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Shimano
Alivio Rapidfire STI shifter
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Submitted by
Andrew
a Downhiller
from Canada
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | came on bike | | Strengths: | didnt break when i fliped, there black | | Weaknesses: | slipers lever, brakes are atatched to the shifter | | Bike Setup: | 06 khs dj50, rynolyte, kenda, tioga, zocchi drop off triple (nothing stock) | | Bottom Line: | they work well, its the only thing i havent broken on my bike so there good | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: February 12, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Stock on my 1996 GT Ricochet - D'Ornellas Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Just as good as the Shimano Alivio Brake Levers. | | Weaknesses: | The screw head stripped when installing a new handlebar. | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano Tourney Thumb shifters on a 1994 Raleigh Matterhorn, Shimano replacement shifters after the Alivio's broke & Shimano Deore LX currently on my 2001 Trek Fuel 90 Disk. | | Bike Setup: | 2001 Trek Fuel 90 Disk. | | Bottom Line: | Same great quality shifters as the Shimano Alivio brake levers. Great while I used them from mid Oct.1996 to mid June 2004.
Bottom Line: While I had them they were great and worked flawlessly. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
hrvoje
a Cross Country Rider
from zagreb,croatia
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | woods | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | markoprojekt | | Strengths: | hmmm...very tough to say | | Weaknesses: | Cheapest plastic,they really dont work if you want them to do anything wright | | Similar Products Used: | Sram sx5 | | Bike Setup: | norco rival 06 | | Bottom Line: | These are greatest shifters on a planet!!!!
P.S;these statement is for people who have their bikes in a garage,and once a year on a shiny day they pull em out and ride few hundred meters on a straight asphalt road in company of retired 75 year olds who just have their first bike-ride in life | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Saber Haghvirdy
a Weekend Warrior
from Iran / Tehran
Date Reviewed: January 18, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Shafaq 3 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | came on bike | | Strengths: | Works well with shimano 8sp components - last long under harsh conditions and a billion times of gear change . | | Weaknesses: | Dont open the bottob cap or meddle with it or all the parts will become loose and will not operate properly. | | Similar Products Used: | Deore | | Bike Setup: | Kona Stinky | | Bottom Line: | I used it 3 years on my XTC shifted with it every day 24/7 and didnt came along with it . pressed the knobs hard while mud didnt let my chain to move .Changing 5-6 cogs in half a second during races.they were great
But dont open or meddle with them just leave them as factory set. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: November 8, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Any | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | came with bike | | Strengths: | cheap | | Weaknesses: | Doesn't last, sometimes doesn't catch. | | Similar Products Used: | Acera, but the Acera dual-control set is much more reliable and has lasted much longer (suprisingly?). | | Bike Setup: | 1999 Kona Blast | | Bottom Line: | I thought Alivio was supposed to be a step up from Acera and a step down from Deore?? These Alivio shifters are junk! I can't believe that after less than 500 miles on a new bike the left hand shifter half the time won't catch to upshift to the largest chainring! I've got a pair of Aceras that have lasted for 5000+ miles and not given me a bit of trouble. I'll certainly never opt for anything Alivio again. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Erik
a Cross Country Rider
from Texas
Date Reviewed: July 2, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Came with Bike | | Strengths: | Lasts, works well, gets the job done for the money. | | Weaknesses: | Doesn't shift exactly on some gears. Shimano wears away. | | Similar Products Used: | Worse ones | | Bike Setup: | Bruiser 3 cracked frame. | | Bottom Line: | I like it. I can shift fast and efficiently. If you got the money though, get something better. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
matt J
a Weekend Warrior
from hansville
