# Vintage Giant Rincon Shifter Compatibility



## getagrip (Mar 26, 2008)

My friend has what appears to be an early 1990s Giant Rincon with a Shimano 100GS derailleur. The shifters appear to be shot. I was hoping he would be able to get away with spending $5 or $10 to replace the shifters, but the cheapest model on eBay I see is about $26. Are there any other shifter options that would work for the derailleur he has or is he going to have to fork out the $26? Thanks!


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## banks (Feb 2, 2004)

WD40 is a solvent.

Spray Triflow into the body of the shifter and work the levers back and forth. The factory grease is old.


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## djmuff (Sep 8, 2004)

You say the shifter appears to be shot. Have you tried spraying the shifter with some WD-40? It frees many stuck and stubborn Shimano shifters. If your shifter is indeed toast, then fork out the $26. That's pretty cheap for a shifter. If you want cheaper, find a bicycle co-op in your area and scrounge in their used parts bins. Good luck.


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## Uncle Grumpy (Oct 20, 2005)

Firstly,how many gears is it? The shifter needs to match the number of gears, if he's running indexed gearing that is. Otherwise any friction shifter would work.

Secondly, are you sure the shifter is toast? Have you thought about a new set of cables? What are the symptoms with the shifter? If you unhook the cable from the derailleur and then shift the shifter, does it make a difference?

On top of $26 for new shifters, factor in a few bucks for cables and outers.

Grumps

PS: ... and some new grips. Better check the brake pads. Might as well do the brake cables too. New tyres wouldn't hurt, and that seat has a tear in it. Hmmm. chainrings are looking worn, may a well get a new set of cranks, and replace the BB at the same time. New rings means a new chain and a new cassette. And while you're at it....


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## getagrip (Mar 26, 2008)

Thanks for the responses. I don't know if he's tried lubbing them or not - you can move the shifters back and forth, but nothing happens. He did say you can downshift when going up hill, though, so I guess they "kind of" work.

Would these work?

SHIMANO SIS TY-22 3/7 SPD BIKE SHIFTER LEVER PR SET NEW | eBay


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## Uncle Grumpy (Oct 20, 2005)

When you downshift, you're pulling cable through the outers which in turn pulls the derailleur. Even with gummy cables, this will still happen because you're "forcing" it to happen.

When you upshift, the derailleur settles back as far as the release of the cable will allow. If the cable is sticking or jammed, the derailleur won't move, or will be slow to move.

My money is on changing the cables. Friction shifters (assuming your pals ones are friction shifters) are pretty simple gadgets, not a lot can go wrong with them. A lever pivots around a bolt that's tightened to give some friction, not much to go wrong.

Save the money and replace the cable and outer.

Having said that, it's not impossible for something to jam inside the shifter, but I'm going with cables.

Grumps

PS: Yes, those shifters would work if you really need to change the shifters. For the money, just get them, they come with new inner cables, just get some fresh outer cables.


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