Grip-shift shifters too difficult to turn

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 10:41:34 +0200, "Joël Chappel"

may have said:

Hello,

I need an advice...

My daughter's 20" MTB has Shimano deraillers (TY22...) with Grip-shift
shifters.

This works not so bad...

But even after a serious cleaning/greasing/oiling/tuning, the shifters are
still too difficult for her. The shifters on brand new kid bicycles in
stores are much more easy to operate... So something must be wrong with my
setup on her bike...

My advice: Remove and inspect the cables. It's likely that they are
either corroded, dirty, or in need of lubrication. Clean, lubricate
and/or replace them as needed.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Quoted message said:

My advice: Remove and inspect the cables. It's likely that they are
either corroded, dirty, or in need of lubrication. Clean, lubricate
and/or replace them as needed.

Replace them! They're cheap enough not to be of a concern, and you usually
don't notice what's missing until you've replaced them.

Gripshifts are notoriously bad about this... rapidfire shifters don't really
have this problem because the leverage ratio is higher.

Also check her rear derailleur to make sure it hasn't corroded or rusted
solid.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Joël Chappel said:

But even after a serious cleaning/greasing/oiling/tuning, the shifters are
still too difficult for her. The shifters on brand new kid bicycles in
stores are much more easy to operate... So something must be wrong with my
setup on her bike...

If the gripshifts have ever been "lubed" with any kind of oil-based
lubricant (especially the spray-on variety) it's likely it's attacked
the plastic and caused it warp. Grip shifters are VERY simple
animals, and require almost no maintenance at all - and VERY little
lubrication.

Sadly, my very own personal grip shifts finally gave up the ghost on
this morning's ride... I had a new set on order already, but they
literally exploded all over the road. All I could do is play with the
cable to get a workable gear and stay in it for the rest of the ride.
Can't complain much though - they have to be at least six years old (I
entirely wore the first set of grips off the things, and am well into
the second set).

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

Mark Hickey said:

Sadly, my very own personal grip shifts finally gave up the ghost on
this morning's ride...
Can't complain much though - they have to be at least six years old (I
entirely wore the first set of grips off the things, and am well into
the second set).

Six years doesn't sound like a terribly long life for shifters. What did
I miss? Do you ride oodles of miles on that bike each year? Are they
subject to unusually hard wear for some reason?

--
Dave
dvt at psu dot edu

dvt said:

Mark Hickey said:

Sadly, my very own personal grip shifts finally gave up the ghost on
this morning's ride...
Can't complain much though - they have to be at least six years old
(I entirely wore the first set of grips off the things, and am well
into the second set).

Six years doesn't sound like a terribly long life for shifters. What
did I miss? Do you ride oodles of miles on that bike each year? Are
they subject to unusually hard wear for some reason?

They're plastic, for God's sake!
--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

dvt said:

Mark Hickey said:

Sadly, my very own personal grip shifts finally gave up the ghost on
this morning's ride...
Can't complain much though - they have to be at least six years old (I
entirely wore the first set of grips off the things, and am well into
the second set).

Six years doesn't sound like a terribly long life for shifters. What did
I miss? Do you ride oodles of miles on that bike each year? Are they
subject to unusually hard wear for some reason?

They've lived a very hard life - I certainly have no buyer's remorse
about the decision to buy 'em. In fact, I just got the replacement
SRAM gripshifters in this afternoon.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

Mark Hickey said:

They've lived a very hard life - I certainly have no buyer's remorse
about the decision to buy 'em. In fact, I just got the replacement
SRAM gripshifters in this afternoon.

Usually I've been getting about a month on SRAM MRX grip shifters
before the indexing thingy inside breaks off and they go to friction
shifters (wedge cut yoghurt container plastic under the shifter to
induce friction). About one out of four lives longer for some reason,
and may go for a couple years or more (so about 20k miles). I take it
there's at least one bad batch out there, and if you avoid it, you're
okay. I'm hoping it's a newer batch that survives and not an older
batch, so the problem will go away soon.

There's nothing really wrong with friction shifters and in some ways
they're better, but generally it's a relief to go to a working index
shifter afterwards.

The current shifter is one of the surviving ones so I'm not down on
MRX at the moment but that could change.
--
Ron Hardin
[email hidden]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Hickey" <[email hidden]>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 5:25 AM
Subject: Re: Grip-shift shifters too difficult to turn

Quoted message said:

Joël Chappel said:

But even after a serious cleaning/greasing/oiling/tuning, the shifters

are

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

still too difficult for her.

If the gripshifts have ever been "lubed" with any kind of oil-based
lubricant (especially the spray-on variety) it's likely it's attacked
the plastic and caused it warp. Grip shifters are VERY simple
animals, and require almost no maintenance at all - and VERY little
lubrication.

Reading my own message again, I find it definitely not that clear...
Sorry....

What I meant was the cables and housings were greased (that was a few months
ago now) and the deraillers were cleaned and oiled with chain oil.

But I've never put anything in the shifters themselves yet, because I know
their inner plastic parts might not appreciate such a treatment.

Anyway, I was told Grip-Shifts can be "lubed" using those tiny holes at the
top of them. So I downloaded the SRAM technical manuals for dealers. Here it
what they say : "
Use ONLY Grip Shift Jonnisnot Grease for any shifter lubrication."

Surfing around on the net again, I found that webpage :
http://www.bikesdirect.com.au/manual.htm#sub4 . Great site for servicing
tips. There, they say you might use vaseline or lithium based grease as
well.

So, I'll change both shift cables on my daughter's bike, and maybe some of
the housings. I'll lube the cables & shifters with vaseline based grease
(the same I use for wheel hubs). And we'll see if she's finally able to
shift easily.

Thanks to you all for your help.

Sorry Mark to have emailed you directly... Tired because of job problems ->
wrong "Answer" option... Better to get some rest before I consider to even
have a look at that bike.

Ron Hardin said:

Usually I've been getting about a month on SRAM MRX grip shifters
before the indexing thingy inside breaks off and they go to friction
shifters (wedge cut yoghurt container plastic under the shifter to
induce friction). About one out of four lives longer for some reason,
and may go for a couple years or more (so about 20k miles).

You like them so much that you're willing to accept that breakage
pattern?
--
Rick Onanian

Rick Onanian said:

Ron Hardin said:

Usually I've been getting about a month on SRAM MRX grip shifters
before the indexing thingy inside breaks off and they go to friction
shifters (wedge cut yoghurt container plastic under the shifter to
induce friction). About one out of four lives longer for some reason,
and may go for a couple years or more (so about 20k miles).

You like them so much that you're willing to accept that breakage
pattern?
--
Rick Onanian

It fits the space on the bars
--
Ron Hardin
[email hidden]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.