Date Reviewed: February 27, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | stottlemeyer trails but they need fixing | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | classic cycle (everythings crap) | | Strengths: | they lasted a kinda long time, almost 2 years but nothing special, they sit under the bars so when you lay the bike on it's back it doesn't hit the ground like a deore shifter (my right side shifter) | | Weaknesses: | well,,, they fall apart, the shifting sucks and requires more pressure than say most shifters i've tried, feels whimpy and soon enough becomes whimpy and falls apart like my schizophrenic couzin. | | Similar Products Used: | i don't know, like alot of stuff, most better, some worse. | | Bike Setup: | versus blitz 6" travel, fox dhx 5.0, fox vanilla RLC, thomson stem x4 and seatpost elite, sun rhyno lite XL rims and shimano XT hubs, race face evolve DH x-type, crap pedals, deore derailleur and alivio front derailleur nothing special there, easton ea-70 31.8 bar, fsa orbit z headset, sram chain and cassette, T.H.E DH saddle, avid juicy 5 discus brakeus, michelin hot s tires, a black round tube you pump air into to inflate your tires and some metal cables, | | Bottom Line: | if you have one and you like it, good job, but don't do anything bumpy, harsh or any big hits if yours still hasn't fallen apart yet your not trying hard enough, i went down some rocky and bumpy downhill slopes when i got to the bottom my right shifter had disappeared except for the clamp, then i had to go up hill and downhill for 1 month either in 2,9 or 3,9 gear, that was not so fun and finally i got my deore shifter and it has worked great, shifts better and doesn't die, i can feel my left shifter starting to fall apart, it's just moments till it dies then i have to get another deore or maybe i'll just switch to sram x-9 shifters and derailleurs. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Todd
a Downhiller
from west linn, oregon
Date Reviewed: January 18, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | anything | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | River City bikes | | Strengths: | pretty simple, wont break like deore,lx, XT will if you fall. its because the shifter sits on the bottem of your bars, instead of the top. good feel. | | Weaknesses: | a little chunky | | Similar Products Used: | deore, XTR, Sram X.0 | | Bike Setup: | 2004 P.2 with a kingpin | | Bottom Line: | I think this is the best option for 8SP. these came on my bike, but even if I got a 9sp setup on a bike, i'd swap it out because an 8sp will give you less problems. these are simple and i'd trust them on any bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rex Tse
a Cross Country Rider
from SAn Francisco, CA
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Marin | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Come with bike | | Strengths: | Well.... maybe it's the easiest thing you can get if you're using 8 speed. | | Weaknesses: | heavy, can't seal from dirt. After 9 months of riding the trigger don't bound back once you pushed it. | | Similar Products Used: | non | | Bottom Line: | I'd say if you can't get the older XT 8 speed system. upgrade it to a 9 speed. There is not many room for a 8 speed to survive anymore nowadays. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
sam
a
from Madison, WI, US
Date Reviewed: August 24, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | the quarry | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$45.00 | | Purchased At: | budget bike shop | | Strengths: | easy to use. don't fall apart when im doing stair gaps. | | Weaknesses: | heavy (not like i care). ugly (not like i care). sometimes the lever the lever that your index finger pulls gets in the way when you want to pull the brakes (that can be easily solved by just moving it over a little) | | Similar Products Used: | stock crap | | Bike Setup: | heavily customized giant warp. | | Bottom Line: | overall good. but you might want to take others into consideration first. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joel
a Downhiller
from Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything on the shore | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Maple Ridge Cycle | | Strengths: | Nothing | | Weaknesses: | Everything | | Bike Setup: | 2004 Norco Rampage, rear 26" double track, double e backplate, deore rear derileur. | | Bottom Line: | These things suck nuts. Shortly after getting these the caps fall off the bottm, dust gets in and the shifter levers stick when shifting, so when u shift once and have to shift again u gotta pull the lever back up. The springs fall out of the bottom sometimes and when they do the shifter shifts like sh*t. These shifters make the chain skip. DO NOT buy these shifters thinking they r a high end part they are not. I wouldnt recomend these shifters for anyone except for like a begginner turbo spandexi (xc). If u buy these and u r a freerider these things will make u punch a cat... lol | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brad
