Upgrade to Rapid Fire Index Shifters

[FuzzyMelton]

I just bought a Wal-Mart bike (Mongoose) for my 9 year old daughter who is still new to riding. She does not have the wrist strength to operate the grip shifters that came with the bike. They are SRAM 7speed index shifters. The bike has a Shimano rear derailleur model TD-TZ30.

Can I replace the grip shifters with thumb shifters? I found a few sets on Ebay (Shimano Acera 7-Speed Rapid Fire Shifter Set) for a decent price. Will this work? If not do you recommend a specific brand or type. Remember this is an entry level bike for my daughter to learn on as she grows.

I have not done bike repair in over 20+ years but in the day (before index shifting) I did all my own maintenance and kept my Nishiki with Sun Tour components in decent shape (showing my age).

Thanks for your help as we get back into cycling and just spending quality time as a family.

Fuzzy Melton!

[nfmisso]

Hi Fuzzy;

The shifters will work with the derailleur you have. Make sure to read Shimano's online tech documents about derailleur adjustment; and probably cable adjustment.

Do you have still have the Nishiki - can you post pictures in the "show off your bike" section: http://forums.bicycletutor.com/forum-36.html ?