A different shifting problem
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A different shifting problem
So I was on a bike ride today and all the sudden I was not able to shift into a harder gear than the 4 easiest gears on the back. I could shift between these gears however I was not able to shift harder than that. I tried adjusting the lower limit screw and it did nothing. I also tried cable tension and it did not accomplish anything. Does anyone know what the problem is and how to fix it. My derailleur is a 2018 Ultegra.
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First thing I think of is a casing that isn't seated in a stop or the cable inner's head isn't seated in it's spool. Andy
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So I was on a bike ride today and all the sudden I was not able to shift into a harder gear than the 4 easiest gears on the back. I could shift between these gears however I was not able to shift harder than that. I tried adjusting the lower limit screw and it did nothing. I also tried cable tension and it did not accomplish anything. Does anyone know what the problem is and how to fix it. My derailleur is a 2018 Ultegra.
I'd begin by cleaning and lubricating the shifter. Search YouTube for, e.g., "Lubricate STI lever." It's a very common occurrence, so you'll find plenty of how-to videos.
Before you do anything else, be sure to readjust the lower limit screw to the correct setting. Otherwise, once you've sorted out the problem, the derailleur might travel to the outside of the smallest sprocket, resulting in the chain gouging the dropout or right chainstay or both.
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Not being able to shift into harder gears means that the cable is not being paid out properly. Check inside your shifter for a frayed cable; it is MUCH easier to fix it before the cable parts. Do this regularly and anytime there is an unexpected change in shift behavior. There could could be fraying elsewhere but inside the shifter is common, especially with under-bar-tape cable routing due to the sharp bends required.
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This sounds likely, as it would keep the cable from releasing tension and not able to reach the smaller sprockets on the cassette. If your rear wheel was off recently, something may have gotten pulled out of place when reinstalling the wheel. Check where the derailleur housing loop both exits from the chainstay, and enters the derailleur to be sure it is seated in the stops, and that the housing is completely inserted into the endcaps.
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If the housing has plastic ferrules at the ends it could be that parts of the cable housing have worked their way through those ferrules.
Cheers
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Indeed! Sometimes dirt gets trapped underneath the caps and if you have a can of pressurized air, it can help blast any debris out of the way too!
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Not being able to shift into harder gears means that the cable is not being paid out properly. Check inside your shifter for a frayed cable; it is MUCH easier to fix it before the cable parts. Do this regularly and anytime there is an unexpected change in shift behavior. There could could be fraying elsewhere but inside the shifter is common, especially with under-bar-tape cable routing due to the sharp bends required.