Grip Shifters VS Thumb Shifters???
05-12-07, 10:10 AM
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Grip Shifters VS Thumb Shifters???
I'm a MTB newbie, so maybe this is a dumb question. When I bought my 1st MTB back in 1991(a Schwinn Hurricane), it had thumb shifters(I don't know the correct term for these). Then around 99 or so my brother bought a MTB and his had grip shifters...he said the LBS sales guy said most companies were going with these since it "had less moving parts and were less likely to brake." He said they were more reliable. Sounded good to me. I haven't biked much since then and I really haven't paid any attention to the new bikes coming out either....until about a year ago when I decided to get a new MTB. I did my research and finally settled on the Marin Hawkhill....well imagine my surprise when it ships and I see that it has the "old" thumb shifters. Are these any good? Should I upgrade? I just don't know what to think since my 15+ year old bike had these thumb shifters. Should I get grip shifters?
05-12-07, 12:07 PM
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There is nothing wrong with thumb shifters. There is nothing wrong with gripshifters.
Gripshifters are harder to damage then gripshifters. The levers on thumb shifters can break if you strike them. There is really nothing exposed on a gripshifter besides the cable barrel which is typically tucked safely next to the brake lever.
I prefer grips to the versatility in shifting. You can drop or grab as many gears as the derailleur will allow you to (about 5 to 6) in one motion.
Gripshifters are harder to damage then gripshifters. The levers on thumb shifters can break if you strike them. There is really nothing exposed on a gripshifter besides the cable barrel which is typically tucked safely next to the brake lever.
I prefer grips to the versatility in shifting. You can drop or grab as many gears as the derailleur will allow you to (about 5 to 6) in one motion.
05-12-07, 01:38 PM
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As will said, theres nothing wrong with either. It boils down to personal preference. That said, i prefer the triggers on my mtn bike. I dont like the gripshift on my commuter but it will suffice until i wear it out.
That lbs guy was wrong - most bikes come with triggers.
That lbs guy was wrong - most bikes come with triggers.
05-12-07, 04:27 PM
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There's a difference between Triggers and thumbshifters. the Triggers that came on your Hawkhill are perfectly fine. Some people prefer GripShifts (my girlfriend being one of them 
) while others prefer triggers. (like me). There's nothing wrong with either of them and if anything I've found that the Gripshifts actually wear out a bit faster than the triggers (Your Mileage May Vary)
As for Thumbshifters, a decent set of friction thumbshifters will out last any indexed system, and will invariably be cheaper to replace, however, if you prefer indexing (one click = one shift) either triggers or gripshifts will be fine.
) while others prefer triggers. (like me). There's nothing wrong with either of them and if anything I've found that the Gripshifts actually wear out a bit faster than the triggers (Your Mileage May Vary) As for Thumbshifters, a decent set of friction thumbshifters will out last any indexed system, and will invariably be cheaper to replace, however, if you prefer indexing (one click = one shift) either triggers or gripshifts will be fine.
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05-12-07, 07:54 PM
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Is it very expensive to replace trigger shifters with grip shifters? I would prefer them and I just like the cleaner look as well. Thanks for the replies also!
05-12-07, 08:15 PM
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If you could sell your gripshifts, you could probably end up MAKING some money as gripshifters are usually cheaper than triggers. ie: my X.0 gripshifts were only 100$ while the triggers were around 230$.
05-12-07, 08:18 PM
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Originally Posted by Roxter
If you could sell your gripshifts, you could probably end up MAKING some money as gripshifters are usually cheaper than triggers. ie: my X.0 gripshifts were only 100$ while the triggers were around 230$.
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05-12-07, 08:25 PM
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Originally Posted by willtsmith_nwi
Gripshifters are harder to damage then gripshifters.
05-12-07, 08:28 PM
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Originally Posted by the wonginator
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05-13-07, 12:29 AM
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Originally Posted by evanatorx
why can't anybody make a thread worth viewing..
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05-13-07, 08:55 AM
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Look it up ...
Originally Posted by Raiyn
I kinda looked at that funny too.
Originally Posted by Raiyn
She ain't making jack on Alivio triggers. I've been looking for 8 Speed twisties and I've come up dry (not that they aren't there I'm just not going nuts looking.).
SRAM Attack 8 speed twisties (Shimano Flavored)
SRAM x.7 8 speed shifters (on sale $30)
For all the chiding you do of people who cannot find the search feature on BikeForums.net, I would figure you would at least be familiar with Google or BestBikeBuys.com.
My suggestion is just wait until she wears out the current cassette and upgrade to 9 speed at that time. Opens up some options at least.
05-13-07, 10:36 AM
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Ive got Shimano rapid-fire shifters on my Cannondale and I like them much better than the grip shifters it came with.
Ive ridden bikes with gripshift before and I had issues with it shifting on me when I didnt want it to. With the rapid-fire shifters I can crank on the bars as hard as I want (such as when trying to hop over a rock or a log) and it wont shift on me.
My bike is a '97 and I dont dare guess how many miles it has on it (I ride it at least 5 hours a week and it has hundreds of miles of trail riding on it) and I havent even needed to adjust the shifter cables yet, much less broke a shift lever. Id say that rapid-fire or "trigger" shifters are pretty durable.
Ive ridden bikes with gripshift before and I had issues with it shifting on me when I didnt want it to. With the rapid-fire shifters I can crank on the bars as hard as I want (such as when trying to hop over a rock or a log) and it wont shift on me.
My bike is a '97 and I dont dare guess how many miles it has on it (I ride it at least 5 hours a week and it has hundreds of miles of trail riding on it) and I havent even needed to adjust the shifter cables yet, much less broke a shift lever. Id say that rapid-fire or "trigger" shifters are pretty durable.
