Hybrid Bicycles - Help choosing shifters

My bike currently has SRAM Attack gripshifts. According to Specialized.com, it originally had Shimano R440, 9-speed STI shifters. I'm trying to find out what other shifters would work on my bike. It has a Shimano FD-R443 Tiagra front derailleur and a Shimano Tiagra long cage rear derailleur. I'm a newbie at all things bicycle, so I have no clue other than they have to be compatible with the gearing (9-speed rear, 3 in the front). Could anybody shed some light on the subject and help me determine my best options? Thanks.

I use the SRAM Attack 9-speed trigger-shifters on my Trek hybrid. They work flawlessly for me:

http://www.bicyclebuys.com/drivetrain/ShiftersMTB/1010026-A

Shop around for the best price.

<EDIT> They work great with Shimano Tiagra derailleurs.

If the SRAM twist grips are working, why not just leave them alone? Unless you want something different???

I personally LOVE my Shimano Deore LX triggershifters on my mountain bike. I was having a problem with them not always picking up when downshifting (in the rear), I opened them up, put oil on the pivots inside the shifter unit, put the dust cover back on, and the shifters have been like new ever since. They are 8 years old, so I guess a little oil is needed now and again. If I ever feel like shelling out the money on my Sirrus, I want to do a 9speed conversion, new wheels, and a 11-28 cassette. Someday maybe...

Grip-type shifters can be a hassle. If you stand up on the cranks, your hands can accidentally shift your gears - causing you to lose your cadence - or sending one over the handlebars in a worst-case scenario. Trigger-shifters have no such problem.

Grip-type shifters can be a hassle. If you stand up on the cranks, your hands can accidentally shift your gears - causing you to lose your cadence - or sending one over the handlebars in a worst-case scenario. Trigger-shifters have no such problem.

Yeah, they can, if you're a dork and keep your hands on the shifters. In reality, this has never been a problem for me on all of my grip shifts.

That said, I do prefer triggers.

I prefer trigger shifters, too, but have never had such a problem with gripshift, on or offroad. Especially for offroad, they offer one MAJOR advantage: the ability to dump ALL gears in a split second. But for offroad, I would want triggers myself.

also, in MY experience, cheap grip shifters work much better than cheap trigger shifters.

I would look for Shimano LX trigger shifters. Mine have always functioned smoothly (until they needed oiling - preventative maintanence?) and still do. They might cost a little more, but, IMO are worth it. If I decide to upgrade my Sirrus, It will get LX shifter pods. Deore shifters would likely be almost as good, for a bit less if you can find them...

Thanks for all the information. There's nothing wrong with my shifters, per se. I just wanted to get trigger shifters so that I could change grips to the Ergon GC3s. I can't find the GC3s in the large gripshift length without buying from overseas for an inflated price. I could get the regular length and cut them, but it would look sloppy. So, Deore 9-speed shifters are compatible with my Tiagra components? I did not know that.

So, Deore 9-speed shifters are compatible with my Tiagra components? I did not know that.

Any Shimano/SRAM 9 speed shifters should be compatible. The cable pull on them are identical. I personally like SRAM's shifters better.

Any Shimano/SRAM 9 speed shifters should be compatible. The cable pull on them are identical. I personally like SRAM's shifters better.

Not totally true I believe. In most of their MTB shifters SRAM makes two versions, one Shimano rear derailleur compatible and one SRAM rear derailleur compatible. Current SRAM MTB rear derailleurs require quite different amounts of cable pull per shift than Shimano derailleurs.

Also from what I have read SRAM road and MTB rear derailleurs have different cable pull ratios so cannot be swapped w/o changing shifters, unlike Shimano parts.

You will like the triggers..........

You can always go back to the original spec, Shimano 440s. Not cheap, looks like $83 from UC:
http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=7410

You can always go back to the original spec, Shimano 440s. Not cheap, looks like $83 from UC:
http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=7410
Yeah, I could, but they are way too expensive for my budget at the moment. I need to get a handlebar, shifters, GC3 grips, and possibly a stem, as well. I may have found a nice flat bar, stem, and shifter combo on craigslist, but I have to wait to hear back from the guy.

I removed my Shimano Deore 9-spd. trigger-shifters and replaced them with the SRAM Attack 9-spd ones. They are Shimano compatible and work great with a Tiagra RD/FD. I upgraded my drive-train to Ultegra, and they work great on that as well. Under $50 if one goes hunting*. Much smoother and sure in the shifts than the Deore ones. Which I still have for someone who wants/needs them (no - I'm not offering them for sale here).


* - Or shopping as the ladies would say - usually. Not always! :D

I removed my Shimano Deore 9-spd. trigger-shifters and replaced them with the SRAM Attack 9-spd ones. They are Shimano compatible and work great with a Tiagra RD/FD. I upgraded my drive-train to Ultegra, and they work great on that as well. Under $50 if one goes hunting*. Much smoother and sure in the shifts than the Deore ones. Which I still have for someone who wants/needs them (no - I'm not offering them for sale here).

The Deore shifters that were stock on Panthers' bike are not bad at all. I have those and swapped mine out as well, but moved them to another bike.

I have the Shimano Deore shifters, and have never had a problem with them.