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver, WA
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | -Look Cool
-Work well
-Cheap
-Nicest 8 speed shifter in shimano's 04 line | | Weaknesses: | -Heavy (not that I care, but you might)
-I broke it | | Similar Products Used: | XT, XTR, LX, Deore, X.7 trigger, Gripshift | | Bike Setup: | Cannondale Chase, upgraded, but stock drive train | | Bottom Line: | These shift as well as any other shifter. Cannondale put an 8 speed drive train on the chase to be able to use the beefier 8 speed chain, and save money. I broke of the dust cover on the bottom the first time I hit it with my knee. I put it back on kinda, then I hit it again a day later and it fell off again, and a spring fell out too. Now it doesn't work. Otherwise these shifters worked fine. Maybe if you don't hit them they won't break. Still I hit my old XT's hundreds of times and they were fine. I think I'll try to find an old XT shifter pod set with 8 sp. These are still good shifters though. umm, I gotta go | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jake Andrew
a Weekend Warrior
from Fredericton Canada
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | too many to chose... | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | with bike | | Strengths: | they shift amazing, and you can downshift 4 at once, look pretty sweet | | Weaknesses: | kinda in the way when you are holding onto the grips, but i just moved it down the bar. | | Similar Products Used: | deore | | Bike Setup: | specialized p.2 mainly stock | | Bottom Line: | i dont think i woulld trade for any other 8 speed shifters, they feel good, can shift your gears like an angel, and are not too expensive. a great shifter for anyone. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Genital Apparatus
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 6, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Natural Trials | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Duke's On Queen | | Strengths: | They shift gears. | | Weaknesses: | They look ugly, take up lots of space on my handlebar, and are INTEGRATED with my brake levers!!!!!! | | Similar Products Used: | SRAM gripshifters. | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Hardrock Pro. | | Bottom Line: | Why would anyone want to integrate shifters with brake levers? Now that I want to get rid of those s**tty brake levers, I have to replace the shifters too, and I simply can't afford that. Shame on you Shimano for doing something so retarded! I'm boycotting Shimano, and as soon as I have enough cash to replace any drivetrain component on my bike, it will be replaced with something non-Shimano. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron
a
from Austin
Date Reviewed: January 24, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | No nonsense positive shift action | | Weaknesses: | The reason I bought a second set, no weaknesses | | Similar Products Used: | twisties and thumbies | | Bottom Line: | I posted a review below for my 8 speed alivio shifter/brake lever combos, but this is for my 7 speed Alivio shift pods. I sweat twist shifters like the devils, so I had to get rid of the god awful Shimano revoshift units on my campus bike. Picked these up at the bike shop and have been quite pleased with the 7 speed units. They shift just as well as my 8 speed units did. These are perfect for those on a budget, but I suspect the 7 speed stuff is getting harder to find. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lexa Doig
a Cross Country Rider
from Philippines
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Slipstream | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$22.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | No frills design, reasonably lightweight, good "linear" optical display, under the bar pods | | Weaknesses: | Some difficulty downshifting from 8 to 5 in one go | | Similar Products Used: | Horrible Altus shifters with tiny numeric window, thumbshifters, old Altus rotary optical display indicator | | Bike Setup: | Low-end stuff, deore alivio mix, sugino cranks, etc... | | Bottom Line: | Who needs 9-speed??? 9-spd is heavier, more finicky with adjustment, weaker chain, weaker cogs... 8-speed rules!
