Hold and release mechanism for holding and releasing a cable take-up device of, for instance, a step shifter, for example for a bicycle, for holding an actuating cable, which can be taken up by means of the cable take-up device, in a plurality of actuating positions, comprising an actuating position of maximum pull-out of the actuating cable from the cable take-up device and an actuating position of maximum pull-in of the actuating cable by the cable take-up device, and for the stepwise release of the actuating cable in a pull-out direction; comprising: - a toothed disc arrangement which belongs integrally to the cable take-up device or is or can be connected thereto in a rotationally fixed manner and can be rotated therewith about a first axis, which toothed disc arrangement has a plurality of teeth (1-10, 26) on its outer circumference; - an adjustable arresting pawl which can preferably be pivoted about a second axis and which, in a first position, in particular a first pivot position, when the toothed disc arrangement is situated in various first rotational positions, engages by an arresting projection with a tooth of the plurality of teeth (1-10, 26) that is assigned to the respective first rotational position and serves as an arresting tooth, in order to hold or block the toothed disc arrangement, and hence the cable take-up device, in the respective first rotational position, and which arresting pawl, in a second position, in particular a second pivot position, when the toothed disc arrangement is situated in various second rotational positions, engages by a securing projection with a tooth of the plurality of teeth (1-10, 26) that is assigned to the respective second rotational position and serves as a securing tooth, in order to hold or block the toothed disc arrangement, and hence the cable take-up device, in the respective second rotational position, wherein the first rotational positions correspond to the actuating positions of the actuating cable or to a subset of these actuating positions, and the second rotational positions correspond to intermediate positions of the actuating cable when transferring the actuating cable between adjacent ones of the actuating positions by releasing the actuating cable; characterized in that the actuating position of maximum pull-out of the actuating cable is assigned no tooth (1-10, 26; A-E) of the plurality of teeth that serves as an arresting tooth, with the result that the toothed disc arrangement (24; 24'), in a rotational position of the toothed disc arrangement (24; 24'), and hence of the cable take-up device, corresponding to the actuating position of maximum pull-out of the actuating cable, is not blocked and held by engagement of the arresting projection (30; 30') with a tooth (1-10, 26; A-E), and a lock-out device which is configured to remove or keep removed the arresting pawl (28; 28') from its first pivot position in at least one predetermined rotational angular range of the toothed disc arrangement (24; 24') that encompasses at least one rotational position of the toothed disc arrangement (24; 24') corresponding to an actuating position of the actuating cable. - a toothed disc arrangement which belongs integrally to the cable take-up device or is or can be connected thereto in a rotationally fixed manner and can be rotated therewith about a first axis, which toothed disc arrangement has a plurality of teeth (1-10, 26) on its outer circumference; - an adjustable arresting pawl which can preferably be pivoted about a second axis and which, in a first position, in particular a first pivot position, when the toothed disc arrangement is situated in various first rotational positions, engages by an arresting projection with a tooth of the plurality of teeth (1-10, 26) that is assigned to the respective first rotational position and serves as an arresting tooth, in order to hold or block the toothed disc arrangement, and hence the cable take-up device, in the respective first rotational position, and which arresting pawl, in a second position, in particular a second pivot position, when the toothed disc arrangement is situated in various second rotational positions, engages by a securing projection with a tooth of the plurality of teeth (1-10, 26) that is assigned to the respective second rotational position and serves as a securing tooth, in order to hold or block the toothed disc arrangement, and hence the cable take-up device, in the respective second rotational position, wherein the first rotational positions correspond to the actuating positions of the actuating cable or to a subset of these actuating positions, and the second rotational positions correspond to intermediate positions of the actuating cable when transferring the actuating cable between adjacent ones of the actuating positions by releasing the actuating cable;