Could I ever like gripshift?

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Mind is turning to upgrading my MTB next month as on all my other bikes I'm spoiled with 8 or 9 speed cassettes and my MTB is still on a 7sp (though the hub will take a 9) and a fairly wide ratio (forget the sizes offhand) and I'm growing to dislike the significant changes in gears - how did I ever manage to pootle around on an SA 3-speed? - oh right, yes, that was in lovely, flat Hull where they built a railway flyover just so they could have a bit of a hill

I'm just wondering....could I ever grow to like gripshift? To be honest I've never really tried it apart from quick goes on cheap BSO clunkers and a part of me still yearns for my old 6sp Mountain LX thumbshifters....though I have grown to like my old STX rapidfire pods.

I wonder..am I just being an old stick-in-the-mud?

Anyone else changed from rapidfire to gripshift and liked it or hated it and changed back?

 

[TheDoctor]

I've got bikes with rapid fire, gripshift and road STIs. To be honest, they're all fine. Once you get away from BSO-style gripshifters to SRAM or Shimano ones, they work nicely, and you can change the cable when needed.

 

[Muddyfox]

Cheap gripshift are rubbish but i rode an MTB with Sram X0 gripshift and it was lovely much much nicer than trigger shift and lighter with less maintenance

Simon

 

[CounterfeitKelly]

Get the X series Sram kit - easy to set up and maintain, very forgiving of awkward, cable routing frame designs and harsh riding conditions. Try opening up a Rapidfire unit and watch all the bits fall on the floor...

Sheffield Tiger, you used to work at Orbit with Simon Gershon? I was down in the 'pit' at West Street till 97 so we may have met (or at least know some of the same people). I'm Mike Owen if we have met. If not, nice to meet you.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Get the X series Sram kit - easy to set up and maintain, very forgiving of awkward, cable routing frame designs and harsh riding conditions. Try opening up a Rapidfire unit and watch all the bits fall on the floor...

Sheffield Tiger, you used to work at Orbit with Simon Gershon? I was down in the 'pit' at West Street till 97 so we may have met (or at least know some of the same people). I'm Mike Owen if we have met. If not, nice to meet you.

I was thinking along the lines of X0 if I was to go to gripshift.

I don't think I've met you personally or if I have then apologies, I'm terrible with names but I'm Alan Hood if that rigs any bells, though most likely we have probably met the same people (Chris"Fish", Mcgill and "Clunes" spring to mind) though I was only on piecework building the wheels around 96-97 so never got the exotic jobs like riding tandems solo down Granville Road to deliver them to West St.

 

[Simba]

Whats wrong with rapidfire?

I use sram x4 trigger system and had no problems with it

 

[Muddyfox]

Whats wrong with rapidfire?

I use sram x4 trigger system and had no problems with it

Nothing wrong with trigger shift, i use Sram SX5 on my Cannondale F5 but a well set up gripshift like Srams X0 is simply superb

Simon

 

[Spokesmann]

Haven't used a twist grip since riding an SW16 in the 1970s, the old Sturmey Archer one was OK. My Chopper Mk3 has one, although its never been ridden...

 

[martint235]

Ok complete newbie question. Ok been here for a while but.....

On gripshift, when you stand up doesn't the gear change with your change in hand position?

I've ridden rapidfire for a while (6 years ish) and shimano 105 (road) for a couple of years

 

[Mark82]

Ok complete newbie question. Ok been here for a while but.....

On gripshift, when you stand up doesn't the gear change with your change in hand position?

I've ridden rapidfire for a while (6 years ish) and shimano 105 (road) for a couple of years

If your hanging on the grip like ya life depended on it then i guess it would but i never had any problems shifitng gears by mistake

 

[marzjennings]

I've ridden with SRAM X0 for years and love 'em. I like the direct feel in shifting, the fact that I can drop through the entire ranges of gears in one shift, that there are no triggers to snap off in a crash and it's hard for any mud 'n' grim to get into the shifters and clog them up.

On the downside, you can't shift while braking and..... we'll I can't think of any more downsides.

 

[CounterfeitKelly]

I was thinking along the lines of X0 if I was to go to gripshift.

I don't think I've met you personally or if I have then apologies, I'm terrible with names but I'm Alan Hood if that rigs any bells, though most likely we have probably met the same people (Chris"Fish", Mcgill and "Clunes" spring to mind) though I was only on piecework building the wheels around 96-97 so never got the exotic jobs like riding tandems solo down Granville Road to deliver them to West St.

Hello Alan, the name rings a bell though I can't put a face to it to match up. I remember Chris, ah 'happy' days.

I googled Orbit Gold Medals a few weeks ago and found a post you put up about what had become of Orbit, so thats how I'm here now. I had some news off Gareth Rainford who used to come down from Leeds to sort out the computers. Simon sold Orbit to JD's in Ilkley (they are tandem specialists) and I'm not sure what happened to the Gerashift side of the business. Apparently Simon is currently walking the ROcky Mountains trail...

Better to ride a Tandem solo down Granville Road than up it!

 

[jethro10]

Cheap gripshift are rubbish but i rode an MTB with Sram X0 gripshift and it was lovely much much nicer than trigger shift and lighter with less maintenance

Simon

Thats what I have and love it.

My wife is a weakling, and was struggling with a sore thumb on the front gear change, someone on here recommended trying twist shift. She is Shimano and I fitted Sram Attack twisters.
It worked great for her, and I kinda liked it so changed mine also but got Sram XO as I am Sram.

Jeff

 

[jethro10]

Ok complete newbie question. Ok been here for a while but.....

On gripshift, when you stand up doesn't the gear change with your change in hand position?

I've ridden rapidfire for a while (6 years ish) and shimano 105 (road) for a couple of years

Are you assuming the twister bit is the full length of a normal grip?

It's not, it's perhaps 25mm long so you change with your thumb and one (usually) or two fingers (Wife - small hands!), and the rest of the grip is normal er, grip ;-)
So it's unlikely to change by mistake, I never have.

Jeff

 

[Kirstie]

I ran X0 for a few years on my race bike and ditched it, mainly because my hands are just too small, but also because I found an excessive amount of twisting was needed to change on the front chainrings. On longer races (12 hrs +), when your hands go numb from all of the vibration, I could barely change gear. I'm on X0 triggers now and they are much better IMO.