headasunder

as mentioned already nothing wrong with grip shifters, if for some reason you do have to replace the cable position the handlebars behind the rear wheel of your car, select reverse and then ring your insurance company..simple

Joe Minton

I have one bike with grip shifters (Shimano) and have had no problems. Period.

My brother-in-law has severe difficulty with trigger shifters due to hand damage. I have significant osteoarthritis in my hands. We both find it painful to use trigger shifters. We both have no trouble shifting with grip shifters.

I am a mechanic-type and all my shifting mechanisms (grip, trigger, friction & Shimano brifter) are in optimal condition. I find the grip shifters to be excellent and recommend them to anyone who might have a problem using the more popular trigger, brifter, etc. shifting devices.

If your grip shifters do not work well, you might consider: adjustment, shifter quality and lubrication. Grip shifters are simple (relative to, say, brifters) devices and, given, reasonable and informed care will perform well for a very long time.

Joe

VegasTriker

Twist grip shifters are popular with manufacturers because they are cheap as dirt. If you take an SRAM MRX shifter apart you will find only one metal part (not including the cable and screw), a spring. The rest is a variety of plastic parts and there aren't many of those either. You can buy a cheap set on eBay for under $5 but it doesn't state how many speeds it covers or if it is indexed. SRAM MRX versions start at about $10. I'd agree that you may have more trouble with old trigger shifters but it is not because they are more fragile but because the grease applied by the factory hardens. It's easy to clean out but you need to use a solvent that does not dissolve plastic. Ordinary odorless paint thinners are OK but carb or brake cleaner in the spray can may damage the plastic housing. The Shimano XT trigger shifter on my 1993 Cannondale SM800 still functions perfectly but I did clean and re-rease it about a decade ago.

avidone1

I had a fuji crosstown with grip shifters for about 5 years and never had a problem. for a novice rider they are great because you keep your hands on the handlebars to shift
I think the schwinn you are looking at is a decent starter bike

Tony Marley

They work fine on my TiRush recumbent and on my Bike Friday bikes.

Singlespeed92

I've been running an XO/X9 mix of twist shifters on my primary bikes (same set,swapped onto new frames/bikes as bought or built up) since early 2008,they've been on everything from Vassago Bandersnatches to currently a Surly Troll whose setup bounces from rigid or suspended (SS or geared) mtn bike to gravel grinder to road/rail trail touring (love the versatility built into this bike!). I've never had any issues what-so-ever. Shifts are as fast and crisp today,regardless of the terrain or load on them,as they were the day bought. They were less expensive,and considerably lighter than comparable trigger shifters.

Having a set of similar trigger setup (an all X9 drivetrain,save for an XT front derailleur on both,each of which I have 1,000+ miles on easy),there is no real benefit of triggers over the twisties. THAT said,it's a personal preferance thing as well,ride what you like,or in this case,your daughter. She will have zero issues with a quality set of twist shifters,and as others have said,they're very intuitive and simple to get the hang of.

The only downfall I've ever had/seen is the occasional accidental shift due to standing and hitting a fairly good sized bump that knocks your hand on the bars a bit,but even that hasn't happened in a couple years (watch it happen next ride after saying that,LOL ),just takes practice. Either way you go,she's gonna have fun,good parenting,dad

NJgreyhead

Any warning signs that they are going south? Or do they fail all of a sudden.
Thanks.

-NJg

chaadster

If you obsessively worry enough, yes, there will be warning signs, like, "Oh my god, these shifters are more than ten years old, so they'll probably break any minute." Same as with everything else, the key is preparing yourself mentally.


[/sarcasm]

LesterOfPuppets

Sometimes shifting will start to suck as a few cable strands break, but you can still kinda shift for a while before total breakage.

I just change my cables every 3-5 years. Maybe more often if a lot of rain riding.

Changing cables on most Gripshifts is actually pretty easy. Some of the ones over 16 years old are kinda tough at first, here's a video on how to swap cables on the difficult ones:


Here's one of the easiest ones to swap cables on: (easier than swapping many cables on many trigger shifters, IMO)

Retro Grouch 

I just googled MRX shifters. In less than a minute I found a left and right set, complete with cables for around $20.00. If you're paying for labor it probably isn't cost effective to replace the cable.

LesterOfPuppets

Maybe. A shop that has people who have changed gripshift cables before should charge about the same labor (hopefully a bit less) for swapping cables as they would for installing new MRX shifters that you bring to them in a box. Cables are maybe $2.00 apiece in a shop.


