Trek Twist Shifter difficult to shift onto large gear



D

Dan Braasch

Guest
I picked up a used Trek 220 (24" girl's mountain bike, 21-speed) for my
9-year old daughter. It has "Twist-Shifters", where part of the handle is
rotated to shift gears. The bike is in great shape, but she does not have
the hand strength to rotate the front shifter into the #3 (largest gear)
position.

The resistance increases as you twist toward the 3, and decreases toward the
1. I find it surprising how much effort is required, even for me (my hand
hurts after a while). This resistance I am speaking of is not the
"easy/hard" click stops that you can adjust with the gray ring, this is more
of a really high spring-tension type of resistance, that only gets really
bad just when the chain is about to jump to the large gear in front.

The front derailleur is a Shimano Altus, and the rear is a Shimano SIS.

I have cleaned and lubricated the derailleurs, gears, and the chain. I have
adjusted the derailleurs for best shift. I have not touched the cables or
the shifter yet, for lack of knowledge about what's inside the shifter.

Is this resistance normal for this type of shifter? Forgive my ignorance,
but it's been a while since I've researched bikes. My wife and I purchased
our last bikes in the late 1980's, and they have Shimano SIS and Exage
packages on them with flip-lever type shifters. I don't remember Twist
Shifters being around then.

One thing I may consider is replacing the shifter with an SIS flip-lever
type if it's available. (I'm sure that will initiate more questions from
me....... )

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

--
Dan Braasch
 
On Mon, 14 Jun 2004 22:55:11 -0500, "Dan Braasch"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>The resistance increases as you twist toward the 3, and decreases toward the
>that only gets really
>bad just when the chain is about to jump to the large gear in front.


I had the same problem on a bike I set up for a friend recently. In
my case, the high-gear limit stop screw was slightly too restrictive.
Try loosening it a small amount and see if it improves.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html#front
http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/howfix_frontderailleur.shtml

Good luck,
Steve
 
On Mon, 14 Jun 2004 22:55:11 -0500, "Dan Braasch"
<[email protected]> may have said:

>I picked up a used Trek 220 (24" girl's mountain bike, 21-speed) for my
>9-year old daughter. It has "Twist-Shifters", ...
>
>The resistance increases as you twist toward the 3, and decreases toward the
>1. I find it surprising how much effort is required, even for me (my hand
>hurts after a while)....
>
>The front derailleur is a Shimano Altus, and the rear is a Shimano SIS.
>
>I have cleaned and lubricated the derailleurs, gears, and the chain. I have
>adjusted the derailleurs for best shift. I have not touched the cables or
>the shifter yet, for lack of knowledge about what's inside the shifter.


The cables are a strong contender for part of the problem at least.

>Is this resistance normal for this type of shifter?


Normal? No. Common? Yes. Correctable? Usually.

>Forgive my ignorance,
>but it's been a while since I've researched bikes. My wife and I purchased
>our last bikes in the late 1980's, and they have Shimano SIS and Exage
>packages on them with flip-lever type shifters. I don't remember Twist
>Shifters being around then.


Your memory is not at fault. They are a relatively recent development
on mass-market bikes.

>One thing I may consider is replacing the shifter with an SIS flip-lever
>type if it's available. (I'm sure that will initiate more questions from
>me....... )
>
>Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.


My advice: As suggested by another poster, recheck the adjustment of
the front derailleur stop. If that's OK, then 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. I
would only try to service the gripshifts if the rest of the potential
problems have been eliminated. Some gripshifts become suicidal when
dismantled; try to get the appropriate diagrams to work with before
taking them apart unless you're pretty sure of your tech skills.

--
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.
 
Werehatrack wrote:
> On Mon, 14 Jun 2004 22:55:11 -0500, "Dan Braasch"
> <[email protected]> may have said:
> >I picked up a used Trek 220 (24" girl's mountain bike, 21- speed) for
> >my 9-year old daughter. It has "Twist- Shifters", ...
> >
> >The resistance increases as you twist toward the 3, and decreases
> >toward the
> >1. I find it surprising how much effort is required, even for me (my
> > hand hurts after a while)....
> >
> >The front derailleur is a Shimano Altus, and the rear is a Shimano SIS.
> >
> >I have cleaned and lubricated the derailleurs, gears, and the chain. I
> >have adjusted the derailleurs for best shift. I have not touched the
> >cables or the shifter yet, for lack of knowledge about what's inside
> >the shifter.