These alivio 8-speed shifters are MUCH better than the altus on my old bike. THey don't shift on their own on rough terrain. I'm very satisfied with them. No plans on upgrading. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marty
a Cross Country Rider
from Moab
Date Reviewed: August 29, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Carbo | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Alpine Sports | | Strengths: | Display is nice. They are easy to get used to. The handles and pod hold up well to crashes and lot's of use (60+ miles per week) | | Weaknesses: | COme out of adjustment after one hard ride. Never could consistantly get into top ring. Drives you nuts when you try to hit it on the flat single or when you have to shift alot on technical stuff. | | Similar Products Used: | Grip shifters. UGH!! | | Bike Setup: | 2002 JAMIS DAKAR, stock setup. Have upgraded shifters to
XT's. | | Bottom Line: | A good shifter for novice riders. Handles the bottom and middle ring shifting well. Too much slop going from
middle ring to top ring which leads to many missed shifts and a lot of cable adjustments on the fly. When they work, they are great, if you they don't, your are constantly in the shop with them. Good entry level shifters.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
wing
a Weekend Warrior
from cebu, philippines
Date Reviewed: July 1, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere i've never been to | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$27.00 | | Purchased At: | local store | | Strengths: | accurate 8 speed shifting, very responsive | | Weaknesses: | i just hope they'd come up with a new design like the deore and up where the gear indicators are in front of the handlebar.. | | Similar Products Used: | acera 7 speed shifters | | Bike Setup: | alivio shifters and hubs with deore xt rear derailure. the rest of the specs don't matter | | Bottom Line: | if paired with my xt 8 speed rear derailure- EXCELLENT COMBINATION!!! never had problems. i hope this will last me a good 5 years. i don't think i'm financially ready to go 9 speed. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
CK
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland, Oregon
Date Reviewed: May 26, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | They shift, haven't had any bad problems with them yet.... | | Weaknesses: | As was said on the first review, they tend to shift into the smallest ring when you land on anything not soft. Mine are brand new too, they came on my hardrock pro, so the problem isn't fixed. Also, I have a difficult time shifting into my largest front ring, but that just might need to be adjusted.... | | Similar Products Used: | Gripshift-HATE THEM | | Bike Setup: | Hardrock Pro, stock for now.... | | Bottom Line: | They work, are cheap, and are comfy (for me at least) to use. I don't really have any experience with nicer shifters, but these work. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ali James
a Weekend Warrior
from England
Date Reviewed: March 17, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | South Downs | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Came on my bike | | Strengths: | Cheap
Change well for a few months | | Weaknesses: | Brake lever is very flexy and feels very unstable | | Similar Products Used: | Deore rapid fire
Lx brake levers | | Bike Setup: | Hardtail | | Bottom Line: | These are ok pieces of kit, but they do wear out pretty soon, they did'nt last to well as i snapped the lever on the left hand side. They are good until they start to wear out. The lever works for a while, if you buy them expect what you pay for and dont take them apart, they wont go back together evr again. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott M
a Weekend Warrior
from Boston
Date Reviewed: March 10, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | ??????? | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Link | | Strengths: | Light, precise, easy adjust, no binding/rusting in rain or snow. Accurate readout. | | Weaknesses: | none yet. | | Similar Products Used: | grips! | | Bike Setup: | Leader LD515 frame, Judy-XLC100 fork. | | Bottom Line: | I had to order these to accomodate my 7-speed D-T. Yeh, that's right! They have been flawlessly reliable-esp. for the price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Kirksville, Missouri
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | came with bike | | Strengths: | quick shifting, display, durable (had many nasty wrecks and only minor scuffs) | | Weaknesses: | older under bar version somtimes gets in the way of your knee when riding hard uphill | | Similar Products Used: | lame grip shifters and friction shifters | | Bike Setup: | bridgestone MB-6 w/ various upgrades | | Bottom Line: | great value..the nice sharp clicky sound tells you pretty quick that you've bumped the lever with your knee and you're about to hurt yourself..the brake levers are a little long (3 finger braking), would be much better with 2 finger, but works well anyway.. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: January 23, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Shorthills Provincal Park | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$15.00 | | Purchased At: | E-bay | | Strengths: | Shifts...if your on a budget and you want dead on shifting, just buy them. | | Weaknesses: | None...