05-14-07, 02:00 PM
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Originally Posted by willtsmith_nwi
For all the chiding you do of people who cannot find the search feature on BikeForums.net, I would figure you would at least be familiar with Google or BestBikeBuys.com.
Originally Posted by willtsmith_nwi
Yes, "upgrade" to a system that is more expensive and less reliable.
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05-14-07, 09:05 PM
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i despise the gripshift for putting the uncomfortable padding into almost all biking gloves. you know those seams right on the inside of your hand where they put the gripshift padding.
05-14-07, 09:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Raiyn
For one thing, Best Bike Buys sucks, and I'm not shopping for the bloody things so I didn't spend any time digging for them other than a cursory look at a couple sites.
05-14-07, 10:07 PM
#18
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I just switched from SRAM X-Ray 8-speed gripshifters to a Shimano Deore 7-speed thumb shifter (with the phantom click that allows 8-speed compatibility). I'm wondering why I waited as long as I did to make the change. The shifts are immediate and crisp. I also have the option of switching to friction should anything happen to the RD in a crash. The only drawback is that I find myself twisting the grip when I want to shift. I'm sure that will go away over time.
05-15-07, 08:27 AM
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A bike that was just 'handed down' to me (Raleigh SC30, 7-speed x 3) has twist-shifters. In test-riding a handful of bikes, I've found I prefer 'rapid-fire' thumb shifters over twist-shifters. The twist-shifters on 'my' Raleigh don't have the gears enumerated (a major issue for me, someone who hasn't been on a bike in 25 years). I like to know what gear I'm in simply by looking at the shifters. I have two (possibly three) questions, then. https://www.bikeparts.com/search_resu...p?ID=BPC329490 Are these a good alternative to what I currently have?; is the upgrade easy enough for a 'Bikes for Dummies' type like me? Lastly, can anyone recommend affordable ( < $50) rapid-fire shifters to me if the aforemenntioned shifers are junk?
Thank you.
Thank you.
05-15-07, 09:11 AM
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Originally Posted by evanatorx
why can't anybody make a thread worth viewing..
Originally Posted by Raiyn
Don't like it, don't log in
05-15-07, 11:00 AM
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Its really personal preferences I think. Some people like thumb shift and some like grip shift. You can see both in the racer market out there as well. There are many types to thumb shift as well. Like sram, both gear up and down is push vs. Shimano is push and pull. Another type of shifters out since 2002 is Shimano Dual Control shifters which I hate...
Last edited by achc; 05-15-07 at 07:24 PM.
05-15-07, 01:00 PM
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Is it as simple as removing the twist shifters & adding 'thumb' shifters, whether Shimano or SRAM, or is it more-complicated than that? What's the benefit of Shimano thumb shifters over SRAM, and vice versa?
Thanks.
Thanks.
05-15-07, 03:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Mountain_Owl
Is it as simple as removing the twist shifters & adding 'thumb' shifters, whether Shimano or SRAM, or is it more-complicated than that? What's the benefit of Shimano thumb shifters over SRAM, and vice versa?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Originally Posted by Sheldon Brown's Glossary
Thumbshifter
The original style of shifter used on mountain bikes, up until the early '90s.
The common thumbshifters sold today are friction units
When the Shimano Rapidfire ® and Sun Tour X-Press ® shifters hit the market, confusion resulted, because these, too were operated by the thumbs. This confusion persists, so it is a good idea to avoid the term "thumb shifter." Unless, of course you're talking about the old school style thumbshifters.
The newer term for these is "top-mount" shifters, as opposed to "below-the-bar" shifters, such as Rapidfire. Which we commonly refer to as "Trigger Shifters"
RapidFire
Shimano below-the-bar shift levers for upright handlebars. The original version of Rapidfire, introduced in the early '90's, had two thumb buttons, one above the other. One was for upshifting, the other for downshifting. Since the motion was the same for shifting in either direction, riders found it confusing, and it was quite unpopular.
The newer generation, known as "Rapidfire Plus" uses a thumb button to shift to a larger sprocket, and an index-finger trigger to shift to a smaller one. This is a great ergonomic improvement, and Rapidfire Plus has been widely accepted.
SRAM also makes trigger style shifters.
The original style of shifter used on mountain bikes, up until the early '90s.
The common thumbshifters sold today are friction units
When the Shimano Rapidfire ® and Sun Tour X-Press ® shifters hit the market, confusion resulted, because these, too were operated by the thumbs. This confusion persists, so it is a good idea to avoid the term "thumb shifter." Unless, of course you're talking about the old school style thumbshifters.
The newer term for these is "top-mount" shifters, as opposed to "below-the-bar" shifters, such as Rapidfire. Which we commonly refer to as "Trigger Shifters"
RapidFire
Shimano below-the-bar shift levers for upright handlebars. The original version of Rapidfire, introduced in the early '90's, had two thumb buttons, one above the other. One was for upshifting, the other for downshifting. Since the motion was the same for shifting in either direction, riders found it confusing, and it was quite unpopular.
The newer generation, known as "Rapidfire Plus" uses a thumb button to shift to a larger sprocket, and an index-finger trigger to shift to a smaller one. This is a great ergonomic improvement, and Rapidfire Plus has been widely accepted.
SRAM also makes trigger style shifters.
When replacing shifters in addition to getting the number of speeds correctly matched you have to take into account the brand of rear dérailleur as Shimano shifters won't shift SRAM dérailleurs, but SRAM makes shifters that will work for both. (Front MTB dérailleurs will shift with either) Shimano uses a 2:1 actuation ratio for it's rear dérailleurs while SRAM is a 1:1. Most online stores will tell you what the SRAM part is intended for.
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