up an mtb/poor man's
touring bike for another friend of mine who needs a half way decent
bike for dirt road and rail-trail riding but who can not afford to buy
one at this time.

About the shifters I have on hand. One pair of these is a set of
Alivio Rapidfire dual trigger shifters. The other set is a pair of
SRAM MRX Comp shifters. Both are 8 speed and in excellent little used
condition.

Many posts on these groups are from people who do not like grip
shifts. Before I build up the bicycle for this fellow I would like to
find out why so many of you do not like the grip shift. In my opinion
they would be easier for a casual rider to master. I bought the SRAM
ones because too many times I shifted the wrong way using the Alivio
shifters.

So why do so many of you have such a strong dislike for grip shifts?

Thanks from Puzzled Peter.


No 'strong dislike' here and after 20 years of riding and racing mtbs
I still prefer gripshifts. But for me it's more to do with fit than
function as I have shovel like hands and getting my finger and thumb
to sit comfortably on the triggers is difficult. Plus I do like the
fact I can dump through the entire range of gears in one twist if the
terrain changes rapidly.

i loves me my gripshifts.

Sir Ridesalot wrote:
Hello there.

I now have 2 pairs of shifters and a set of alloy flat bars that I am
not using.

I have enough other spare parts plus an extra 8 speed wheelset and a
nice cro-moly hard-tail mtb frame to build up an mtb/poor man's
touring bike for another friend of mine who needs a half way decent
bike for dirt road and rail-trail riding but who can not afford to buy
one at this time.

About the shifters I have on hand. One pair of these is a set of
Alivio Rapidfire dual trigger shifters. The other set is a pair of
SRAM MRX Comp shifters. Both are 8 speed and in excellent little used
condition.

Many posts on these groups are from people who do not like grip
shifts. Before I build up the bicycle for this fellow I would like to
find out why so many of you do not like the grip shift. In my opinion
they would be easier for a casual rider to master. I bought the SRAM
ones because too many times I shifted the wrong way using the Alivio
shifters.

So why do so many of you have such a strong dislike for grip shifts?

Thanks from Puzzled Peter.

On 24 Apr 2007 01:31:39 -0700, Sir Ridesalot wrote:

Hello there.

snip

So why do so many of you have such a strong dislike for grip shifts?

Thanks from Puzzled Peter.

I find it difficult to downshift when braking (offroad) with gripshifters.

"Sir Ridesalot" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hello there.

I now have 2 pairs of shifters and a set of alloy flat bars that I am
not using.

I have enough other spare parts plus an extra 8 speed wheelset and a
nice cro-moly hard-tail mtb frame to build up an mtb/poor man's
touring bike for another friend of mine who needs a half way decent
bike for dirt road and rail-trail riding but who can not afford to buy
one at this time.

About the shifters I have on hand. One pair of these is a set of
Alivio Rapidfire dual trigger shifters. The other set is a pair of
SRAM MRX Comp shifters. Both are 8 speed and in excellent little used
condition.

Many posts on these groups are from people who do not like grip
shifts. Before I build up the bicycle for this fellow I would like to
find out why so many of you do not like the grip shift. In my opinion
they would be easier for a casual rider to master. I bought the SRAM
ones because too many times I shifted the wrong way using the Alivio
shifters.

So why do so many of you have such a strong dislike for grip shifts?

Thanks from Puzzled Peter.


I don't. They are lighter, cheaper, and allow me downshift 3-4 gears in a
pinch when I'm on a XC trail.

On Apr 24, 4:31 am, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
Hello there.

I now have 2 pairs of shifters and a set of alloy flat bars that I am
not using.

I have enough other spare parts plus an extra 8 speed wheelset and a
nice cro-moly hard-tail mtb frame to build up an mtb/poor man's
touring bike for another friend of mine who needs a half way decent
bike for dirt road and rail-trail riding but who can not afford to buy
one at this time.

About the shifters I have on hand. One pair of these is a set of
Alivio Rapidfire dual trigger shifters. The other set is a pair of
SRAM MRX Comp shifters. Both are 8 speed and in excellent little used
condition.

Many posts on these groups are from people who do not like grip
shifts. Before I build up the bicycle for this fellow I would like to
find out why so many of you do not like the grip shift. In my opinion
they would be easier for a casual rider to master. I bought the SRAM
ones because too many times I shifted the wrong way using the Alivio
shifters.

