How to Replace Thumb Shifter

The thumb shifters are the most popular type of shifter for off-road bikes. Some have two paddles, actuated by your thumb. Others have one thumb paddle while another works with your index finger. No matter what kind of style, all shifters designed for straight handlebar so they are installed and removed in the same way.

This section will show you the steps of removing and installing the thumb shifter of the mountain bike.

Step 1: Slide the shifter on the bare handlebar. The shifter hangs low while the paddles point out toward the handlebar end. Gradually loosen the pinch bolt, and note that don’t tighten it up now until you’ve appropriately finished every positional thing on your handlebar.

Step 2: Next, slide the brake lever and grip on the handlebar into the right position. Snug the bolt of the brake lever gently to hold it into the right position, but still allowing you to adjust its position on the bar.

Step 3: The grip can take a bit of work to install dry. Slipping the grip onto the bar would be much easier by wearing a bit of rubbing alcohol. You can put some into a spray bottle, spritzing to the grip before putting it on. The alcohol will help the grip slide easily into position and then evaporate to make it firmly grip the handlebar.

Step 4: Take the riding position on the bike and adjust the position of the shifter and brake lever so that you can touch all the control surfaces easily, while both seated and holding on the bike. When you’ve replaced everything you want, you can fully tighten all of the pinch bolts.

Step 5: Removing lock-on grips that have a hard sleeve and collars is easy enough. You should loosen the collars and the grip and slip right off. Most of the grips are single made by the material like molded rubber or foam, so they are fit snugly to the handlebar. When you remove full rubber or foam grips, it can be a little easier by spraying a mist of rubbing alcohol or plain water into the end. To pry the end open, you may use a screwdriver or something similar. Be super-careful, not to scratch the surface of the bar, especially if it’s carbon one.

Step 6: Some straight bar shifters are integrated with the brake lever. Compared with them, the only difference in the installation of the thumb shifter only is that the whole assembly is held in place with a single clamp and bolt.