| | Similar Products Used: | Shimano XT rapidfire (summer bike) | | Bike Setup: | Mongoose Heinz (57 product mix) | | Bottom Line: | I got these used off e-bay for my winter bike. They have worked flawlessly for me. For the money you can't go wrong!! Given 4 chilis for overall rating only because I have not abused them long enough. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe H.
a Cross Country Rider
from Buckley, Wa usa
Date Reviewed: December 19, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Below Her navel. | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Bonney Lake Bike shop | | Strengths: | They work. Separate from brake. Personally I like a read- out window that tells the gear you're in. It has taken the rain/mud/snow of Washington. | | Weaknesses: | C'mon. I'm saving money here. Came with the bike anyways. I would have put something higher end on it unnecessarily just because of hearing that BS of it shifts slower. Experience tells me otherwise. Go ahead, spend that cash! | | Similar Products Used: | Deore and Lx. | | Bike Setup: | 2 Fatty HT's and one normal. | | Bottom Line: | Been working great. Shifters have felt the same with an LX and XT rear derailer. Honestly...Nice quick shifts. Know how to set up rear derailer and tension/slack cable for adjustments you're there. Nirvana. I use to have an XTR rear derailer with the Deore Shifter and it all shifted the same. If shifts have slowed down or it only shifts good one way and not the other try a new cable or housing too. As long as its still clicking up and down I can make it work good. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Dorchester
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$38.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Link | | Strengths: | Mine are seperate from my brakes. Adjusts easily. Shifts on the money every time lightly/ solidly. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Bike Setup: | Self-built. It's nice. | | Bottom Line: | I've used them in the rain and mud, never a problem, no rust. I ride a lot of technical-lots of shifting. Anybody building new or replacing old should try. I would pay up to $50 for them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: August 15, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$32.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Quick and precise shifting, brake lever has power adjustment, nice looking, easy to read gear indicators, good enough quality to keep me from upgrading to either 9 speed or expensive 8-speed stuff which kepts money in my wallet. | | Weaknesses: | Brake lever power adjustment requires tools and the tiny screw used to hold the little plastic pin is very easy to drop and proved to be very difficult to find. But in all fairness, once you get it where you want it, you shouldnt have to mess with it again. | | Similar Products Used: | Acera Easy-fire, grip shift, old thumb shifters | | Bike Setup: | 2001 Raleigh M60, RockShox Judy SL and seatpost, Alivio shifter/brake levers, Deore rear der, SRAM 5.0 cassette, deore brakes, Mavic X221s laced to Deore hubs, and various other little things Ive added | | Bottom Line: | I bought these as an upgrade to the Acera Easy-fire shifters which are ok for recreational riding, but dont provide the crisp, fast shifts needed for more demanding off-roading. Since I decided I didnt want to spend $250 plus sink all the time into completely upgrading my drivetrain to 9 spd I decided just to stick a better rear derailleur on and get better shifters. Since its hard to find 8 speed stuff anymore I looked to ebay and found plenty of LX, XT, and XTR 8 speed stuff as long as I was willing to spend $60 or more just for shifters not to mention the derailleur. I deemed that to be overkill for a bike that really isnt worthy of higher end components. So then I started looking into buying Alivio shifters which were rapidfire and not easyfire (there is a difference). So I found a set for $25 on ebay, bid, lost the auction. Fortunately I happened to spot a set at a bike shop near the town I was visiting in Illinois. I grabbed em and took them home.
