A shift mechanism for a transmission comprising a planetary gear transmission, a shift cam ( 600 ) engaged with a planetary gear assembly in the planetary gear transmission, the shift cam having a shift cam stop ( 5008 ), a rotatable cable ring ( 5003 ) connected to a moveable cable ( 1 ), the cable ring comprising a ramped portion ( 361, 362 ), a rotatable ramped ring ( 5002 ), the ramped ring comprising a ramped portion ( 381, 382 ) cooperatively engaged with the cable ring ramped portion, and further the ramped ring having a stop cooperatively engagable with the shift cam stop, a rotation of the cable ring urges the ramped ring a predetermined distance in a direction normal to the plane of rotation of the cable ring, the shift cam held against rotation by engagement with the ramped ring, and at which predetermined distance the ramped ring is allowed to rotate with the cable ring simultaneous with the axial movement of the ramped ring, and a spring ( 5005 ) connected between the cable ring and the shift cam, the shift cam reacting to the spring force rotates upon rotation of the ramped ring by an amount of rotation that is limited by engagement of the shift cam stop with the ramped ring stop and during which rotation of the shift cam the transmission shifts gears.