Tiagra shifter problem!

Phil_in_CA wrote:
Thanks, Marten, Frank, and Lou,

First, I should say that I was doubtful that I could get a shifter (or
a set) to replace mine, but after I posted (and before I tried
Marten's suggestion of spaying the heck out of it) I got on ePay to
find that there are indeed replacements available! In the past, when
I had an old Cannondale, parts were hard to find, so I "assumed" that
that would be the case now... wrong!

Any way, I did a bit of dis-assembly and sprayed some Tri-flow into
it. I worked the levers a bunch and it did fix it! Maybe I dripped
some CytoMax Go Grape drink in there or something.... Good news is it
works again.

Excellent! Glad it's worked for you.

Next step may be to change your cables now, if you haven't done it for a
year or two, to stop the 2nd most common cause of problems.


--
- Frank Krygowski

On 4/01/2012 5:50 AM, Phillip Potter wrote:
Hello all,

I have a 2001 Specialized Allez with a Tiagra rear (right hand)
shifter that has stopped working correctly. When I push on the
upshift lever (small one), both levers move. With come digital
contortion I have been able to hold the front shifter with my middle
finger and push the rear shifter with my index finger to get the
shift...

While searching on the internet I found that this may be the result of
a broken spring in the bowels of this shifter, but wonder if anyone
here can substantiate this or set me straight?

If the spring is broken, I am under the impression that it means the
end of the shifter as I know it... argh! I could be forced to do
something I don't want to do... buy another bike. This Allez has been
my buddy for over a decade and has thousands of miles on it, so I am
not thrilled to see it go.

Thanks for anything you can suggest...

Phil_in_CA

My aged Scott MTB has early shimano shifters - the centre bolt (holding
all together) had come adrift allowing the end of one of the springs to
become dislodged. I foolishly disassembled the unit without taking
photos and sketches of what went where. Luckily, I had a whole Sunday
afternoon to waste working out how to put it back together. It is still
OK.

--
BobC

Phillip Potter wrote:

I have a 2001 Specialized Allez with a Tiagra rear (right hand)
shifter that has stopped working correctly. *When I push on the
upshift lever (small one), both levers move. *With come digital
contortion I have been able to hold the front shifter with my middle
finger and push the rear shifter with my index finger to get the
shift...

Problem: brifters.

Solution: something else.

This is not hard!

I watched my boss fiddling around with a broken-off cable button in
some expensive bull****ty Shimano brifters today for a long, long
time. I have done it many times myself, both with and occasionally
without success. I just can't see the point in owning such crap.
They break *much* earlier and *much* more often than all other
alternatives, while costing more. They can't be repaired economically
even by skilled cycle mechanics. And for what? Just so you don't
have to reach for the bar end or top? What kind of useless tool do
you have to be?

It makes me think of David Cross's spiel about electric scissors:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtrI53k4WZM

Chalo

On Jan 4, 7:28*pm, Chalo wrote:
Phillip Potter wrote:

I have a 2001 Specialized Allez with a Tiagra rear (right hand)
shifter that has stopped working correctly. *When I push on the
upshift lever (small one), both levers move. *With come digital
contortion I have been able to hold the front shifter with my middle
finger and push the rear shifter with my index finger to get the
shift...

Problem: brifters.

Solution: something else.

This is not hard!

I watched my boss fiddling around with a broken-off cable button in
some expensive bull****ty Shimano brifters today for a long, long
time. *I have done it many times myself, both with and occasionally
without success. *I just can't see the point in owning such crap.
They break *much* earlier and *much* more often than all other
alternatives, while costing more. *They can't be repaired economically
even by skilled cycle mechanics. *And for what? *Just so you don't
have to reach for the bar end or top? *What kind of useless tool do
you have to be?


I've noticed a few people break cables in Shimano STI levers. I
haven't broken one in my ergo levers, and I don't know anyone who
has. Maybe it's the EH&M ;-)

--
JS.

On Jan 4, 1:28*am, Chalo wrote:
Phillip Potter wrote:

I have a 2001 Specialized Allez with a Tiagra rear (right hand)
shifter that has stopped working correctly. *When I push on the
upshift lever (small one), both levers move. *With come digital
contortion I have been able to hold the front shifter with my middle
finger and push the rear shifter with my index finger to get the
shift...

