Grip-shift shifters too difficult to turn



J

JoëL Chappel

Guest
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...

That's of no importance for her ridings in the nearby
streets, since she won't shift anyway, but during our MTB
errands, and for the cyclocamping ride we plan for next
july, that's a problem.

Has anybody an idea ?

That's for casual use, so I wish I don't need to release her
whole transmission. Anyway, brand new stock kid bicycles use
the same kind of low-end components.

Thanks in advance.
 
On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 10:41:34 +0200, "Joël Chappel"
<[email protected]> 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.
 
> 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" <[email protected]> wrote:

>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 wrote:
> 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 wrote:
> Mark Hickey wrote:
>> 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 <[email protected]> wrote:

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

> "Joël Chappel" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >But even after a serious cleaning/greasing/oiling/tuning,
> >the shifters
are
> >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.
 
Mark Hickey wrote:
> 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 protected]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.
 
On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 08:17:40 GMT, Ron Hardin
<[email protected]> wrote:
>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 wrote:
>
> On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 08:17:40 GMT, Ron Hardin
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> >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 protected]

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