# Grip Shifter Problems



## blondmusic (11 Aug 2011)

Hi everyone. I have just registered and apologise if I have not put this in the right place.

I have a cheap mountain bike, just to get me around from A to B, and my right grip shifter, which controls the gears 1 to 6, has a broken adjuster. Now i have tried to find another adjuster to fit onto it but it seems impossible. I am now considering changing the grip shifter for a new one but I have been told that if I do this then I will have to replace the entire rear derailleur. It is a Shimano 18 speed system with Falcon Enzo Shifters. I really don't want to have to replace anything more than the shifter and cables if i can get away with it.

Can anyone help?


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## rowan 46 (11 Aug 2011)

if you can get hold of a 6 speed shifter you don't have to change anything else. you might find one on ebay, some of the old bikes are sold cheap for spares but they are an old design and hard to find. You might find a mate has old bike lying around. If you can't find a 6 speed shifter then you will need to get a 7 speed shifter and upgrade your cassette and rear derailleur welcome to cycle chat by the way


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## RecordAceFromNew (11 Aug 2011)

to the forum!

If the only thing that doesn't work is your right gear shifter, and if your rear derailleur is a Shimano, then whoever told you changing the shifter requires changing the rear derailleur is either ignorant or is lying, and should be avoided either way.

I assume when you say the right grip shifter "adjuster" is broken means the whole thing is kaput, not just e.g. the cable tension adjuster (because normally you don't really need the right cable tension adjuster on the shifter, because there is usually a cable tension adjuster on the rear derailleur that does exactly the same thing!). Anyhow a Shimano right 6 speed grip shifter costs less than a tenner, e.g. here. For an 18 speed mountain bike with 6 cogs at the back, it will index just fine with ANY Shimano rear derailleur made within last 15 years or more.

Hope it helps!


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## blondmusic (12 Aug 2011)

Thank you very much for the responses. I have found a pair of Shimano Revoshifts on ebay for £16 and they are for the 6 speed but I plan to change both of them. I don't want gear shifters that don't match lol. I have also found some SRAM Shifters and a pair of Microshift Shifters too on ebay and again they are for a 6 speed.

It is the plastic adjuster on the grip shifter thats broken and I cant use first and second gear as it just shifts itself into third. Bike is quite new (I got it last year) so it should work if i replace the shifters.


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## Angelfishsolo (12 Aug 2011)

blondmusic said:


> Thank you very much for the responses. I have found a pair of Shimano Revoshifts on ebay for £16 and they are for the 6 speed but I plan to change both of them. I don't want gear shifters that don't match lol. I have also found some SRAM Shifters and a pair of Microshift Shifters too on ebay and again they are for a 6 speed.
> 
> It is the plastic adjuster on the grip shifter thats broken and I cant use first and second gear as it just shifts itself into third. Bike is quite new (I got it last year) so it should work if i replace the shifters.



Then for £16 you will keep your bike up and running. Great news


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## Angelfishsolo (12 Aug 2011)

RecordAceFromNew said:


> to the forum!
> 
> If the only thing that doesn't work is your right gear shifter, and if your rear derailleur is a Shimano, _*then whoever told you changing the shifter requires changing the rear derailleur is either ignorant or is lying, and should be avoided either way.*_



Amen to that!


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## Scoosh (12 Aug 2011)

Beware of mixing SRAM shifters with Shimano cassette




!

The difference is something along the lines that SRAM uses a 2:1 ratio, while Shimano uses a 1:1. If you mix them, they don't work right.


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## blondmusic (12 Aug 2011)

I will just buy the Shimano Shifters cos they look so much better. Thank you everyone. I will let you know how i get on. I will probably be back for more advice on changing the shifters. The new shifters come with new gear cables too.


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## blondmusic (5 Sep 2011)

I bought the Shimano shifters and changed them over this morning. It was quite easy to do but i am having another problem. On the rear derailleur it does not change properly for example when in 3rd gear it changes itself to 4th gear and when on the shifter it says 4th it is in 5th etc. From 2nd to 4th gear there is a chattering noise. Works ok in 1st gear they match up perfect. On the front cog set in the 2nd and 3rd cog there is a chattering noise but fine on the smallest cog. Anyone know how to sort this out?


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## Angelfishsolo (5 Sep 2011)

blondmusic said:


> I bought the Shimano shifters and changed them over this morning. It was quite easy to do but i am having another problem. On the rear derailleur it does not change properly for example when in 3rd gear it changes itself to 4th gear and when on the shifter it says 4th it is in 5th etc. From 2nd to 4th gear there is a chattering noise. Works ok in 1st gear they match up perfect. On the front cog set in the 2nd and 3rd cog there is a chattering noise but fine on the smallest cog. Anyone know how to sort this out?



Google "indexing gears" and you will find the answers


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