Problem: brifters.

Solution: something else.

This is not hard!

I watched my boss fiddling around with a broken-off cable button in
some expensive bull****ty Shimano brifters today for a long, long
time. *I have done it many times myself, both with and occasionally
without success. *I just can't see the point in owning such crap.
They break *much* earlier and *much* more often than all other
alternatives, while costing more. *They can't be repaired economically
even by skilled cycle mechanics. *And for what? *Just so you don't
have to reach for the bar end or top? *What kind of useless tool do
you have to be?

It makes me think of David Cross's spiel about electric scissors:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtrI53k4WZM

Chalo

I got tired of using brifters. After a while they would stop working
properly. They seem to have limited durability, especially shimano. I
switched to bar end shifters and have been very happy, although some
of my buddies ask me what kind of ultra modern shifting system do I
have, that they have never seen. Others think that I'm dumb and
mistakenly use triathlon shifters on a road bike. Actually, the
advantage of using bar end shifters is that when you have to do
something to your bars, or put aero bars on the bike, you don't have
to exchange shifters or undo the cables. All you do is loosen the
shifters and move them to the aerobars, or let them hang while you
work on you bars. I ride on my drops most of the time anyways.

On 1/4/2012 8:39 AM, wrote:
On Jan 4, 1:28 am, wrote:
Phillip Potter wrote:

I have a 2001 Specialized Allez with a Tiagra rear (right hand)
shifter that has stopped working correctly. When I push on the
upshift lever (small one), both levers move. With come digital
contortion I have been able to hold the front shifter with my middle
finger and push the rear shifter with my index finger to get the
shift...

Problem: brifters.

Solution: something else.

This is not hard!

I watched my boss fiddling around with a broken-off cable button in
some expensive bull****ty Shimano brifters today for a long, long
time. I have done it many times myself, both with and occasionally
without success. I just can't see the point in owning such crap.
They break *much* earlier and *much* more often than all other
alternatives, while costing more. They can't be repaired economically
even by skilled cycle mechanics. And for what? Just so you don't
have to reach for the bar end or top? What kind of useless tool do
you have to be?

It makes me think of David Cross's spiel about electric scissors:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtrI53k4WZM

Chalo

I got tired of using brifters. After a while they would stop working
properly. They seem to have limited durability, especially shimano. I
switched to bar end shifters and have been very happy, although some
of my buddies ask me what kind of ultra modern shifting system do I
have, that they have never seen. Others think that I'm dumb and
mistakenly use triathlon shifters on a road bike. Actually, the
advantage of using bar end shifters is that when you have to do
something to your bars, or put aero bars on the bike, you don't have
to exchange shifters or undo the cables. All you do is loosen the
shifters and move them to the aerobars, or let them hang while you
work on you bars. I ride on my drops most of the time anyways.

I have bar end shifters on one of my bikes. I like them for when I'm in
the drops but I don't seem to ride there much these days. They work
fine. Only complaint is that they tend to get banged up.

On my other bike I have shimano brifters. I mostly use the hoods now
when I'm riding and these are useful and comfortable.
They're expensive to replace, difficult to work on but I haven't had
problems yet. I've only had to do minor adjustments so far but I only
have ~10,000km on this bike so far.

The first bike is an old Bianchi that requires almost no maintenance and
the second is a 2009 Tarmac. The Tarmac is lighter, faster and more fun
to ride but way more expensive to maintain anyway.

I guess my point is that it's pretty much a choice that you make these
days. Most of the more modern/expensive stuff seems to be less durable
and requires more maintenance.

On Jan 4, 12:28*am, Chalo wrote:
Phillip Potter wrote:

I have a 2001 Specialized Allez with a Tiagra rear (right hand)
shifter that has stopped working correctly. *When I push on the
upshift lever (small one), both levers move. *With come digital
contortion I have been able to hold the front shifter with my middle
finger and push the rear shifter with my index finger to get the
shift...

Problem: brifters.

Solution: something else.

This is not hard!

