Submitted by
Dave this is bull
a Cross Country Rider
from alaska Date Reviewed: November 25, 2002
Favorite Trail:
any fast ones
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
some crudy store
Strengths:
nice,fast,crisp,cheap,
Weaknesses:
nothing really but the rubber pads wear fast and need to be replaced
Similar Products Used:
xt,xtr,deore
Bike Setup:
Marin hawk hill, uprgaded all XT, ritchey rims, titec stem and bar
Bottom Line:
awsome for the money, work great but when you get money upgrade to lx or xt its worth it and cheap
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kace
a Cross Country Rider
from Bristol, UK Date Reviewed: October 5, 2001
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$10.00
Strengths:
light, cheap
Weaknesses:
can be hard to grip in wet
Similar Products Used:
Shimano lever-type
Bike Setup:
Front-sus XC
Bottom Line:
These have had a few complaints on the site, but they're not so bad. I don't know if i'd trust them to move the rear mech, but for L-hand use I don't think you need to spend much more. I actually like having 2-3 clicks between chainrings- you can "fine-tune" to prevent rub when using different rear cogs. Can be slippy in mud, otherwise reliable. Sure you can do better but for the price I reckon they're a good compromise
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Submitted by
phil
a Weekend Warrior
from danville Date Reviewed: July 25, 2001
Favorite Trail:
kickapoo mt. bike trails 2b-4
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
local shop
Strengths:
works sometimes
Weaknesses:
doesn't shift smoothly, it's slow, you have to mess with it to get in the rihgt gear, pieces break off easy, it'a grip shift.
Similar Products Used:
the shifters on those cheap $80 NEXT bikes at walmart
Bike Setup:
canondale m400
Bottom Line:
if it didn't come on my bike it wouldn't be there
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles, CA Date Reviewed: September 25, 1999
Favorite Trail:
CA metroparks
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Great grip- does not slip or slide of hand
Weaknesses:
Shifting gets annoying-you have to click a million times before actually getting to the gear you want- i don't really like hand shifters
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Mongoose MGX a80/ Judy t2 fork
Bottom Line:
This grip is alright, not too good. I wouldn't spend your money on it
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
TOBY
a Weekend Warrior
from CHARLESTON WV Date Reviewed: June 28, 1999
Favorite Trail:
WILDCAT
Duration Product Used:
tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
CHEAP
Weaknesses:
CHEAP
Similar Products Used:
SHIMANO ACERA, ALIVIO
Bottom Line:
FRIEND BOUGHT A BIKE WITH THIS ON IT, PEICE OF CRAP. THEY ARE ON THOSE $100 HUFFY'S AT WALMART IF THAT TELLS YOU ANYTHING. FRIENDS WOULDN'T SHIFT, REGUARDLESS. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING INEXPENSIVE GO SHIMANO.
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Submitted by
RavenHawk
a Weekend Warrior
from Arlington, VA Date Reviewed: May 6, 1999
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Bottom Line:
These are terrible. I have older Gripshifts which are much better. It used to only have one click on the left shifter to get from 1-2 or 2-3. Now, there are 3 clicks to get there. This causes a lot of probems because if you shift in a hurry, you could wind up between 1-2 and not shift at all. I don't know why there are no other comments on this.... My old Gripshift 300's are FAR BETTER....not one problem in 6 years and only ONE CLICK! DO NOT BUY!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Avinash
a Cross-Country Rider
from North Haven, CT Date Reviewed: April 10, 1999
Duration Product Used:
more than 3 years
Strengths:
When first bought shifting is smooth
Weaknesses:
Wears out your hands and hurt. You can hit the brakes by accident when shifting all the way.
This shifting is easy but it interferes and hurts your hands tremendously after long hours of use. I think you should use Rapid Fire SL (shimano with STX RC)
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Francois
a Weekend Warrior
from pretoria Date Reviewed: April 7, 1999
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Strong, reliable and easily ajustable
Weaknesses:
None that comes to mind
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
1998 Sunn tonic, ESP deraillers
Bottom Line:
I do not know how nice or easy it is to use rapidfires but these ESP 5.0 's is just fine for me. They are extremely easy to adjust, and actually needed only 2 minor adjustments throughout the year. They shift positively and not too easy so that you would shift unintensionally on a rocky singletrack. The advantage of gripshift is that you can shift a lot of gears with one twist. I have also fallen with my bicycle a couple of times and no harm came to my shifters or deraillers. I would think the ESP shifters would obviously work best with ESP deraillers (as they suggest in my Sunn manua).l
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Submitted by
Jarno
a Cross-Country Rider
from Holland Date Reviewed: April 3, 1999
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Bottom Line:
In the beginning the shifters didnt work fine on my Giant Box3 but fter some tweaking i can change gears with just a little twist. About changing gears downhill. JUST CHANGE TO THE RIGHT GEAR BEFORE GOING DOWN
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Phil...
a Cross-Country Rider
from Alaska Date Reviewed: March 15, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Local no-name
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Cheap, light,
Weaknesses:
Somewhat hard to service. Snap-together construction.
Bike Setup:
Spec. RH STX rear derailleur (soon to be XT) STX RC front derailleur. SH-IG chain.
