Shifter Built Into Handlebar Grip-Help?
 

Hi everyone,
I am attempting to change the derailleur cable on a 2004 K2 Zed Sport. It is a 26", 21 speed, city/ mountain bike with the shifters built into the handlebars. To shift, the rider twists a grip, and the bike shifts. My attempt to change the cable has gone bad - the shifter no longer makes the clicking sound indicating a shift. There is some small piece of metal in the handlebar twister that may be the source of the problem. Any ideas on how to fix this? Any videos on Youtube showing how to fix this?
Thanks!

Is this a Grip Shift brand shifter? If you Google "Grip Shift cable replacement" you should be able to figure out what went wrong.

The Park Tool site has good instructions: http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-...evers-shifters

the 'small piece of metal' is the detent spring that holds the shifter's position.
sounds like it has popped out of position thus no clickyclicky
notice the ridged toothy area inside the twistable half of the shifter
now look for a 'small piece of metal' sized gap on the same area of the non twistable half of the shifter
it goes in there

Low end GripShifters have to be partially disassembled to change the cable. It's easy to displace or even entirely lose the little hairpin spring when you do that. Fortunately, a brand new pair of GripShifters, with a new cable already installed, doesn't cost a lot more than just the replacement cable.

Hi everybody,
Thanks for your responses. I have a follow up question. One of the recommendations above is to simply buy a new pair of grip shifters. The maintenance for these shifters is frustrating. Changing the cables on my road bike is much easier. I am thinking of going for a different style of shifter. What do people recommend for an inexpensive, easy to maintain, easy to use, easy to install shifters for mountain bike handlebars? Thanks again!

Thumbshifters:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cg...item_id=SU-105
http://www.niagaracycle.com/categori...-thumbshifters
These are about as simple, durable, and easy-to-maintain as you'll find. The reason you don't see more of them is the perceived ease-of-use of "trigger" and "grip" shifters. The Sunrace items are non-indexed, which means you'll have to re-learn how to shift. This is a non-issue since us old-timers shifted without indexing up until the '80's.

Slides over the handlebar, not built in .. take the grip off and the shifter will come off after that.

If your shifters are indeed Grip Shift, you are likely to have Sram derailers as well. The rear shifter has a different cable pull than Shimano so you'll have to stick with Sram shifters. That's not really an issue, however. Sram makes very good paddle type shifters. Sram X3 shifters can be had for as little as $25 per set. Those are 7 speed shifters. 9 speed shifters are around $75.

As to quality, Sram is every bit as good as Shimano. I have 3 mountain bikes equipped with Sram that work flawlessly.

Whatever you choose, the hardest part is getting the old grip off. If, other than the maintenance issue, you're happy with what you have now, I'd suggest replacing them with the same thing. That might be the cheapest too. GripShift markets shifters for both Shimano and SRAM rear derailleurs so just make sure you get the one that matches what you have. I'm guessing the odds are right at 50/50 so be sure to check before you buy.

Much much easier to replace cables on more recent SRAM twist shifters than on first generation Grip Shifters.

Oh yeah. Not even close.

Those first generation MRX shifters are still around, however, and the fact that they lasted this long speaks well of their durability.

There's a reason they're call Gripsh*t...

Not necessarily. SRAM has/had two lines of stuff, one proprietary, one fully Shimano-compatible. My commuter runs a 7-speed SRAM Gripshift which plays very nice with a Shimano STX-RC rear derailer.

I find replacing cables on Gripshifts easier than on low end Shimano triggers, personally.

MRX with the white plastic are super easy. Shift to no tension gear, lift rubber under the numbers, push on cable til head pops out, pull cable. Install by lifting rubber and pushing cable in.

The new MRX, last year or two are pretty easy, too, but feel a little more sloppy to me.

As for putting disassembled Gripshifts togethe, yeah, that's tricky. My first set took me about three hours. Now about twenty minutes. Get the clicker in right, get the cable wrap right then pull cable as you rotate the twister til its detents line up with the clicker then push together.