Shimano Revoshift Issues
 

Hi folks. My neighbour bought a bike with one of these for the rear cogset:

https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/produ...L-RS35-6R.html

No front derailleur. It has 7 gears, but only shifts 2-7. It won't go into first. The restriction is in the shifting unit.

Does anybody know why this has that restriction? I've downloaded the documentation and there's nothing in there. I can't see why this thing is not working. I thought somebody has some experience with these.

Any insight appreciated. Cheers

Most likely a RDER adjustment is needed.
Turn the barrel adjust counter clockwise a few clicks an see if it starts "trying" to get to 1.
IF you have a stand, pedal and simply pull on the RDER cable and see if it shifts the rest of the way to 1.

Other possibility is the H screw on the RDER needs to be backed out a bit?

Ya tried that. It won't get past 2. I had it up on my repair stand. The derailleur was fine and loose. It's all in the shifter. I might take the whole thing apart and see if it shifts without a cable in it.

Assuming the shifter is in good condition, be sure the shifter and derailleur match -- both 6 speed or 7 speed. 7 speed is most common but there are a few 6 speed RevoShifts around. If the RevoShift is 7 speed but the derailleur isn't, it won't index shift to the smallest or largest cog. (But many rear derailleurs can squeeze out an extra "gear" in friction mode, so I can cover my 8-speed cassette with a 7-speed Exage or Deore long cage RD in friction mode with bar end or thumb shifters.)

A typical matchup on many entry level hybrids would be RevoShift grip shifters and Shimano Tourney or Altus RD. Those should work fine together if everything is in functional condition.

Otherwise, the RevoShift grip shifter isn't serviceable. It's 99% plastic with a couple of bits of sheet metal and springs. If the derailleurs, cables, etc., all check out, the shifter is probably broken and needs to be replaced. Been there, done that.

My Globe Carmel came with RevoShift. Works fine for as long as it lasts, but can't really be serviced. It started with difficulty shifting to one extreme, then became harder overall to shift. I dismantled it and realized (1) it's very difficult to disassemble without marring the soft plastic latches that hold it together, and (2) it can't be repaired anyway.

I bought some spare RevoShift kits for about $10 or less as spares. The kits include everything -- grip shifters, cables and housings -- but the cables and housings aren't quite long enough for some long wheelbase comfort hybrids like my Globe Carmel, so I used some spare cables/housings from other projects.

If you get tired of trying to make it work, try SunRace SLM10 thumbies. They're cheap and good, an uncommon value. Just friction shifting but sometimes a better solution than trying to fix a balky RevoShift or comparable low end grip shifter.

First thing I did. 7 on the rear, and it won't go into first on the shifter. I'm not sure if the cable nut is seated properly. My neighbour is the type that never hits either end anyway...I'm just curious as I've always been. She doesn't know what's going on anyway.

Thanks for the notes. Cheers

So are you getting all the clicks, but just no movement into the big cog?

If I suspected shifter problem, I'd disconnect cable from rear derailleur, pop the housing out of the cable stops up front, hold on to the cable near the shifter and shift through gears to see if it felt like the shifter was shifting properly.

Also check the cable for fraying inside the shifter or at housing entry points.

Yes, exactly what I was thinking.

As for fraying, she's been on the bike maybe 5 times since she bought it last year. It has no dirt on it. Brake pads were rubbing a bit. The thing is basically brand new, so that's why I'm thinking it's a setup problem or something simple like this. As well, I've seen the bike once, and not sure when I'll see it again.

I was also thinking they might have gotten a deal on a 6-gear shifter, and shoved in a 7-gear cogset, or some kind of situation like that, but the shifter demonstrates there is indeed a problem going into "1".

More on that when I can get my hands on it.

Cheers

Well, if it is beyond repair (or a 6-speed) they can be had fairly inexpensively: https://www.amazon.com/SHIMANO-RevoS.../dp/B00HFBZV7O