Originally Posted by
Phil_gretz
Likely a maintenance issue. You said, long cable runs and didn't specify which generation Ultegra, you could have older 6400 stuff.
I've not tried any Campagnolo integrated shifters yet. I'd like to. You should try the new R8000 stuff. It is very short throw and extremely crisp shifting. Wowsers.
This. I've never used Campagnolo, or friction shifters, but I'm hard pressed to imagine something that shifts smoother than r8000. I'm on my third bike with it (r8000, r8020 and now r8070), and all are fantastic. I will admit to having scrubbed the brakes on occasion when shifting, but nothing crazy, and that's no longer an issue with di2.
R7000 shifting is very smooth as well, but I do prefer the shorter pull on the Ultegra hydraulic levers. And the r8070 shifters are perfect, imo, much smaller than any other series I've used, very comfortable and look great.