Grip twist shifters
A friend asked me to do some work on a couple of Huffy mountain bikes that they picked up on Craigslist for real cheap for their kids. For a Huffy, they’re in otherwise good condition. Just needed lubed, brakes adjusted (disc front, rim rear), wheels trued, shifting adjusted (3x6) grip twist shifters. Now I know Huffys are inferior quality bikes. And that’s certainly a separate discussion. But I’m asking about the grip twist shifters, particularly the front. At best, after lubing and working everything, it’s difficult for an adult (me) to twist that shifter and get the chain to shift. With the cable disconnected, the grip twist moved freely and easily. Likewise, the derailleur moves in and out freely and easily. And the cable moves freely the entire length through housings. But with the cable connected, it’s hard to twist that thing. Is there some secret to getting that shifting action easier? It’s similar on both bikes. And looking more closely at the derailleur, it appears that they (manufacturer) might have designed this combination with the wrong derailleur. The cable clamp arm looks like it might be too short to provide enough leverage for the twist shifter. That arm is certainly shorter than the clamp arm on my road bikes. Any ideas (quality of the bikes notwithstanding)?
Dan