So why do so many of you have such a strong dislike for grip shifts?

Thanks from Puzzled Peter.


I think the top-line ones are OK, but I'm not fond of any below that
level. Due to the predominance of cheap plastic they make an ugly
ratcheting sound, fall apart rather easily, and each brand seems to
have its own cable replacement aggravations.

Mark (who uses bar-ends or top-mounts)

On 2007-04-25, wrote:
On Apr 24, 4:31 am, Sir Ridesalot wrote:

So why do so many of you have such a strong dislike for grip shifts?

[...]

I think the top-line ones are OK, but I'm not fond of any below that
level. Due to the predominance of cheap plastic they make an ugly
ratcheting sound, fall apart rather easily, and each brand seems to
have its own cable replacement aggravations.

I recently retired a set of low-end Gripshifts in favor of some old
Deore thumb shifters. This is the cable replacement procedure for those
Gripshifts:

1. Unclamp cable.
2. Remove bar-end and grip.
3. Loosen and remove shifter.
4. Pry off retention clip with a screwdriver.
5. Retrieve retention clip from across the room.
6. Remove grip portion of shifter and unthread cable.
7. Pick spring up off the floor.
8. Replace spring, hopefully in the correct orentation.
9. Thread new cable in, hopefully correctly.
10. Reassemble & test shifter.
11. Repeat steps 4 through 10 until cable is routed correctly.
12. Fetch retention clip from under the fridge where the cat batted it.
13. Reinstall retention clip.
14. Reinstall shifter, grip, and bar-end.

The shifters weren't all bad -- they allowed a significant overshift on
front upshifts, which was helpful -- but I won't miss the cable changes.

On Apr 24, 2:31 am, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
Hello there.

I now have 2 pairs of shifters and a set of alloy flat bars that I am
not using.

I have enough other spare parts plus an extra 8 speed wheelset and a
nice cro-moly hard-tail mtb frame to build up an mtb/poor man's
touring bike for another friend of mine who needs a half way decent
bike for dirt road and rail-trail riding but who can not afford to buy
one at this time.

About the shifters I have on hand. One pair of these is a set of
Alivio Rapidfire dual trigger shifters. The other set is a pair of
SRAM MRX Comp shifters. Both are 8 speed and in excellent little used
condition.

Many posts on these groups are from people who do not like grip
shifts. Before I build up the bicycle for this fellow I would like to
find out why so many of you do not like the grip shift. In my opinion
they would be easier for a casual rider to master. I bought the SRAM
ones because too many times I shifted the wrong way using the Alivio
shifters.

So why do so many of you have such a strong dislike for grip shifts?

Thanks from Puzzled Peter.


I put Grip****ters on my mtn bike several years ago
simply because it was my cheapest and most
expedient option at the time. Not my usual preference,
but I ended up liking them well enough. A few years ago
the rear shifter exploded on a trail ride. Thing shattered
and literally sprayed shrapnel. So the past few
seasons I've been using a rapidfire shifter on that
side and the original gripshifter on the other. Only
real problem other than constant threat of exploding
of plastic shards is that when it rains it can be difficult
to grip the damn gripper enough to shift, because it
requires a bit of a crank, it does.

Robert

On 24 Apr 2007 01:31:39 -0700, Sir Ridesalot
may have said:

So why do so many of you have such a strong dislike for grip shifts?

My primary objection is that the gripshift is trying to make one thing
do two jobs, and one of those jobs should NOT be coupled to the thing
that you're trying to use to keep yourself on the bike in a hairy
situation. The last thing I want happening when stuff gets
"interesting" is an unintended shift. Grips should grip, and stay
put. Shifters should shift, and move only when I intend for them to
move.

Secondarily, none of the ones I've tried was either as easily operated
as I would like (they require much more effort than I'd want to apply
frequently) nor as smooth and positive in their motion as I prefer.
All of them that I've used (inluding the one on my Dahon, the only
gripshift I haven't yet removed and pitched into the scrap pile on a
bike that I actually use) feel like they're on the verge of doing
something ugly every time I shift gears.

Some people adore them. I don't. In my opinion, this is a personal
matter first and foremost; before you decide which shifters to put on
someone else's bike, ask THEM which type they want. The opinions
expressed here, no matter how well informed, should always be trumped
by the opinion of the rider who will actually be using the bike.


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