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A different shifting problem

Old 06-16-20, 07:24 PM
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alecdiebel
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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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Old 06-16-20, 07:34 PM
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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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Old 06-16-20, 07:42 PM
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Originally Posted by alecdiebel
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.
Assuming that the bike hadn't landed on its right side at some point (i.e., assuming that the derailleur hanger isn't bent inward), the two likely causes that spring to mind are (i) the grease in the STI lever having become gummy and (ii) the shift cable having become frayed (which often happens inside the lever but sometimes happens further down inside the cable housing).

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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Old 06-16-20, 07:49 PM
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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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Old 06-16-20, 08:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Andrew R Stewart
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
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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Old 06-16-20, 10:02 PM
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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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Old 06-16-20, 10:51 PM
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Originally Posted by Trakhak
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.
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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Old 06-17-20, 06:01 AM
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Originally Posted by dsbrantjr
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.
This^^^ And if you don't get the cable out of the shifter before it breaks completely, you will probably be buying a new shifter.
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