cannonman

I'm seriously thinking about replacing my gripshifts on my Cannondale Adventure 4 with trigger shifters. My bike has a SRAM X-5 RD, SRAM X-3 FD, and SRAM X-4 shifters. The cassette is 8 speed. I'm fairly new to this stuff (but mechanically minded), but I figured out that the number of indexes on the shifters need to match the number of cogs in the cassette.

Are there any other rules that I should know about?

Also, I will probably get SRAM trigger shifters, but is there anything stopping me from getting Shimano shifters? Are the two systems compatible in any way? One better than the other?

Thanks, guys.

reptilezs

you can only use sram 1:1 actuation shifters with a sram RD. pretty much anything with the x. designation. sram does make some shimano compatible shifters

cannonman

Thanks. Good to know. Could I use Shimano shifters with a SRAM RD?

The X-5 trigger shifters are 9-speed. I have an 8-speed cassette. Unless I'm wrong, it looks like I'll have to change out the rear cassette to a 9-speed if I want to use the X-5 tiggers.

cannonman

Never mind, guys. I think I found all the answers I needed on some of the retail sites

JanMM

Generally, SRAM numbered shifters work with SRAM RDs. SRAM named shifters work with Shimano.
You won't regret switching to triggers.

bikinfool

Better way to think about it is that any SRAM mountain rear derailleur works only with SRAM shifters; the exception is that SRAM Attack line of shifters work with Shimano rear derailleurs (but not SRAM rear derailleurs to be crystal clear).

cannonman

Thanks for the help, guys. I'm making a list now of the things I'll need to complete the job including tools that I need (chain whip, lockring tool, 4th hand). I figure I'll build up the tool inventory as I do more mechanic work. Will probably tackle the job in July.

cannonman

Would I have to replace the chain, too? Is the 9 speed chain thinner than the 8 speed or is it the same chain?

bikinfool

Different chains for 8 vs 9 speed, 9 is indeed a bit narrower (outside, inside is still 3/32" with both), best to run the 9 speed chain on the 9 speed cassette...

cannonman

Cool, thanks. All this experience I'm going to get from the simple need to switch shifters.

DethWshBkr

I must ask why someone would want to get rid of Gripshifts for any kind of trigger shifter!
In all my years of riding, Gripshift has always been the easiest, most reliable, most efficient, and safest!

I know it's all preference though...

cannonman

Yep, just preference. I just... I just can't stand them.

DethWshBkr

Shall I post a picture of my dad, who had his leg impaled by a Shimano XT Rapidfire shifter and had to be medevac'ed out of the woods because of a rapidfire shifter? He now runs gripshifts!
I'm mostly just being an antagonist here, I know it's what you like, but I do state facts!
What the heck are we (me for sure!) doing up at nearly 3am on a wednesday posting about shifters for! sheesh.

cannonman

How on earth did he get impaled by a shifter?? Of course, any type of accident imaginable can happen with any kind of equipment.

Up at 3 AM because I'm up late working on a systems issue for my job. Reading and posting while I take mini-breaks.

LesterOfPuppets

Gnarly! I've seen brutal pics of brake lever impaleage. Seems like it would be pretty tough to get trigger shifters stuck in somewhere. Pops better get a coaster brake goin' on before he gets a good brake lever stabbing.

Metzinger

Bright sunny morning here.
Gripshifters killed my dog. And my dog's family.

Seriously, my main beef with twisters is the lack of solid grip on the bar when landing a jump or hitting a big compression. Those times when you're white-knuckling it on the bar and would prefer that the grip not turn into a bushing.

LesterOfPuppets

I've never had that problem. With 3 cm of twist grip and 10cm of stationary grip, I have plenty of solid grip area.

Metzinger

Last ones I had were the HalfPipes. Original spec on an all-mountain bike. Bad combo IMO.

bikinfool

Then there are thumb shifters... I haven't tried grip sh*ts since the early days, hated them but they've likely improved them (I hope), might be interesting to try them again. Been using Shimano rapidfire triggers so long now I have trouble when I use a SRAM trigger.

LarDasse74

Same with me. I spent the first three years of my working life continuously tearing down, cleaning, and replacing calbes in Gripshift shifters, only to have the perform less-than-adequately afterwards. A few years later every sub-500-dollar bike seemed to come with cheap gripshifts and probably 90% of them broke.

Then I got a new bike that came with SRT-600s and they worked great... until they didn't. Too easily gummed up, stupid design, hard to change calbes and maintain, fragile... I took the srt600s off and threw them directly into the garbage can.

THe current generation of Sram gripshifts take their design (I think) from the Sachs powergrip (available from the early to mid '90s) which was far superior. Sram bought Sachs in the mid/late 90s.