Bottom Line:
They have work excellently for me, and given me no trouble that I can remember. I have yet to actually clean them in two years, and they just keep on working. Mine are the older non-ergonomic shape models. They have a cheap snap-together construction that harkens back to those nightmarish snap-together plastic airplane/car/tank models that fell apart within days of assembly. But these have stayed together, and havn't required much maintanence. I had to change a cable once. I think that the cable change could have been easier with a little more engineering. I have heared that the new models have a handy cable change hatch. So that grip would be null if I had the newer model.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a weekend warrior
from Dubai, United Arab Emirates Date Reviewed: March 10, 1999
Bottom Line:
Let me start off by saying that most reviews on this site seem biased, and that's understandable seeing how enthusiastic bikers are about their equipment; here I have an advantage as I neith love nor hate this product. Three stars are awarded this product for the following reasons: (1) they are affordable [I think, they came with the bike, erm] (2) They are not as great as Shimano XTs, but that is to be expected with the price drop [XTs deserve a 5 star if your are willing to pay the price]. (3) The initial troubles I had with getting the gears to work smoothly was solved by some simple tweaking and (4) all that said they probably deserve a 4-star rating, if it wasn't for the extreme pain to the hands from using these shifters; sure your won't break your thumb of tire it out but it will look like a skinned chicken before you adopt a more pain-free method of shifting. Not to be recommended for use in competition however, but then again I don't belive they were intended for competition seeing how they are the bottom end of SRAM's product range.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Drazi
a weekend warrior
from Tomball Date Reviewed: January 28, 1999
Bottom Line:
The shifting of this product is quick and smooth, and has been problem free so far. It is a lot easier on your hands than the rapid fire shifters. You do not have to worry about your thumbs getting tired.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matt Kaufman
a cross-country rider
from Pennsylvania Date Reviewed: January 10, 1999
Bottom Line:
I have a Grip Shift Centera shifters on my Trek bike. They are terrible! they do not shift right, even after having them adjusted. I already broke some of the Grip Shift shifters on my KHS bike. DO NOT BUY THESE PIECES OF JUNK!!!
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Submitted by
Tyler
a cross-country rider
from California Date Reviewed: January 9, 1999
Bottom Line:
i dont know what these other people are talking about! GripShifts are very long lasting and they are very smooth going up hills. If u want classic shifters that last, get some GripShifts.
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Submitted by
Ben mottershead
a downhiller
from england Date Reviewed: January 4, 1999
Bottom Line:
Top shifters excelant price for first time grip shifting not had any quibles and Ive had them for 3 years they doent need loads of maintanaince perfect for first time upgrades from standard to more competetive
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
James Robertson
a weekend warrior
from Sussex England Date Reviewed: December 27, 1998
Bottom Line:
The biggest lump of S%$T I have ever seen! 1 star is too many for them but it will not let me choose anything lower, -5 is about right. You try riding a steep technical section whilst braking and then having to twist your whole hand just to change gear ist imposible. I think these should be withdrawn from sale as a health and safty hazzard. Even on the flat relaxing road when changing gear is the only thing you need to think about they are C%*P! They are painfull to use over long periods leaving you hand with no skin or your gloves with a hole. If you pay money for these you should be ashamed, you just helped SRAM to justify making more C%$P like this! And if like me they came with the bike your going to have to pay an extra £20 - £30 for some good shifters. SRAM! I HATE THESE THINGS AND SO DOES EVERY ONE ELSE SO STOP MAKING THEM!
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Submitted by
Tyler
a cross-country rider
from Idaho Date Reviewed: December 25, 1998
Bottom Line:
my trek came with grip shift 400. They lasted a while and one of the shifters broke. I had it replaced for free and about a week later the other one busted, same spot. It is still usable, but it's only a matter of time before it is useless. I give them 2 chili's since they were replaced for free
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jamie Murphy
a cross-country rider
from Ottawa Date Reviewed: October 15, 1998
Bottom Line:
I used to a grip shift shift but they were not durable at all!!!!!!! The rear shifter broke so I got it fixed but 3 moths later it broke again. Then one day I was about to go up a steep hill so shifted the front shifter from 3 down to one and what does it do it falls apart. Now I use rapid fire. I would give gripshift 0 stars but I can only give it one
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Osiowy
a cross-country rider
from Regina, Sask., Canada Date Reviewed: August 24, 1998
Bottom Line:
Grip Shift shifters came as original equiptment on my Trek 6000, and they worked okay. But, about six weeks ago, I accidently dropped my bike while lifting it over a barb-wire fence. The result: A broken left-hand shifter. But that's not all. Yesterday, I was competing in a provincial race. About three kms. into the race, I noticed something was wrong with my shifting. I looked down to see my Grip Shift in pieces in my hand, all cracked up and shattered. I spent $37 dollars to race in tht race, and I came in half a minute behind someone I usually beat by three minutes or more. I was lapped by an expert racer a third of the way through my first lap. I was humiliated partially because of these shifters, getting passed by 12-year old girls. So that's why I'm paying money to change over to rapidfire, and giving Grip Shift a crap review.
$
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