Another numpty question - Top normal rear mechs

[TedMaul]

A new year, the same sort of "back into MTB after 7 years" questions. So the rear mech has given up, looking for a replacement in the sales. Current is XTR M960, about 8-9 years old I reckon, so no surprise its on its way. Have seen this http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod... at a decent price, spec says high normal, but does that need different shifters? Do the same shifters work but the levers are effectively reversed, so the lower thumb moves to larger cog and forefinger moves to smaller?

All seems odd to me, I remember etc etc... all this was fields etc etc....

[TedMaul]

bump for the day crowd pls...

[zebedee]

I fitted a top normal mech to my wife's old mtb and indeed you need to put tension on in order to pull it to a harder gear, so the shifter still works, just the other way round as you rightly say. I think that bike had grip shift but I can't see why it would be any different for indexed trigger pods. It has its advantages, not least when a cable snaps, but it never really caught on.

[snotrag]

Exactly, it just swaps round. When you 'release' on the trigger finger you go up the block, and you 'push' with your thump you go down the block. Just the opposite way round.

Its horrid, dont do it.

[zebedee]

probably good advice. It was fine for my wife as she had nothing to compare it to but you will constantly be shifting the wrong way and cursing yourself for not getting a low normal! Anyway, if the cable snaps, why else do limit adjust screws go so far?!