Grip vs Triggers

[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.

[Catrin]

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.

No, but there is a discount from getting all my parts through my LBS. I don't have to pay full price if I get them all through them. I am also not confident that everything would be compatible if I were to get them myself. I might make a different choice in the future, but this time it is worth it to me to pay for their expertise.

I wish you were close enough for me to drive out on the weekend and check out your bike(s)

[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.

[Catrin]

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

Ah, I see what you and Oak are saying - in case the shifters themselves don't work out it wouldn't be all that expensive to change them out as nothing else would need to be changed. In this case I COULD find them online and have my LBS install/adjust them for me.

I must admit that I really like the idea of mixing twister and trigger, but I need to test ride one with twisters to see what my hands think of them.

[Becky]

Lots of good advice here, so I'll just add two quick things:

Pay attention to the amount of force required to grip the shifter in order to twist. I've worked with some customers with arthritis, and the ability to operate a twist shifter seems to vary greatly, depending on how their hards are affected.

Not all indexed left/front twist shifters have trim, and it makes them a nightmare to ride with or wrench on. The nice ones, IME, are "micro-indexed" and almost infinitely trim-able. Cheap twist shifters seem to be worse for setting up than cheap thumb shifters.

My 2 cents, of course.

[Catrin]

Lots of good advice here, so I'll just add two quick things:

Pay attention to the amount of force required to grip the shifter in order to twist. I've worked with some customers with arthritis, and the ability to operate a twist shifter seems to vary greatly, depending on how their hards are affected.

Not all indexed left/front twist shifters have trim, and it makes them a nightmare to ride with or wrench on. The nice ones, IME, are "micro-indexed" and almost infinitely trim-able. Cheap twist shifters seem to be worse for setting up than cheap thumb shifters.

My 2 cents, of course.

Thanks Becky - if I go this route it will likely be a SRAM X9 twister for the front and an X9 trigger for the back, this is pretty high up the food chain for SRAM. I do know my LBS mechanics love to work on them as they are so easy to work with so that, to me, is a good sign. Will have to see what my hands think of them though - I tend to have more problems with my thumb and palms than anything, so will just have to see.

[Becky]

X9....good stuff

[Catrin]

Had an interesting talk with my fitter today on all of this - come to find - the X7 twisters are much better for women's hands than X9 - they are smaller in circumference.

[Cataboo]

Had an interesting talk with my fitter today on all of this - come to find - the X7 twisters are much better for women's hands than X9 - they are smaller in circumference.

I think it depends - you can get X7 in small grips, but it comes in 2 versions.

[Catrin]

I think it depends - you can get X7 in small grips, but it comes in 2 versions.

Yes, apparently X9 and X0 doesn't have this option - he really thinks the grips that come with X0 would be too aggressive/large for my hands.

If nothing else, my fitter will bring in his bikes that have several high-end SRAM triggers and twisters - at least we can put it on the work stand and let me feel how it shifts. He is much too tall for us to even put it on the trainer. He is also going to see if one of his clients might have one small enough and would be willing to bring it in so I can take it around the parking lot a few times.

Sadly bike manufacturers don't currently put high-end twisters on production bikes so it makes it difficult to find one to test.

Cataboo, just which part of the country do you live in?

[Cataboo]

ha. DC area. I will have to open the box that arrived last week. There's x7 on the novarra I picked up, so I bought the xo twisters on chainlove for $42. I haven't opened the box figuring that really I don't need the upgrade... But wanting it because it's a simple not so expensive one. I haven't even managed to ride the bike with the ice on the ground! But I've changed the stem & handlebars, put ergo grips on and it might be getting a new fork. I just like to tinker


One of R's mountain bikes has old school flat bar handlebars with twister shifters on it, the bike would fit him and probably ride much better if we stuck a modern set of riser bars on it... But the screw holding his x9 twisters in is stripped. So we're going to have to drill that out and hopefully have the shifter still be usable afterwards - but if not, I figured he could have one of my x7's when I switch to the x-os. But if my hands aren't going to like the x-os, that's a different story

[Catrin]

....But if my hands aren't going to like the x-os, that's a different story

I will be interested to hearing what you think of the X0s, especially if you get a chance to check them out before I finalize my build list and place the order next month. I can't know what to budget before I make my mind up... I am SO thankful my LBS does layaway on all bike purchases, including custom... I do have a ballpark, but as that ballpark varies I need to tie it down by the first of March. Plenty of time, thankfully.

DC area? Yeah, just a little far for a day's drive for a visit, sadly.