how does twist shift work?

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pontiacfieroguy

New Member
Apr 21, 2011
5
0
0
knoxville tn
the left handle twist and it says friction up or down and the right handle twist 1-6 and i cant figure out how to go from the super low gear its in to a more managable gear for riding. ive tried trial and error just twisting to differnt settings as im riding and cant get it to change. the bike is a huffy savannah if it makes a differnce. back when i used to ride i had the thumb lever type shifter and have never used this style until now so i have no expereince with it and the user manual doesnt tell me.
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
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Littleton, Colorado
Sounds like your rear derailer isn't adjusted right. The twist shifter should work just like your thumb shifter did. The lower the number, the lower the gear.
Tom
 

pontiacfieroguy

New Member
Apr 21, 2011
5
0
0
knoxville tn
how do i adjust it right? my bike is supposed to be an 18spd and the twist grip is only listed 1-6. what is the friction setting for? sorry for all the questions but i have no knowledge about this type of stuff and am very eager to learn
 

DuctTapedGoat

Active Member
Dec 20, 2010
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Nampa Idaho
There's 3 speeds on your crank sprockets and 6 on your rear wheel cassette.

6 times 3 = 18, 18 total combinations of gears.

Friction is just how tight the lever is.

But, it's already been said - make sure your derailleur is lined up for all gears, keep the moving parts lubed and your chain greased, a shot of WD down the cable lines and set the lever tension to a comfortable setting.
 

pontiacfieroguy

New Member
Apr 21, 2011
5
0
0
knoxville tn
There's 3 speeds on your crank sprockets and 6 on your rear wheel cassette.

6 times 3 = 18, 18 total combinations of gears.

Friction is just how tight the lever is.

But, it's already been said - make sure your derailleur is lined up for all gears, keep the moving parts lubed and your chain greased, a shot of WD down the cable lines and set the lever tension to a comfortable setting.
how do i know if its lined up correctly?
 

DuctTapedGoat

Active Member
Dec 20, 2010
1,179
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Nampa Idaho
You'll know it's lined up when it doesn't skip gears when you're pedaling and applying a high amount of torque, and you have access to all gears on the shifter.
 

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
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N.M.
1 to 1 action rear derailers are suggested for grip twist shifters. Some derailers do not move good enough with the shifter.

From here: Currently there are multiple conventions for the relationship between shifter travel and rear derailleur travel, known as actuation ratios. The ratios, when given, are nominal, and do not represent an exact ratio.[citation needed]
One convention, used by Shimano, is one-to-two (1:2). A unit of cable moved in causes about twice as much movement of the derailleur.
Another convention, used by SRAM mountain bike rear derailleurs, is one-to-one (1:1). A unit of cable moved in the shifter causes about an equal amount to be moved in the derailleur. SRAM claims that this makes their systems more robust: more accepting of contamination.[11]
Exact Actuation, used by SRAM road bike rear derailleurs, similar but different from the mountain ratio.
Campagnolo convention.
Suntour's convention.
Shifters employing one convention are generally not compatible with derailleurs employing the other, although exceptions exist.[12

Derailleur gears - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 

Drewd

New Member
Jul 25, 2008
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Colorado
if the advice you got here doesn't help consider a bike shop and ask to watch the bike mechanic while he adjusts your bike. a derailleur adjustment shouldn't cost much.