I decided that if Im gonna be installing new shifters then now is a good time to upgrade my rear derailleur. I found a new deore for $25 and when it arrived I proceeded to install them both. I was quite impressed with how much better it shifted, even the front derailleur. These shifters are a huge improvement over the old ones despite upgrading the rear derailleur. This just proves that those on a budget and who dont race or ride particularly aggressive dont really need XT or XTR level components. By the way, shifter was again improved drastically when I installed a new SRAM 5.0 cassette. My advice for those who's bike has alivio shifters and who arent real happy with shifting performance. Upgrade to a deore derailleur and a better cassette. That just might fix your problem. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Cylinder
a Cross Country Rider
from USA
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | The Bone | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Wheels | | Strengths: | Looks great, love the rapidfire shifting setup, gear indicator doesn't rest on handlebar like deore and up. | | Weaknesses: | Have not encountered any yet. | | Similar Products Used: | SRAM 3.0--I hate gripshifters..don't hate SRAM though. | | Bike Setup: | Haro Escape 8.2 (Red/Black 19.5”): Manitou SIX Comp (100mm); Avid disc brakes (f&r); Shimano LX rear derailleur; Shimano Alivio shifters and front derailleur (8-speed); ProMax brake levers; TruVativ 5D Cranks; SRAM 5.0 cassette (8-speed 11-32T); Shimano IG51 Chain (8-speed); Alex DM18 Doublewall rims (32H); Intense 2.25" CC tires; Haro disc hubs, handlebar, stem, and seatpost; WTB Inner Peace ST headset, and Speed V Comp saddle. | | Bottom Line: | I love these shifters and probably will not go to 9-speed. The only reason I would go to 9-speed is if I wanted an 11-34T cassette, which I don't, so I'd rather have 11-32T 8-speed than 11-32T 9-speed. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
RT
a
from Denton,TX, USA
Date Reviewed: May 30, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$37.00 | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | It shifts precisely and doens't have any clunky gear indicator window taking up space. | | Weaknesses: | None for me. Some might not like the lack of the gear indicator. | | Similar Products Used: | SRAM grip shifters | | Bike Setup: | Seven speed version. Had them on a mongoose sycamore, but switched them over to a rockhopper frame I built up. | | Bottom Line: | These aren't anything fancy or flashy. They work well when used with a properly adjusted derailleur. They also survived a crash that my fork and brake levers didn't. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
r r
a Downhiller
from bracebridge
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | back yard | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | came on bike | | Strengths: | it shifts... | | Weaknesses: | NO good for hard rideing... if you shift while ur pedaling hard then it it clanks and somtimes I bash my knee on the stem and it hurts alot... once in a wile when if bookin it it scares the bjeebers out of me and goes BANG! and skips and i losse pedling power... im a freerider and ride a kona stinky.. i usually pedal hard. This thing is no good for hard riding | | Similar Products Used: | ... | | Bike Setup: | kona stinky | | Bottom Line: | i dont like it.. but if ur into cross country riding i guess its ok | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
weather expert
a Weekend Warrior
from iowa
Date Reviewed: February 12, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | forgot | | Strengths: | shifts just as well as lx. | | Weaknesses: | the only problem i have ever had with these is the big fat screw that holds the entire shifter together coming loose. check that once in a while | | Similar Products Used: | lx 8 & 9 speed, 9.0. | | Bike Setup: | trek 850, XC setup. i don't do jumps, no freeriding, ds, or dh. no trials, urban assault. i'll get a different bike if i get into those trends. | | Bottom Line: | good solid performers. i'm using the old 7 speed rapidfire (not the newer over-the-bar type) on my spare/campus bike. it shifts amazingly well (w/ alivio der). just as well, if not better than, the lx setup that i've been using for over 1 year and half. the only issue i have had is the screw (see above), but if you tighten it occasionally it shouldn't give you any trouble. my friend was using it woo on a xt/xtr bike, and he liked it too.
