Hello, a question to the numerous Bike experts on the forum --

Some time ago, I bought a second-hand bike with 3x6 Shimano gears. Recently, the "front" gear shifter (the one with 3 front gears) broke.
This device is a circular plastic sleeve sitting on the handle bar, which I turn in order to pull the gear-shifting cable. Now the question - can one recommend where can I buy a spare and how easy or difficult is it to replace this thing? Being a second-hand inexpensive bike, I am not too keen on spending a fortune by taking the bike to a bike shop for repair, which might in all probability cost more than the cost of the bike itself. And, more importantly, I am quite a novice and know little about the art of bike repair.
Thanks and regards!

Sounds like you have an grip shift mechanism on the bike. Personally what I would do in your situation is try to by an old style friction shifter in your local bike shop (if you can still get them) and a new gear cable. Then take the old cable out by undoing it from the derailer and then pulling it out through the old shifter, be careful to note where the cable is routed on the frame as if goes down to the derailer.

Fit the new shifter on your handle bar where your thumb can easily reach it. Run the cable through the shifter and down through the frame (through the cable housing tubes as needed). Put the shifter in the minimum tension position and fix the other end to the cable clamp on the derailler. Pull enough tension that the cable is just taught with the chain on the inside ring. Tighten everything up and you should have functioning gears again.

Hope this helps.

You may also find these links helpful.

http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=117
http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=75

I might have something to solve your problem. However, it is an integrated brake/shifter, so you would need to check that the type of brake lever matches the type of brakes you have. What kind of brakes do you have? Are they "V-brakes", something like this. If not, then this will work for your bike. I'll only ask 5 CHF for it to cover the cost of shipping and my time. I'll be happy to get rid of it - most mountain bikes now have V-brakes, and this is useless for those. It came off of a friend's bike last year when he changed some parts, and it has been sitting in my draw ever since. Send me a PM if interested, and we can figure out the details.
Chris.

Hello Chris,
Thanks for the information, and your offer of help.
My brakes quite match the picture you sent me (a kind of inverted "U" passing over the front wheel, with brake shoes at the ends).
So, does having these "V" brakes complicate the situation a great deal?

There is a slightly different pull ratio between V brakes and Cantilever Brakes which makes using the lever for one with another a little dodgy. I think you can pick up a shifter pretty cheap and just change that. If you can take a picture of the brakes we can tell you for sure if Chris's integrated shifter/brake lever will work or not.

If there is a continuous piece of metal that forms the inverted-U then that is OK, they are not V-brakes, and you can use the shifter/brake lever that I have. If you are still unsure, then just post a picture of the brakes. Having V-brakes doesn't really complicate anything, it just means you need a brake lever designed for V-brakes, which the one I have is not.

Be warned though, if you go with the option of taking my shifter/brake lever you will have the additional complication of moving the brake cable from one lever to another (although this shouldn't be too hard, and you get to play with and learn about one more part on your bike), and you may end up with two brake levers that look very different from each other. It's up to you.

Here is a pic of a cantilever brake which should work with ChrisW's lever.



The V-brake won't work



But that is not a problem because then you only need to source a shifter. On the whole a trigger shifter will be easier to find, and probably cheaper than a grip shifter. But then it will be different to your other shifter and you will also need to buy a new grip to go with it.

I think SRAM is the only company still making grip shifts these days.

I still think an old style friction thumb shifter will be the best option if he is not to familiar with bike repairs... no requirement to get the cable tension and h and l screws absolutely perfect. Also I rekon most bike shops will have some friction shifters lieing around in some rubbish bins that they will let him have for next to nothing.

Or one like this, or one like this - just not a V-brake is the only requirement, which is why I didn't post a link to what it should look like to start with, it is only important what it shouldn't look like.

BTW, thanks for giving us bike guys something to talk about on a Monday afternoon!

Does this officially qualify us as bike geeks?

Chris would you be game for going for an English Forum spin on knobbly tires sometime in the spring/summer?

Certainly, but nothing too steep/bumpy - my MTB is only a cross-country hardtail with V-brakes - I'm a roadie at heart So if you know of some good cross-country style trails then I'm there - I quite like tight and twisty, I just try to stay away from steep and bumpy. In this country, I find it hard to find one without the other, and if there is neither then I'd prefer to be on my hydrid or road bike. If there is both then I need a new mountain bike, and I already spend too much cash on my other bikes to warrant that.

Don't worry... ...Woodsie has a bike that would suit you for the steep bumpy stuff. It weighs enough that if you were to ride it us unfit knobbly tyre boys might even be able to keep up with you on the climbs!!!

Seriously though, I think we can sort something out. There are enough tours in this county with some seriously stunning views to suit all levels. I only started using a fully myself 2 years ago... ...before that it was hardtail and V-Brakes all the way!

Something like the tour up to Creux de Vans in Jura would be fairly central for EFer's from all over Switzerland to meet up and do. Will post a thread more specific to this closer to the time.

Sounds like a plan, Eire. I hiked up to Creux de Van last Spring, it was very nice. BTW, I think Spring started yesterday, or at least it felt like it while I was out riding .

Yip, I was pleasantly surprised by the warmth when out riding yesterday too... ...Made a big difference to the previous weekend when I came back with numb feet.

Wow, thanks for everyone willing to help a beginner...
posting the photo, definitely a V-brake.
The broken gear-shifter is visible on the top-right corner. Will try the bike shops as you suggest.

Best of luck getting something simple at the bike shops, and sorry for leading this thread so off-topic. If you want the same style shifter that you already have, then you'd probably have to go for the entry-level model made by SRAM, it is 18 CHF at veloplus.ch, go to this page and select "MRX Drehgriff, 3f., links, Shimano kompatibel."

A conversation about biking? I must join in! Can't really contribute anything about the gear-talk but luckily the bike geeks - um I mean experts - covered that part quite thoroughly...

I can vouch for Eire - He showed us a very nice MTB trail last fall that was a lot of fun - not too technical/bumpy. I have to admit I am a roadie at heart too (even though I have full susp now), but really enjoyed it. So looking forward to more of that coming up... And hopefully you get this stuff fixed up, ip2012, so you can join in the fun too!

The more the merrier!!!

I would also be interested in going for a ride.