Cheap Chinese shifters. How bad can they be?

[Cycleops]

Bought these for a local boys bike, an old Schwinn as the original thumb shifters had stopped working and couldn't be persuaded to operate correctly.
I wanted to get some 'home used' thumb shifters but couldn't find any. Cost me the equivalent of £3. Came with the cable inner and outers. No brand name. Both front and rear derailleurs looked the same as I could not see any difference between the pair to denote which was which so assumed they were the same.

I was told they would work on anything up to 10 speed so not indexed.
I got them fitted and they worked okay but rather stiff, but that could be down to the derailleurs as well I guess.

We'll see if they stand the test if time.

 

[fossyant]

Stiffness could well be cheap cables, but you aren't going to be fitting expensive ptfe lined ones.

 

[Milkfloat]

Revo shift is bad enough with genuine parts, I hope the kid is strong However, @fossyant is right, they really benefit from free moving cables.

 

[Cycleops]

I did grease the cables.

 

[Grant Fondo]

I got Tourney Revoshifters for a tenner, plasicky, but work fine

 

[si_c]

For £3 probably worth trying, if it appears that they are losing the will to live or becoming unreliable at least you have bought some time to source replacement parts.

 

[FishFright]

Very , threw loads of these away when I was at the bike recycling workshop.

Stiff at the start , became loose in weeks and broke when trying to fit new cable.

Strictly BSO fodder

 

[Chris S]

The cables are worth £3 alone.

 

[matticus]

Grip shifts?? Oh lordy - work of the devil, whatever the brand. I'd rather have friction levers, either stem or down-tube mounted.

 

[cyberknight]

im tempted by sensah shifters just out of interest

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUNW7eE5uKA

 

[fossyant]

The Sensah stuff is supposed to be good, but our OP is in Ghana and he tends to fix the local kids bikes as best he can out of his own pockets as I assume, the parent's can't afford to, or don't know how.

 

[cyberknight]

The Sensah stuff is supposed to be good, but our OP is in Ghana and he tends to fix the local kids bikes as best he can out of his own pockets as I assume, the parent's can't afford to, or don't know how.

indeed i was merely saying i fancy some chinese shifters too

 

[fossyant]

indeed i was merely saying i fancy some chinese shifters too

You could knock up a cheap hack, that won't be a 'hack'.

 

[cyberknight]

You could knock up a cheap hack, that won't be a 'hack'.

my current hack runs sram apex 10 speed shifters the commuter is claris but i find that perfect for the intended job

 

[fossyant]

my current hack runs sram apex 10 speed shifters the commuter is claris but i find that perfect for the intended job

My work 'hack' runs Deore XT and LX (although vintage)