I watched my boss fiddling around with a broken-off cable button in
some expensive bull****ty Shimano brifters today for a long, long
time. *I have done it many times myself, both with and occasionally
without success. *I just can't see the point in owning such crap.
They break *much* earlier and *much* more often than all other
alternatives, while costing more. *They can't be repaired economically
even by skilled cycle mechanics. *And for what? *Just so you don't
have to reach for the bar end or top? *What kind of useless tool do
you have to be?

It makes me think of David Cross's spiel about electric scissors:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtrI53k4WZM

Chalo


In 20 years of riding Shimano brifters, I've broken one cable that I
fixed in about five minutes on the sidewalk in front of the Bike
Gallery in downtown PDX. Hardly interrupted my ride. Yes, I had to
poke around and fish it out, but it was not an epic event.
Perhaps when all my STI goes belly up -- which has yet to happen --
I'll go Ergo or maybe some Flash Gordon Ultegra Di2, but I'm not
giving up brake lever shifting. I love it. I've owned (and still
own) bar ends on various bikes and of course DT shifters for 40+
years, and I don't love them as much -- and believe it or not, no one
sold me on brifters, and I'm not a poseur or a wannabe or tool or any
of those stereotypes you are constantly flogging. I'm a guy who likes
to shift while standing and climbing . . . climbing those things
called "hills" and "mountains." You may remember those from living in
the PNW.

You will also note that the OP solved his problems with a WD40 flush.

-- Jay Beattie.

On Jan 3, 1:50*pm, Phillip Potter wrote:
Hello all,

I have a 2001 Specialized Allez with a Tiagra rear (right hand)
shifter that has stopped working correctly. *When I push on the
upshift lever (small one), both levers move. *With come digital
contortion I have been able to hold the front shifter with my middle
finger and push the rear shifter with my index finger to get the
shift...

While searching on the internet I found that this may be the result of
a broken spring in the bowels of this shifter, but wonder if anyone
here can substantiate this or set me straight?

If the spring is broken, I am under the impression that it means the
end of the shifter as I know it... argh! *I could be forced to do
something I don't want to do... buy another bike. *This Allez has been
my buddy for over a decade and has thousands of miles on it, so I am
not thrilled to see it go.

Thanks for anything you can suggest...

Phil_in_CA

Glad to read elsewhere in this thread that you were able to get it
working again. When it does finally die you can be very happy that you
don't have Dura Ace brifters as those are very expensive to replace.
If I want integrated shifting I go Campy |Ergo otherwise it's barend
shifters forme.

Cheers

Jay Beattie wrote:

:You will also note that the OP solved his problems with a WD40 flush.

Give it up. Chalo has drop bar derangement syndrome. the thought of
drop bars turns him into a gibbering lunatic.

--
sig 28

James wrote:
On Jan 4, 7:28 pm, Chalo wrote:
Phillip Potter wrote:

I have a 2001 Specialized Allez with a Tiagra rear (right hand)
shifter that has stopped working correctly. When I push on the
upshift lever (small one), both levers move. With come digital
contortion I have been able to hold the front shifter with my middle
finger and push the rear shifter with my index finger to get the
shift...
Problem: brifters.

Solution: something else.

This is not hard!

I watched my boss fiddling around with a broken-off cable button in
some expensive bull****ty Shimano brifters today for a long, long
time. I have done it many times myself, both with and occasionally
without success. I just can't see the point in owning such crap.
They break *much* earlier and *much* more often than all other
alternatives, while costing more. They can't be repaired economically
even by skilled cycle mechanics. And for what? Just so you don't
have to reach for the bar end or top? What kind of useless tool do
you have to be?


I've noticed a few people break cables in Shimano STI levers. I
haven't broken one in my ergo levers, and I don't know anyone who
has. Maybe it's the EH&M ;-)


When the little frays stick you in the palm through the
lever cover, replace the wire[1]. Ergo fail at the small
capstan in the cable carrier. STi fail where the outer
casing gets kinked just outside the lever body.

[1] Use a standard Campagnolo head gear wire. The new
revisionist Shimano heads are bigger and jam amazingly tight
in Ergo carriers. Wandering Shimano broken wire heads jam
inside STi in various ways but not usually in the carrier.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971