Bought a bike a few days ago on craigslist, owner didn't tell me shifters didn't work
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 173
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Bought a bike a few days ago on craigslist, owner didn't tell me shifters didn't work
I bought it at night, test road it for about 30 sec, i tested shifting and other things but i didnt really check what gears it was on. Well the next morning i road it and found out that when shifting into higher gears the shifters wouldnt work unless i pulled on the cord and heard a click. Its not repairable so i gotta buy a new right shifter which is around $400 if i want decent new shifters.
I cant afford that so im thinking about reselling the bike, how much would i be able to get off it? I bought it for $750
Or is it worth repairing? I know Duratec is widely known in eu but im not sure if its worth spending another $300 on it. I think i would have rather bought a new bike
I cant afford that so im thinking about reselling the bike, how much would i be able to get off it? I bought it for $750
Or is it worth repairing? I know Duratec is widely known in eu but im not sure if its worth spending another $300 on it. I think i would have rather bought a new bike
Last edited by Chrise510; 10-21-12 at 06:52 PM.
#2
cowboy, steel horse, etc
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: The hot spot.
Posts: 45,279
Bikes: everywhere
Mentioned: 74 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13042 Post(s)
Liked 7,969 Times
in
4,240 Posts
I'd try to pinpoint problem first. Could be as simple as new cable or housing. Might just need a WD-40 blast in the shifter.
Might also be the rear derailer where the problem lies.
Might also be the rear derailer where the problem lies.
#3
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 173
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I put lots of WD-40 on it already. Its the shifter because i took it off the bike and now its stuck on 10th gear and wont shift down. So its completely useless now wheres as before, the shifting was just horrible. I cant put it back on because i wouldnt be able to install the cable since its on the 10th gear
#4
Serious Cyclist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: RVA
Posts: 9,308
Bikes: Emonda SL6
Mentioned: 97 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5721 Post(s)
Liked 261 Times
in
99 Posts
You probably paid too much for that, even if the shifters were working flawlessly. That said, now that you have it, you might as well just replace the shifter and ride it because the rest appears to be in good shape. I don't know where you got the $400 figure from, but a 6700 Ultegra right hand shifter should be less than $200, assuming that's what you have on the bike. Look at Ebay. You can also just put on a 105 shifter (or a used pair, those are cheap too), the ergonmics wouldn't match if you only get the right shifter but it would be much cheaper and perfectly functional, here's one on ebay-
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-STI-ST-5700-105-Right-Lever-Only-10s-Black-/160902497032?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2576894308
Another option is to just buy a pair of cheapie microshift levers, they work with Shimano 10 speed and they're less than 200 for a new pair
https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-microSHI...item1e6b4433c3
Good luck.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-STI-ST-5700-105-Right-Lever-Only-10s-Black-/160902497032?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2576894308
Another option is to just buy a pair of cheapie microshift levers, they work with Shimano 10 speed and they're less than 200 for a new pair
https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-microSHI...item1e6b4433c3
Good luck.
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Hollister, CA
Posts: 3,957
Bikes: Volagi, daVinci Joint Venture
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
2 Posts
If you otherwise really like the bike, buy some lower-end (105) shifters and get on with the program.
#6
cowboy, steel horse, etc
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: The hot spot.
Posts: 45,279
Bikes: everywhere
Mentioned: 74 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13042 Post(s)
Liked 7,969 Times
in
4,240 Posts
Seems like someone around here had a pair of 105s up for $130 just the other day. Can't remember if 10 or 9sp, tho.
#7
Serious Cyclist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: RVA
Posts: 9,308
Bikes: Emonda SL6
Mentioned: 97 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5721 Post(s)
Liked 261 Times
in
99 Posts
I put lots of WD-40 on it already. Its the shifter because i took it off the bike and now its stuck on 10th gear and wont shift down. So its completely useless now wheres as before, the shifting was just horrible. I cant put it back on because i wouldnt be able to install the cable since its on the 10th gear
#9
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 173
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
What exactly do you mean? The shifter itself is off the bike and "stuck on 10th gear"? Or the chain without any tension in the cable is on the 10th gear? What do you mean by 10th gear, the biggest or the smallest? Just want to be clear. If it worked but "was horrible" before you took the shifter off, it might only have needed a new cable or some adjustments.
