Thumb vs Grip Shifters
#26
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I have used grip shifters for many years of touring and found them fine (mtn bike handlebars). Now I use bar end shifters since buying a Surly. You get used to what you have at the time.
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#27
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Just a note that thumb shifters, like the Deore up above, are not the same as "trigger shifters," like modern Shimano stuff, right? Thumb shifters are the best - I think of them as knuckle shifters. Don't have to use your thumbs, just nudge it with a knuckle. The motion is almost like a grip shift.
#28
Looks like a ground swell of support for 'real' thumb shifters! I went on a hunt this afternoon and cannot find any 3 x 9 shifters (the 520 has a 9 speed in 2005) with the exception of MicroShift SL-T09s. I looked at the microShift website and the specs say compatible with Shimano 9 speed rear derailleurs...."road" models. So for now it looks like Rapid-Fire shifters are the best choice.
#29
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If my memory is correct, the 520 of that era was using a road crankset and front derailleur. If so, is that compatible with the shifter you are considering?
#30
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I rigged a city-type bike for a guy with a bum left hand and it featured a straight bar with a top-mount thumbie and a barcon on the right side of the bar.
For my own bikes with straight or riser bars I like Grip Shift/SRAM brand twist shifters and I insist on the front shifter being "friction" rather than indexed, many small clicks for precisely trimming the front derailleur instead of the three steps. Never liked Shimano's Rapid Fire.
For my own bikes with straight or riser bars I like Grip Shift/SRAM brand twist shifters and I insist on the front shifter being "friction" rather than indexed, many small clicks for precisely trimming the front derailleur instead of the three steps. Never liked Shimano's Rapid Fire.
I went on a bike trip in Europe for a week, bike was provided (along with food, lodging, guide, luggage service, etc.) and they provided a bike that had Shimano Rapid something, not exactly sure the name. But the cable pulled backwards so the shifter worked the opposite of my 1994 errand bike that is my only flat bar derailleur bike. Drove me nuts. Thus, I do not favor the Shimano Rapid <whatever it is called> shifters, but that is a personal thing. I thought it was called Rapid Rise, not Rapid Fire.
#31
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Many have had good luck with both. My previous life working in LBSs, however, convinced me that grip shifters are crap. The all-plastic construction makes them likely to break. The only advantage they have is that they are cheap, but Shimano has perfected the manufacture of inexpensive shift levers such that there is no reason to futz around with grip shifters.
NB most of my experience is with Sram gripshifters - the company that popularized the style in the early 90s. The SHimano compatible 'MRX' shifters they made were the worst of the worst. It is possible Micro-shift/soft are better than the old Sram ones. The European company Sachs was making better grip shifters up to the mid 90s, but Sram bought them out and crappified the design. Shimano also made grip-style shifters for certain drivetrains - they were very low cost but IME generally more reliable than the Sram ones.
NB most of my experience is with Sram gripshifters - the company that popularized the style in the early 90s. The SHimano compatible 'MRX' shifters they made were the worst of the worst. It is possible Micro-shift/soft are better than the old Sram ones. The European company Sachs was making better grip shifters up to the mid 90s, but Sram bought them out and crappified the design. Shimano also made grip-style shifters for certain drivetrains - they were very low cost but IME generally more reliable than the Sram ones.
#32
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I went on a bike trip in Europe for a week, bike was provided (along with food, lodging, guide, luggage service, etc.) and they provided a bike that had Shimano Rapid something, not exactly sure the name. But the cable pulled backwards so the shifter worked the opposite of my 1994 errand bike that is my only flat bar derailleur bike. Drove me nuts. Thus, I do not favor the Shimano Rapid <whatever it is called> shifters, but that is a personal thing. I thought it was called Rapid Rise, not Rapid Fire.
#33
They were marketed to the public as having fewer moving parts than thumb shifters and therefore less likely to break. But of course I had a right twist grip shifter break for no obvious reason such as a crash or what not. Meanwhile my wife's 2005 Shimano thumb trigger shifters continue to keep plugging along.
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#34
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robow Shimano started using non-serviceable ratcheting shifters in the late 80s, and the first couple generations did have some long-term reliability issues, but nothing as bad as Gripshifts. And through subsequent generations and redesigns, Shimano shifters are now super reliable for decades. The only regular failures are the lubrication inside getting hard over years of use, and occasional cables breaking resulting in loose bits fouling in the mechanism. Gripshifts came around about the same time, but Sram moved in large part to their own version od ratcheting shifters by the late 90s.
#35
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Rapid Rise was a derailleur-and-cable operation thing, with normal Low (largest cog) on the rear instead of normal High (smallest cog), as I recall. This arrived after my exit from the industry and after my magazine subscriptions lapsed so I know little else about it. Rapid Fire was the trigger-type shifters. None of my bikes have this stuff so I'm not much help on it beyond knowing some of the nomenclature.
#36
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When I went looking for a new bike in 2018 I wanted the thumb shifters, But the bike I liked best came with twist grip shifters. A little research on the SRAM Twist Grip Max shifters didn't reveal any glaring issues so i ordered the bike. After 2 1/2 years of recreational riding about 4,300 km on roads or easy trails I must say I'm quite happy with them.
I was concerned it would constantly be shifting as my wrist moves, But I've found it not to be a problem. Probably not best for mountain bikes as it has inadvertently shifted occasionally on more challenging trails with hills.
It does take considerable movement shifting between the 3 front chainrings though, But for most folks without wrist problems it's still works well.
I was concerned it would constantly be shifting as my wrist moves, But I've found it not to be a problem. Probably not best for mountain bikes as it has inadvertently shifted occasionally on more challenging trails with hills.
It does take considerable movement shifting between the 3 front chainrings though, But for most folks without wrist problems it's still works well.
Last edited by xroadcharlie; 12-03-21 at 01:11 AM.
#37
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Grip shifters become gluey over time and I always got unwanted shifts when grabbing the handlebars. Love the thumb shifters: small and no need to dial in the rear der
#38
The 'only' thumb shifters that I can find are Microshift (T-09) for $92 a set on all the usual online sources or $80 on eBay. I don't know if it's worth the extra $40 to $50 for the 'thumbs'.
#39
Junior Member
My Tour Easy recumbent came with SRAM grip shifters. I actually don't mind them; the only issue I have had is trying to shift with sweaty hands. Sometimes hard to get a good grip. I do prefer the Rapid Fires on my Verve and will probably change the Tour Easy to thumbies in the future.
#40
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#41
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My Rohloff shifter is a twist grip and it is hard to turn when my hands are sweaty or when I am not wearing gloves. I have the second generation, which is quite close to round. I put three beads of black color Shoe Goo on the shifter and get a much better grip. Each bead is a couple layers.
#42
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For a short time it was the standard, the one before it and the one after were much better. It was my bad luck that they changed shifters shortly before I bought mine eight years ago but they did not keep that design for long. The rubber also abrades quite easily, so the beads that stick out reduce how much it abrades over time.