Hi all,
I'm sure this is pretty simple but I can't get into the Gripshifts on my wife's Trek to change the cable. I can see what looks like a "trapdoor" on the inner side of the shifter but I can't get it to open. What is the trick before brute force results in an "oh, shouldn't a done that" elpisode? After I get it opened up, then what? Thanks in advance.

Walt

I volunteer at local Yellow Bike and when we get a bike with Grip Shift that needs work it gets replaced with thumb shifters.
I personally do not like them and find them not worth the bother of trying to fix.
Maybe I just have never put the effort into them required but our customers are better off with thumb shifters anyway.
We give a lot of bikes away to children that can't afford to buy one.

I think the SRT400 is similar to this one here: https://bicycletutor.com/grip-shift-cable/

Thank you, helicomatic. That was close enough to get me there. Some people don't like gripshifts, and I was leary of going to them at first. After riding with thumb shifters for 20+ years, I picked up a parts bike with MRX shifters on it. I tried them on my first commuter. Liked them. When I picked up my Trek 830 with the SRT400's on it, I loved them. They're sturdier. That was a requirement for the bike that I just rebuilt for my wife. Small frame, and Gripshifts. Now, to just get her out on it.

Walt

The method described in the following video works ALMOST.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmOVOc-iLcY

One problem is that the cover shown at 5:15 in the video is not attached to the shifter body with a screw and that I cannot remove the cover. Therefore, I cannot insert the new cable into the hole going through the barrel adjuster.

I tried to remove the cover with a screw driver by pushing it in different directions, but it did not budge. I definitely need to know how to let the new cable go through the barrel adjuster.

The method described in the following video works ALMOST.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmOVOc-iLcY


One problem is that the cover shown at 5:15 in the video is not attached to the shifter body with a screw and that I cannot remove the cover. Therefore, I cannot insert the new cable into the hole going through the barrel adjuster.


I tried to remove the cover with a screw driver by pushing it in different directions, but it did not budge. I definitely need to know how to let the new cable go through the barrel adjuster.

Just underneath the barrel adjuster is a 'trap' door. A circular mold imprint is just above the slightly recessed slot. Use a flat tip screwdriver as close to the same size to avoid marring the plastic. The lift motion is straight away from the bar. I used the bar itself for leverage. It should come off as a sliding motion away from the bar.

The gripshift came with 850 (my 950 was rapidfire and rapidstolen). I have been developing 'shift thumb' syndrome which is becoming a seriously disabling condition. I'm hoping the gripshift will help keep me on the trails.

The SRT400 is similar to the other SRT models, but the cable door is different. It isn't a round plug, and it isn't held on with a screw. The large rectangular door fits so well it looks like just another part of the housing. Unlike the SRT600 model shown here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmOVOc-iLcY, the cable door must be removed before the shift barrel can be separated from the housing. Near the cable tension adjuster there is a shallow slot that looks like a pry spot for a screwdriver. Instead of prying, push a thin blade into the seam in this slot. With a little twist, the door will slide open easily. There is no need to remove the rubber grips. The cable routing of the rear derailer is the same as the SRT600. The front derailler is simpler.

Reviving this old thread as I have a problem with these shifters as well. Trying to put cables into SRT 400 shifters on a Trek 830 (I'd rather not replace them - not yet, at least). Unfortunately, the old cables were removed long ago so I am not sure how to do this correctly.

The shifter for the rear derailleur was not a problem. I could insert the cable through a hole or an opening in the back, and then threaded it following the videos linked here on similar shifters.
But the shifter for the front derailleur is different and doesn't have a similar hole in the back like the rear. How do I get that cable inside?

I have photos but I am a new member so I cannot post them.

Thanks in advance.

Haha, the zombie thread is still good in 2020. I watched this video today to swap out a cable on my SRT400. It helped a lot! Probably would have broke something without it.

That's why I love this forum! Excellent instructions, right down to knowing that I tried and failed with the screwdriver to pry out the cover. Thin blade + twisting worked like a charm.

I've taken grip shifts apart many times - I always think I'm losing my mind when I can't remember how. And then someone with actual knowledge explains how they are not all the same

This thread is 16 years old it can get a drivers license now!

and it can vote in the november 2028 elections too.