> The cables are a strong contender for part of the problem at least.
> >Is this resistance normal for this type of shifter?

> Normal? No. Common? Yes. Correctable? Usually.
> >Forgive my ignorance, but it's been a while since I've researched
> >bikes. My wife and I purchased our last bikes in the late 1980's, and
> >they have Shimano SIS and Exage packages on them with flip-lever type
> >shifters. I don't remember Twist Shifters being around then.

> Your memory is not at fault. They are a relatively recent development on
> mass-market bikes.
> >One thing I may consider is replacing the shifter with an SIS flip-
> >lever type if it's available. (I'm sure that will initiate more
> >questions from
> >me....... )
> >
> >Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

> My advice: As suggested by another poster, recheck the adjustment of the
> front derailleur stop. If that's OK, then 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. I would
> only try to service the gripshifts if the rest of the potential problems
> have been eliminated. Some gripshifts become suicidal when dismantled;
> try to get the appropriate diagrams to work with before taking them
> apart unless you're pretty sure of your tech skills.
> --
> 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.




Agree! + it could also be in the housing, ends, and/routing path. After
you are sure that the stops are set right, disconnect the cable at the
derailer and hold onto the end while shifting. It should slide so easy
that the only thing your cable-holding-hand should feel is the action of
the shifter. More on the details of cables, housings, ends, and routes
at Sheldon Brown's website:

<http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cables.html>



--
 
Thanks for all your input, I really do appreciate it.

I know the limiting screw is not the issue in this case, so it looks like
the cables are the next item to work on.

Dan Braasch
------
"daveornee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Werehatrack wrote:
> > On Mon, 14 Jun 2004 22:55:11 -0500, "Dan Braasch"
> > <[email protected]> may have said:
> > >I picked up a used Trek 220 (24" girl's mountain bike, 21- speed) for
> > >my 9-year old daughter. It has "Twist- Shifters", ...
> > >
> > >The resistance increases as you twist toward the 3, and decreases
> > >toward the
> > >1. I find it surprising how much effort is required, even for me (my
> > > hand hurts after a while)....
> > >
> > >The front derailleur is a Shimano Altus, and the rear is a Shimano

SIS.
> > >
> > >I have cleaned and lubricated the derailleurs, gears, and the chain.

I
> > >have adjusted the derailleurs for best shift. I have not touched the
> > >cables or the shifter yet, for lack of knowledge about what's inside
> > >the shifter.

> > The cables are a strong contender for part of the problem at least.
> > >Is this resistance normal for this type of shifter?

> > Normal? No. Common? Yes. Correctable? Usually.
> > >Forgive my ignorance, but it's been a while since I've researched
> > >bikes. My wife and I purchased our last bikes in the late 1980's, and
> > >they have Shimano SIS and Exage packages on them with flip-lever type
> > >shifters. I don't remember Twist Shifters being around then.

> > Your memory is not at fault. They are a relatively recent development

on
> > mass-market bikes.
> > >One thing I may consider is replacing the shifter with an SIS flip-
> > >lever type if it's available. (I'm sure that will initiate more
> > >questions from
> > >me....... )
> > >
> > >Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

> > My advice: As suggested by another poster, recheck the adjustment of

the
> > front derailleur stop. If that's OK, then 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. I would
> > only try to service the gripshifts if the rest of the potential

problems
> > have been eliminated. Some gripshifts become suicidal when dismantled;
> > try to get the appropriate diagrams to work with before taking them
> > apart unless you're pretty sure of your tech skills.
> > --
> > 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.

>
>
>
> Agree! + it could also be in the housing, ends, and/routing path. After
> you are sure that the stops are set right, disconnect the cable at the
> derailer and hold onto the end while shifting. It should slide so easy
> that the only thing your cable-holding-hand should feel is the action of
> the shifter. More on the details of cables, housings, ends, and routes
> at Sheldon Brown's website:
>
> <http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cables.html>
>
>
>
> --
>
>
 

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