Hi guys. Just a quick question- can you replace gripshift shifters with trigger-type shifters and is this easy to do? Those damn gripshift things are everywhere and they generally sell cheaper on ebay so I'm thinking it might be worth getting a bike with gripshifters (I'm on a tight budget :) ) and changing them. Also, there seem to be more 8 and 9 speed shifters available than 7 speeds.Would 8 or 9 speed shifters work with a 7 speed system? Any help would be appreciated. A yes or no answer would do. Thanks

There is no quick accurate answer to your question.

Such a shifter swap might be as simple as unbolting the old shifters, bolting on a new pair of trigger shifters and replacing the handgrips. If your luck runs like mine, it isn't going to go that way. You could easily find yourself replacing your rear derailleur and brake levers just to get the shifter swap to work.