Haselsmasher

Hello All. First post here. Excited to find this community of enthusiasts. The title is a bit odd. I'll set context, then ask for input.

59 yrs old; ~180 lbs. Long (very long) time road rider. Recreational - nothing real serious. In the last few years have changed to riding exclusively paved trails, as I had a couple of close calls as well as friends with very severe injuries from car/bike accidents. All that got into my head and I can't ride on real roads anymore. But fortunately where i live (CO) we have fantastic trails and I can do long-ish rides on paved trails. I ride probably 2,000-2,500 miles annually.

I'm riding a Roubaix Triple that's probably 11 yrs old. Came outfitted with all Shimano 105; 10 speed. A couple of years ago left shifter broke. In the interest of saving $ I had the shop put on a *2* speed shifter. As you can guess that incompatibility with the rest of the drivetrain is causing chain rubbing on the front derailleur and the annoyance has now pushed me over the edge and I want to resolve it.

I think I see the following options. I'd like any comments anyone might have.

1. Get a 3-speed front shifter. My shifters have the shifting cable that comes out the side of the housing....not under the bar tape. I can get a new Shimano Sora 3-speed shifter. But even that has shifting cable under the bar tape. I've looked a bit on eBay, but either I'm not looking in the right way or there isn't much out there. (BTW, I've seen a few that say "2/3 Speed". Are there shifters where you can set which one you want?)

2. Can I convert the triple to a double (new chainrings, presumably new crank) and leave the cassette / rear derailleur as they are? Or does the front and rear need to be swapped together?

3. Get a new Roubaix. I've been looking at them, and emotionally there is no doubt that would be the most fun.

I figure number 1 above would solve my current problem. I know number 3 would solve it. LOL Is number 2 even feasible?

Thanks.

Jim

tyrion

Lots of 3x9 brifters available on ebay. "2/3 speed" will work with either 2 or 3 chainrings.

Here's a single left side one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-Ult...4AAOSwXk1eM30I

But I'd replace both shifters, get new cables and bar tape, for a fresh new look. New Sora is probably close to old 105 in performance (I'm guessing).

Kimmo 

If it was me, I'd put Ergos on it and a Shiftmate to translate Italian to Japanese for the rear derailer.

Keep the triple, IMO.

goenrdoug

Search e-bay for the left triple shifter's model number:

"ST-6603 shimano"
and you'll find replacements for around $100 like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-Ult...QAAOSwbjpeMdvb

For not a heck of a lot more (in bike money, $350 isn't thaaat much), you could take the plunge and buy a whole current-generation 10-speed tiagra groupset (including cranks and derailleurs) like this:
https://www.merlincycles.com/shimano...set-90612.html and still be compatible with your 10-speed wheels and such.

caloso

If you don't need 3 rings up front, I'd just get a double crankset.

Kimmo 

Triples > compact doubles.

The only downside is trying to find middle rings with the ramps and pins for the granny ring. I wonder if BBB has something...

noodle soup

Get a double front derailleur, and set it to work on the middle and outer rings.

Maelochs

As people note, you can still buy triples, either new old Stock, used, or modern versions (which are a "lower" tier but probably better than the old "better" stuff.)

Where the shift cable comes ut only really matters cosmetically .... if you want a matched set, buy a pair of 4700 Tiagra shifters and sell the working 6600 105. Also, the front shifter will work with pretty much any number of cogs on the cassette---an 8-speed Claris front shifter will work with a ten- or eleven-speed set-up, no problem.

If you like the triple, keep the triple. And even if you buy the new Roubaix, you will want the old one as a rain bike/spare so you will need to get it working .... some of us think.

katsup

The current model 9 sp Sora (3500) has the shift cable coming out the side. The brake cable is under the bar tape. The 10sp Tiagra (4700) has the shift cable under the bar tape.

Personally, I'd replace both your current shifters with a Triple Tiagra (4700) model, but you can purchase either a left triple Sora or Tiagra and still using your right 105.

wheelreason

4700 won't play nice with previous Shimano 10 speed set ups. It is essentially an 11 speed system with one (cog, click, speed, shift) take your pick left out.

DrIsotope

I don't know how willing I would be to sink $200-300 in drivetrain upgrades into a bike that in mint condition is currently worth about $300. Sounds to me like N+1 time.

Haselsmasher

Thanks so much everyone for the suggestions. It's extremely helpful.

Still not totally sure what I'll do. If I decide to go the "fix" route I'll buy an appropriate shifter off eBay. But the possibility of a new bike is still on the radar.

Thanks again!

Jim

bikecrate

I had a similar problem recently when my left triple shifter broke on a 105 3 X 10 setup. I opted to get rid of the triple and got a new outer and inner chainring. I forget their size, but it is a pretty common setup. I had to look fairly hard to find a left 2 X shifter (almost impossible to find a cheap triple). Black seemed to out there, but I wanted silver. Found one NOS on Ebay at a bike store in Maine. I was able to keep the front derailleur. If it happens again I probably would change the whole thing to a 2 X 11.

goenrdoug

If the existing left shifter is just stuck and not broken (as in parts cracked/rattling inside) you might be able to soak the hell out of it with WD-40 and work it free... Common problem/solution with 'broken' older shifters... Worth a try, anyway.

Succhia Ruota

Treat yourself to the new bike. You obviously spend a lot of time in the saddle. It will vastly improve your enjoyment. Nobody's getting any younger.

Dave Mayer

Save yourself a whole bunch of cost and time and get a matching replacement front shifter. FleaBay. Rear shifters are the ones that wear out first, so looking for a front should be relatively inexpensive and low-risk.


Worst case scenario: get on AliExpress and order some Microshift triple road shifters for 10-speeds. Shimano compatible. You could probably buy the Microshift shifters and derailleurs for what it would cost for you to bring in a brand-name compact crankset.


I have multiple road bikes with 2x and 3x drivetrains. For mixed terrain riding, 3x is definitely superior, as when I'm on my bikes with compact rings, on the flats, I am frequently and unnecessarily alternating between the 34 (too small) and the 50 (too large). Triples are perfect, as you spend 90% of your time in the middle ring. Downhill or a tailwind: the big ring. Climbing hard: the granny cog. Simple.


As far as your shifters: Shimano 9 and 10 speeders with the exposed shift cables give you the smoothest and most reliable shifting possible. When Shimano moved the cables under the bar wrap (presumably purely for marketing and aesthetic reasons), they introduced a bunch of sharp cable bends and friction. Shimano 7700 and 7800 shifters are the best performing Shimano brifters ever. I have a Tiagra 9-speed triple drivetrain on a beater bike and it produces incredibly smooth and accurate shifting. Better than my new latest 11-speed gear.


Plus the new Shimano shifters eat cables at an alarming rate, and are a major PITA to dig broken cables out of the shifter bodies.


New bike: the only upside of a new Roubaix is a carbon frame that will save 1-2 pounds. No difference in comfort or stiffness. But then, since all of the new bikes come with discs, you gain back 1-2 pounds of unnecessary pork, so you'd be back to where you started - and $2k poorer.

Haselsmasher

I have caught a very bad case of the new bike virus. The dampened Roubaix handlebar system is intriguing me. I have this feeling I'm either going to love it or despise it. I'll ride the Trek Domane and the Roubaix but I can already tell I'm less than thrilled with the Domane - partly because my local Trek store is horrible.

It's cold and icy right now. On the next reasonably warm day I'll do some test riding.

Thanks for the suggestions. I learned a ton. And I may just buy a new shifter to sell with the bike.....to make some person's life a tad easier.

Thanks again!

Jim