Grip vs Triggers

[Catrin]

I didn't realize that grip shifters are available for all of the top levels of SRAM. What are the advantages? Might they be a little easier on my hands, or is that simply a matter of adjustment? Just curious if someone has experience with them.

[spokewench]

I've used grip shift and triggers as you call them; it really depends on what you like the best and what you are used to. I've ridden both enough that I can ride either. Actually one bike has triggers one old bike has grip shift. Grip shift works better for me because I have problems with my thumb joints so pushing with my thumb is painful.

If I were completely honest, I think that I like grip shift best, but like I said, I use both and as long as the bike is shifting well and maintained well, it doesn't really matter that much.

I've had bike shops tell me that grip shift takes more maintenance, i.e. fine tuning to keep it shifting well. Don't know if that is really true or not.

spoke

[Catrin]

Sometimes I do have problems with my thumbs...perhaps this would be a good thing for me to check into. I need to test-ride a bike with SRAM off the trainer anyway, so it sounds like a good idea that I also test one with grips. I wonder how different the handlebar set-up would be? hmmmm thanks!

Edited - I guess I should call them "twister" rather than grip shifters.

[Cataboo]

Twister shifters are actually less maintenance than triggers - there's less to break. Twisters are also friction shifting, which means you can trim the front derailleur and have less issues with cross training.

I know I used to hate them on my cheap bikes from however long ago, shifting was hard and hurt my hands - but I imagine that quality grip shifters don't require that much effort.

[TsPoet]

Can't stand twist shifters. They are hard on my wrists, I have to move my hands away from a comfortable position on the HB to use them, and they are extra hard to use with sweaty hands.
Just another point of view
I have paul thumbies on 1 bike (replacement for twisties, but I honestly don't have the bike yet, so don't know what I think of them), rapid fires on another (replacement for the twisties when I couldn't take it any more), and bar ends on my last bike. I like the bar ends the best. None of these are mt bikes, I don't ride them anymore, I'm too old and boring now. But, I had rapid fires on my Mt bike and loved them over the twisties they replaced.
On a mt bike, I'd go with rapid fires (do they still make them?).

[Catrin]

Twister shifters are actually less maintenance than triggers - there's less to break. Twisters are also friction shifting, which means you can trim the front derailleur and have less issues with cross training.

I know I used to hate them on my cheap bikes from however long ago, shifting was hard and hurt my hands - but I imagine that quality grip shifters don't require that much effort.

I did not know they are friction shifters, that is something to keep in mind. Then again, my long experience with friction shifting were those terrible bar-ends on my Surly before I converted her to indexed triggers. Nothing that a good test ride won't help me decide...thanks for the information!

I do appreciate all of the different perspectives - I do LIKE triggers - so I will really have to like the twisters to change.

[7rider]

I have Grip Shift on my mtb, and triggers on my commuter.

I really like the Grip Shifts. I find them to be more intuitive than triggers, easier to slam through multiple gear changes, and generally easier to deal with. No straining reaching thumbs. I do NOT find I mis-shift or shift accidentally when I have a death-grip on the bars in scary sections. (not that I ever mtb in "scary" sections anymore!)

The downside is when you ride 2 bikes with different shifters...I tend to get all be-fuddled, trying to learn how to shift again.

But, maybe that's just me.

[ridebikeme]

I have used both for many years, and definietly can say that I prefer gripshift over trigger. With that said, I 'll also say that quality wise they are pretty equal, it's simply a preference. The only mechanical diiference is that on a mtn bike if I come around a corner and see a monster hill where I have to shift a lot in a hurry, I can shift the entire range with gripshift and with triggers shift 3-4 at a time until I get where I need to be.. which means that I'd be off the bike. Now, that truly isn't a big deal, and one that only applies when I'm in the woods and on a trail that I don't know the course.

Do any of your freinds have bikes that you could ride to see if you'd prefer one over the other? Demo rides at your shop?

Have fun figuring it out, and building yuor new bike... it's very exciting!!

[Catrin]

I have seen some interesting photos on the MTBR forum where they have a twist/grip shifter for the front and a trigger shifter for the rear. This makes sense to me since it does require more effort to shift the front into a harder gear and, for me, I have more thumb issues with with left and hardly any with my right. If it turns out that a twister is easier on my thumbs this might be a good way to go - especially since it sounds like twisters are friction and not indexed - it would be nice to keep the indexing for my rear cassette...

Has anyone here mixed shifter styles in this fashion?

[Cataboo]

The bf really wants to do that, because he thinks that's the ideal combination, he hasn't put money into the idea yet.

[Catrin]

The bf really wants to do that, because he thinks that's the ideal combination, he hasn't put money into the idea yet.

I just spoke with my LBS and instead of poopooing the idea, they said this mixture works well for a lot of people. Grips come either indexed or friction, depending on your choice, but regardless this mixture makes it easier to tweak the front if you are are even mildly cross-chained yet you keep the finesse of the triggers for the rear.

I really need to find a bike with twist shifters to test!

It is fun exploring my options, and this is the one I need to really check out as much as I can - it is too expensive to change later

[Cataboo]

IF you come visit me, you can try my bikes out. You're even around my height.

Truthfully it's not all that expensive if you find the parts yourself.

[laura*]

It is fun exploring my options, and this is the one I need to really check out as much as I can - it is too expensive to change later

Changing the shifters wouldn't be super expensive. You wouldn't have to change the other major parts.

Personally, I'm insistent upon trigger shifters. I can't use grips* and thus twist shifters would be really weird.

* Squirmy rubber grips pinch my skin which makes my hands go numb almost instantly.