deserves full pile of poops. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marco Alberio
a Weekend Warrior
from Milano, Italy
Date Reviewed: February 11, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | cheaper, easy to install and easy maintenance | | Weaknesses: | slightly fragile, plastic cover | | Similar Products Used: | SRAM 5.0, Deore XT (8V) | | Bike Setup: | Custom Full | | Bottom Line: | I buy it as temporary replacement for my broken "rare to find (in Italy)" XT 8V. I'm surprised for its performance, isn't so far from XT level. IMHO the price difference cannot be justified in value. Unfortunately front derailleur shifter isn't good as its rear brother. Now I use XT front and Alivio rear.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Coquitlam, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: January 3, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | Hardly any other than the fact that they do actually work (WOW!) | | Weaknesses: | Bend easily
fall apart quickly
just not good for any sort of hard riding. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Kona Scab, Z5 5" fork, titec berzerker dh saddle, matrix stem, the rest stock. | | Bottom Line: | Don't buy these unless they come on a bike, and if they do, be prepared to upgrade soon. I'm going to get some XT shifters mated with some sort of better lever. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Casey
a Cross Country Rider
from Hurst Tx US
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Lake Bryan | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Valley Cyclery | | Bike Setup: | raleigh M40, alivio rear, acera front and crank. lx brake levers with Rock Shock Jett | | Bottom Line: | I jsut put these on my girlfriends bike. a major step up from the "EZ fire" shifter/lever combos the bike came with. the old brkae levers wouldnt adjust for her small hands which is the main reason for the upgrade. the shift well without any major tuning after installation. cant say much for durability but I have a friend who has had some for a while, there is some play in them but they still shift well. only 3 chilis for value 'cause I onlyl paid 35 bucks for my brand new 9 speed LX but that's the way it goes. thanks shimano for mastering forced obsolesence.
if you're a hard core rider I wouldnt buy them, but if you are then why are you still running 7 speed stuff? for most these are a good upgrade from grip shift or "EZ fire" (crap) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dennis van Dam
a Downhiller
from Enkhuizen
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Merida Fireball Comp | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | NAN Grootebroek (netherlands) | | Strengths: | It is a verry fast shifter although the front shifters has difficulty's going to it's 3'rd wheel but further no problems wich is a whole new experience to me. | | Weaknesses: | Going to the 3 wheel front. | | Similar Products Used: | SRAM 5.0 | | Bottom Line: | It is a verry descent shifter and pretty strong, this is a must for the Novice who would want to become more pro-like. When you intend to do really rough things (as a novice) you could better go for the deore, but it is more expensive too, the deore derrailleur would make more diffirence then, so th shifters would be better to have these because they are verry reliable too, and not too expensive. Best start is this type 'a shifters. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
michael lawson
a Cross Country Rider
from Catania, sicily, italy
Date Reviewed: January 14, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Back Motta Road | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | The display and the reliable shifting of the cog side(right side) | | Weaknesses: | The constant adjusting of the left shifter. | | Similar Products Used: | stx, deore, xtr | | Bottom Line: | I bought this bike from a guy in town and the shifters came with the bike. I ride somewhere 100 miles a week and alot of hills ant 5 and 6 percent grades and the only problem I have ever had is the left shifter is hard to get the "click" to go up onto the big chainring. I have to give it a cheater half push. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew Kirkpatrick
a Weekend Warrior
from Northampton
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Harleston Firs | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | On Bike | | Strengths: | Shifts gears
Doesn't break
Optical display | | Weaknesses: | None really | | Similar Products Used: | Acera, Altus, Alivio, STX-RC, LX | | Bike Setup: | Kona Scab, Z3 lt, LX | | Bottom Line: | To be honest, you are really sad if you can tell the difference between any Shimano shifter between Alivio and XT, as they are essentially all the same.
GEARS ARE GEARS, AS LONG AS THEY CHANGE WHAT'S THE PROBLEM!
