A bicycle shift operating device comprising: a bracket including a grip section having a lateral side with a shift cable guide portion,; a shift lever pivotally mounted to the bracket; and a shift operating unit mounted on the bracket, the shift operating unit including a spool, the spool being rotated in a rotational plane in accordance with movement of the shift lever to wind a shift cable extending from the spool to the lateral side, the shift cable guide portion being arranged at the lateral side of the bracket such that the shift cable guide portion guides the shift cable to a guiding direction that is non-parallel to the rotational plane of the spool, wherein the spool is arranged such that the rotation plane is not arranged in parallel to the bicycle longitudinal center plane when the shift operating device is in an installed position, the shift cable guide portion is provided such that the guiding direction extends rearward from the spool when the shift operating device is in an installed position, wherein the shift cable guide portion includes a channel to guide the shift cable, with the channel having a first end adjacent the spool, a second end spaced from the first end, and a convexly curved guide surface extending between the first end and the second end in the guiding direction, the first end of the channel being aligned with a winding groove formed on a peripheral surface of the spool, characterized in that the lateral side faces towards a bicycle longitudinal center plane when the shift operating device is in an installed position, and in that the shift cable guide portion is provided such that the guiding direction is at least partially angled more outwardly than rearward from the spool towards the bicycle longitudinal center plane when the shift operating device is in an installed position, the shift cable guide portion being further provided such that the guiding direction is subsequently angled primarily in a rearward direction after being initially angled more outwardly than rearward from the spool towards the bicycle longitudinal center plane when the shift operating device is an installed position. a bracket including a grip section having a lateral side with a shift cable guide portion,; a shift lever pivotally mounted to the bracket; and a shift operating unit mounted on the bracket, the shift operating unit including a spool, the spool being rotated in a rotational plane in accordance with movement of the shift lever to wind a shift cable extending from the spool to the lateral side, the shift cable guide portion being arranged at the lateral side of the bracket such that the shift cable guide portion guides the shift cable to a guiding direction that is non-parallel to the rotational plane of the spool, wherein the spool is arranged such that the rotation plane is not arranged in parallel to the bicycle longitudinal center plane when the shift operating device is in an installed position, the shift cable guide portion is provided such that the guiding direction extends rearward from the spool when the shift operating device is in an installed position, wherein the shift cable guide portion includes a channel to guide the shift cable, with the channel having a first end adjacent the spool, a second end spaced from the first end, and a convexly curved guide surface extending between the first end and the second end in the guiding direction, the first end of the channel being aligned with a winding groove formed on a peripheral surface of the spool, characterized in that the lateral side faces towards a bicycle longitudinal center plane when the shift operating device is in an installed position, and in that the shift cable guide portion is provided such that the guiding direction is at least partially angled more outwardly than rearward from the spool towards the bicycle longitudinal center plane when the shift operating device is in an installed position, the shift cable guide portion being further provided such that the guiding direction is subsequently angled primarily in a rearward direction after being initially angled more outwardly than rearward from the spool towards the bicycle longitudinal center plane when the shift operating device is an installed position.