One note on replacing MRX shifters.

This style


have a more solid feel than the new sloppy feeling style:

LesterOfPuppets

I guess the new style has lighter action - that must be seen as an "improvement".

avidone1

I think that the problem with your wifes twist grip shifting problem was more an issue with installation and set up than the shifters themselves. there is no reason why properly installed and adjusted grip shifters should have the problem you described. Wal mart assemblers are not real bicycle people. They wear many hats.

kuroba

I've had grip shifters on all my adult bikes, a steel step through (6 speeds) and a hardtail MTB (21 speeds). They work well enough, I had no problem with the step through as ten I only did mainly rides in the city and short commutes to college and my first work (less than 5 kms rides overall). With my hardtail the shifters work well too, but I noticed that, since I was using the shifters a lot more, doing a longer (15km) commute and longer rides (40-50km on pavement and dirt trails) I started developing calluses around my thumb and index finger area, so I had to switch to full finger gloves year round. It's a small nuisance, but worth keeping in mind for a young girl.

BlazingPedals

I've always liked Grip-Shift, except for two things:
1. It's hard to work them when your hands are hot and sweaty
2. They're throw-away if the rubber wears out

So, I'm slowly converting my bikes to triggers - as the rubber parts wear out or get gummy.

fietsbob

Tri Lobed Rohloff Grip shifter is a nicely machined piece, their 2nd design is Polycarbonate, but compatible with Carbon [MTB] Bars .

the Rubber grip sub assembly allows replacement of just that part..

canklecat

I don't know about the Microshift twist shifters on that Schwinn but the Shimano Revo Shift RS-35 3x7 twisters on my bike are their low end twisters and work fine. They aren't indexed and the click stops are only approximate guides, so it's more of a convenience over older friction style guess-shift levers. If anything goes wrong I might upgrade but for now I plan to continue using 'em as-is.

Both types - the Microshift and Shimanos - appear to be twist inserts. The entire grip doesn't shift, so the whole thing is pretty forgiving. No worries about accidental shifting, unless the rider grasps the twisters rather than the grips while riding over bumps or climbing out of the saddle.

And - again, I don't know about the Microshift twisters - but Shimano made some Revo Shift RS-35 units with clickless left units, friction only for the 2 or 3 speed chainwheel shifter. Mine has clickstops but it's not an indexed shifter. The clicks are just for convenience, and it does help at night or in traffic so I don't need to peek at the window. As long as the front derailer and cable are adjusted properly the clickstops do correspond with the actual shifting points.

At first mine seemed a bit too tight, but it was just simple rubber-to-rubber friction between the stationary grips and the twisters. I just moved the grips out about 1/16", enough to avoid the friction. Another solution would be a simple nylon washer between the grips and twisters.

Gnosis

I’ve found that even the cheapest SRAM Gripshifters provide accurate shifting however, the cheapie Gripshifters invariably require an inordinate amount of force to make those shifts, so they’re not well suited for very long distances via hilly terrain that requires a lot of shifting. For instance, my right hand was so sore from shifting just 32 miles into one of my hilly 57-mile rides when using the cheapie Gripshifters that it felt like it was crippling my hand! It had become quite painful to make shifts over the next 25 miles of that ride and I could hardly wait to get home and never ride that route again via those cheapie SRAM Gripshifters. Fortunately, the 7-speed Gripshifters broke soon after on a grocery run (replaced them with Shimano SL-M310 Trigger Shifters, which made my beater bike—a 40-pound Mongoose dual suspension bike—far more enjoyable to ride).

Conversely, the Shimano Revo twist shifters are much easier to make shifts though they’re a bit sloppier in their gear shift positions. Even so, I have over 3,000 mile on my Revo 8-speed twist shifters and they’re still working well.

Ultimately, I prefer trigger shifters over twist-type shifters. In the price range that the OP is considering for his daughter, it’s almost a guarantee that the bike will be equipped with the cheapie Gripshifters, which are o.k. for short rides (which may be all his daughter is interested in anyway).

hueyhoolihan

convincing argument.

Looigi

I haven't come across a grip shifter on Trek or Specialized bikes that doesn't shift cleanly and reliably when properly set up. Whether you like them or prefer other shift methods is a different issue.

fietsbob

You realize at that level a team mechanic preps the Bike for every Race ,
most are Lucky to go over their bikes more than a spring Checkup.