Q re: Shimano RD-7020 GS with full housing

[ColonelJLloyd]

The rear derailleur comes with a housing piece and explicitly instructs you to cut the end opposite the derailleur if it needs shortening because it has some sort of insert. I'm installing this on a frame that requires a full housing run and i'm going to use SRAM housing because Shimano only includes short bits. I'm not going to run into any issues, right? There's no magic in the Shimano RD short housing end?

Bonus points if you tell me that once on the road and with bedded in pads the braking lever action with these 7020 levers and calipers will improve. In the stand the pads do not engage the rotors until the levers are maybe halfway pulled. They don't bottom out on the bar, but it seems like too much travel occurs before they engage. Bike was setup with the Easy Link with both hoses shortened and then bled with bleed blocks and then once again with the wheels in place to be double sure. FWIW, this build is for a friend and my road hydro experience is on Red22 HRD.

[peanutgallery]

You can run the housing the full length with no issues

Sometimes you have to burp the brake and work a little a little air out of the lever. Baring that, rubber band the lever to the bar overnight, sometimes helps

Is this is a new bike?

[ColonelJLloyd]

Brand new group out of boxes, yes.

[oldpotatoe]

Brand new group out of boxes, yes.

Use 1.1mm inner wires, a bit of thin lube( I use Boeshield) in good, lined der housing and it'll be fine..nothing 'magic' about the shimano housing ends.

5mm der housing(shimano bulk) vice 4mm and metal ferrules will make it work even more better. Less drag.

[ColonelJLloyd]

Use 1.1mm inner wires, a bit of thin lube( I use Boeshield) in good, lined der housing and it'll be fine..nothing 'magic' about the shimano housing ends.

5mm der housing(shimano bulk) vice 4mm and metal ferrules will make it work even more better. Less drag.

The shifters come with Shimano 1.2mm cables with some sort of blueish film on them and I used them with SRAM housing for the rear and Jagwire housing for the front. Jagwire ends on both of them. Housing cuts with a Dremel cut off wheel and inner liner smoothed with a small awl. I set it up last night and shifting feels great. Much less input required than on previous Shimano I've used (limited experience, though).

I did make a mistake and cut the 105 chain a couple links short. With Shimano chains does that mean this one has to find a home elsewhere or can I use a Park CT-3 to add back some of the links I removed or should I just use a new chain?

[oldpotatoe]

The shifters come with Shimano 1.2mm cables with some sort of blueish film on them and I used them with SRAM housing for the rear and Jagwire housing for the front. Jagwire ends on both of them. Housing cuts with a Dremel cut off wheel and inner liner smoothed with a small awl. I set it up last night and shifting feels great. Much less input required than on previous Shimano I've used (limited experience, though).

I did make a mistake and cut the 105 chain a couple links short. With Shimano chains does that mean this one has to find a home elsewhere or can I use a Park CT-3 to add back some of the links I removed or should I just use a new chain?

You can add links using a shimano pin(s)..don’t just push out and push back in the same pin.

[ColonelJLloyd]

Thanks. I think I have an older 11s Ultegra chain NIB that has a pin I can rob.