| Interestingly enough, I"ve been out for the last couple evenings with
my daughter, doing the same thing. She is interested in a hybrid and
also really liked the TREKs and a couple others that had Grip-Shifts.
Comments from one of the more reliable people at the bike shop where I
usually were that initially the Grip-Shifts were rather poor when
initially introduced, but that they had improved significantly since
then. He was confident that for normal on- or off-road use they would
be as reliable and trouble free as any of the systems. And, they are
supposed to be more maintainable and repairable than some of the other
shifters...
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| Jim,
I have the Grip-Shifts on my mountain bike. I like them a lot. However, I can't
really decide whether they are 'better' than thumb shifters. I find it is
easier to shift when I want to, as the shifter is always close to hand. Also,
it's easy to ride with my hands on the shifters, so I can react very quickly
when necessary. A real advantage off-road!
The main disadvantage for me is not having an indication of what gear you are
in. I'm thinking of adding on some customised indicators to show where I am on
the gears. Probably not a major disadvantage for most. Also, there is no
friction option. But these are the same annoyances as the large majority of
shifting systems these days. They seem very robust and easy to service. The
lack of moving parts is a benefit to my mind.
So far, I have 5 months and about 1600 km on them. I would recommend them.
Tim
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| The latest models of Grip-Shifts are marked for the gear you're
in (at least the off-road model).
I liked them too (past tense only because I now have STI). In a
criterium, I liked being able to dive into a corner *and* shift
into the appropriate gear for coming out of the turn with *both*
hands on the bars.
There are applications that non-racers will appreciate too; for example,
while Grip-Shift doesn't work as easily as STI in the uphills, it *is*
easier to reach than standard downtube shifters. The key is to not
take your hand off the shifter until you are certain you're in the
right gear -- much easier when you don't have to let go of the bar
in the first place.
Justin
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