Alivio is as good as it's gonna get if it's not XTR | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
nate
a Cross Country Rider
from Redding
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Hmmm a lot..... | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | CAME WITH BIKE | | Strengths: | hmmm..you can see the gear your in....shifts.. | | Weaknesses: | does not hold up well
gets out of adjustment after one hard ride
levers are cheezy
Sluggish shifting | | Similar Products Used: | XT
XTR
Sram Plasma
| | Bike Setup: | Fisher w/ XT f & r derailleurs...XMO o2 fork...Avid mags..etc... | | Bottom Line: | These shifters were great when i first got the bike...Since then i have evolved as a rider and have finally realized and mastered the art of shifting (it might sound corny, but it really is an art) and these shifters have just held me back. They are great for the novice...which i was...but not for the experienced rider looking for performance..which i am now...i would recommend them for anyone starting out...but if you do see yourself getting better and think your derailleurs are messed up...it is the shifters...dont worry just buy XT or if not Deore... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Art Salmons
a Weekend Warrior
from Parker
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Cherry Creek | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | These shifters offer great shifting for the price. I have really enjoyed theprecise shifting that I get with these shifters. | | Weaknesses: | none yet, may run into something after months of use. | | Similar Products Used: | Sram Grip shifters | | Bottom Line: | These are great low shifters and they are much better then the grip shifters I've used. My wife's bike has grip shifters and I don't like them at all and wouldn't buy a bike with them.
It seems to me that these offer precise shifting at a low price and are a great value. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ralph july
a Weekend Warrior
from jerujalem
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | jerujalem mountains | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | good ergonomics, smooth and reliable shifting | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | shimano ez fire | | Bike Setup: | front and seat suspension, xt rear acera front deralliour | | Bottom Line: | i changed to alivio from ez fire that i used 6 month's.
the improvment is great! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Martin
a Cross Country Rider
from Moncton,NB,Canada
Date Reviewed: July 6, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | not telling | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | They work... | | Weaknesses: | eh.. for the price.. dont look cool? | | Similar Products Used: | grip shifts.. | | Bike Setup: | 2 wheels and a seat.. oh yeah.. shifters too | | Bottom Line: | Not bad at all.. im suprised they lasted 3 whole years.. OE on my 96 atx 840.. but still.. quite a bit of play in them.. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dale Houston
a
from Chicago, IL
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | all | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Smooth shift, quick shifting, and comfortable location. | | Weaknesses: | None found yet | | Bike Setup: | Gary Fisher, LX components | | Bottom Line: | I've had a few shifters now, including grip shifters, and cheat altus combos. There's a big difference, from smoothness to durability, these shifters do it. There might be better shifters for more money, but if your looking for a good performing product, for a decent price, this is the way to go. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
George
a Weekend Warrior
from NJ
Date Reviewed: March 9, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | various singe track and fire trail | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Cost | | Weaknesses: | display | | Similar Products Used: | LX | | Bike Setup: | 2000 Giant Yukon hardtail, Alivio grouping, RS Jett fork, Shimano 515 clipless | | Bottom Line: | Got these to replace the ez fire shifters that came on my bike. They shift precisly and haven't given any problems. The display is somewhat tacky. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David Rynne
a Cross Country Rider
from Ennis Ireland
Date Reviewed: February 26, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | fountain park, ennis | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | They shift gears, they are available in 8 speed, they are cheap. | | Weaknesses: | look and feel awfull. Display is tackey | | Similar Products Used: | Shimano xt 8 speed
gripshift
shimano lx
| | Bike Setup: | mainly xt groupset (apart from stx) shifter Barracuda frame and z1 bams | | Bottom Line: | They have propably reduced the value of my bike by £100. THey look cheap, they feel cheap and are vague and unresponsive. They work well but only because i haven't got them dirty yet
The only reason i got them is because crappy shimano dont make 8-speed shifters in a higher spec and have a rubbish support system. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave E.
a weekend warrior
from London,UK
Date Reviewed: January 31, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
paulebling@clara.netThese shifters shift really well if the drivetrain is clean, which is pretty suprising, but as soon as a
little bit of dirt gets onto your chain, they really aren't any good. I've got one really big gripe
about these, though: If I come off a drop off and land even slightly hard, the left hand shifter
drops into the granny wheel, which is extremely dangerous, as you don't notice until you try to
power away. The indicators are usefull, and they're still better than any GripShifter I've ever
used. I think the problem with the dropping gears has probably been sorted out since mine
were made (95 model!)
| | Overall Rating: |
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