Front Shifting Recommendations

[RobertP]

A friend of mine is having a hard time with her front derailleur. She's currently got 105 components, and it's been tricky to adjust and slow to shift. I've tried lubing the front derailleur and cable, but the slowness still sticks around. The bike is only about 1 1/2 years old, and I'm certain that the components are not worn out given her mileage. Does anyone have some economical suggestions for a fix. I'm wondering if upgrading the front dereailleur cable might be the answer, or if it might be better to also upgrade the brifters to ultegra if they're compatible with 105.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

-Robert

[Bruce H.]

Robert, my best advice is to take it to your LBS and have him adjust or make recommendations
Good Luck
Bruce H.

[zap]

Did the problem begin recently?

Check and make sure where the cable runs under the bottom bracket is clean. Additionally, you might want to try spraying some silicone lube in the brake lever shifting mechanism.

[RobertP]

It's been an ongoing problem, and the LBS has tinkered with it a few times. I'll try the silicon lube and check the cable under the BB.

Thanks!

[Tony Prioli]

The upper pivot on the derailer gets rusty down here in fla. I often see them stuck solid, or see the bolt thread, and unthread instead of pivot. Check this, and if it is the problem, remove the pivot bolt, clean with oil soaked emory cloth, relube, and reinstall. Replace the cable and housing. Adjust according to the shimano manual.

Tony

[Too Tall]

Let the cable loose from the Fr. Der. and grab it in the middle of the down tube and at the cable end at the same time. Put some tension on it and pull back and forth. Is there a hitch or feels like alot of drag? Yes....find the problem between your hands. Sometimes on a bike with miles on it, the BB guide will notch and only grabs under some pressure. It is not unlikely the problem is the der. itself.