My brifter's gone soft.

[Tom]

Right hand Campy, it has maybe 7000-8000 miles on it. The left one pops just like the day it came out of the package. The right one, well, the detents feel like they've rounded off. It's becoming like a friction shifter and I don't have the sense of feel to play a fretless bass.

Do I:

(1) Peel back the hood and pour Prolink into the two holes? (The Lazy Man's fix. Effectiveness unknown, but from a quick look this morning I see much white grease in there and wonder if it's just gummed up.)
(2) Take it off the bar, disassemble it, clean it, and put it back on? (High risk: if I booger it up, I am off the road for extra days.)
(3) Buy a replacement, put that one on, take the old one and fix it? (Lower risk, plus I have a backup, but high dollar option.)

I have done no research. I told you I was lazy. I'm wondering if one can get brifter guts or find somebody's cool writeup on how to make it all fresh and pine smelling.

[Too Tall]

Lube is not the answer d##d. The symptoms described indicate it is time to send it off for a rebuild. Slap a DT shifter on in the meantime.

[Roy E. Munson]

Has he tried Viagra?

[Kevan]

or fall back. It's the spring in the shifter that's grown soft. Home handymen have been known to be able to repair it, but you might need to grow two additional hands to do it, is what I've heard tell. I'm a Shimano man myself, so I don't have firsthand knowledge, but others close to me have shared the details.

A bike shop should be able to make quick work of this.

Tho Viagra might work too. :D

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . to correct this, you big lardy Pie-Man?

BBDave

[Tom]

immediately called Blue Sky! Clifton'll work his magic.

I should be able to deal with this kind of stuff if I wish to consider myself a real rider, but as my dentist says: "I know my limitations." Very small parts and patience are mutually exclusive with me.

[Kurt]

you can get the 2 "G" springs from aebike < $ 8.00 will take you 1/2 hour a side.

http://www.campyonly.com/howto/ergo_rebuild.html

[vaxn8r]

Mine was repaired for a grand total of about $12 at the LBS. It took 1 day to get the part in. You gotta do it though because pretty soon it won't hold your gear on the hills and then you'll be ticked.

No worries. This is an easy one.

[Climb01742]

just put your bike in front of the TV and put on the spice channel. boing.

[djg]

and provides instructions too. If you prefer, you can just send them the levers for a rebuild instead. Although I've built both my road bikes up from frames and parts, I had the shop do this one for me--looked like a pain when I looked at it so I punted.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . your wife know about this, Tom?

BBDave

[Tom]

You waxed prolix over your new carbon crank all spring, so you just leave me the hell alone...

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . but my carbon crank remains wonderfully stiff.

BBDave :p

[bfd]

Here are additional instructions on rebuilding 99 and newer "round" ergo levers:

Scan copy of Campy Ergo Rebuild Manual:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/ergo1.html

Paul Southworth's Ergo Rebuilt instructions:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/ergo1.html

[EPOJoe]

Don't feel bad, Tom. Even Jamerson had a hard time with fretless bass (the non-upright version). Never really cared for it much myself, either :)