And what i mean is that i cant down(Big lever) because its already on the 10th gear(or 1st) and the little lever doesnt do anything when i click it. The only reason i believe it worked before was because of the tension of the cord but now that i removed the cord it wont work anymore and its stuck
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 342
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I second this. Based on your post, I don't think you have the experience to be able to really troubleshoot what's going on with the shifting. It might be a shifter issue, maybe a derailleur issue, and most likely just needs a tuneup.
#11
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 173
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I guess ill try a different shop. I took my bike to a shop the day after i bought it and they said they couldnt really fix it but they made it better. And just 40 min ago i took it to a different one where the guy looked at it and said i should just buy one. thanks
#12
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 173
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
If i end up keeping it, i think ill buy some 105s. The reason i didnt really want to was because my bike has full ultegra and i also heard 105 shifting isnt that great.
#13
Full Member
WD40 isn't a miracle spray. A little squirt might help clean/free things up but that's it.
The shifter or the bike?...Actually, it won't matter. The shifter down/up shifts because of tension caused by the derailluers. If the derailluers aren't putting any pressure on the cable, there's no reason for the shifter to click up or down.
Now, on the bike end, the reason the bike is stuck in "10th" gear is because that's the default position of the derailluer. With a properly mounted and adjusted shifter, derailleur, and cable, the shifter will pull the cable to shifter into a lower gear. When you shift the other way, the derailluer is pulling the cable out of the shifter and moving back to the default position.
Don't call it a total loss yet. Reinstall the shifter and cable and loosley connect it to the derailluer. If anything, have a shop look at it. Chances are very good that it's a slight adjustment that's cause things to be fouled up.
Aqain, if it's in it's 10th gear, that might be the default position for the shifter and derailluer. Assuming it's the right side shifter, if it's on #10 and the chain and derailluer are on the smallest rear gear, it's completely ready to be installed, adjusted and tuned.
There are plenty of good resources online on shifter and derailluer adjustment. Watch/read through a few of those and then go out to your bike with a fresh start.
If you rode the bike last night (even for 30 seconds) and it shifted then, it will most likely shift again. From the sounds of it, it was just severely out of tune.
Also, don't do someone else a diservice by selling a problem that you have potentially made worse by taking it apart.
Now, on the bike end, the reason the bike is stuck in "10th" gear is because that's the default position of the derailluer. With a properly mounted and adjusted shifter, derailleur, and cable, the shifter will pull the cable to shifter into a lower gear. When you shift the other way, the derailluer is pulling the cable out of the shifter and moving back to the default position.
There are plenty of good resources online on shifter and derailluer adjustment. Watch/read through a few of those and then go out to your bike with a fresh start.
If you rode the bike last night (even for 30 seconds) and it shifted then, it will most likely shift again. From the sounds of it, it was just severely out of tune.
Also, don't do someone else a diservice by selling a problem that you have potentially made worse by taking it apart.
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Ithaca, NY
Posts: 4,852
Bikes: Click on the #YOLO
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 12 Times
in
12 Posts
First off, I don't trust anyone that takes the barrel adjust all the way of their RD to have a solid sense of what's fixable and what isn't.
You say it's stuck in 10th- were you shifting the bike with the cable to the RD detached? Or was this when the shifter was still on the bike and running to the RD. Is there a cable in the shifter right now- i.e. is the cable end wedged in there?
If the cable is still in the shifter, what happens when you pull on the cable and try to release cable (this is ultegra, right? the smaller paddle on the shifter)?
You say it's stuck in 10th- were you shifting the bike with the cable to the RD detached? Or was this when the shifter was still on the bike and running to the RD. Is there a cable in the shifter right now- i.e. is the cable end wedged in there?
If the cable is still in the shifter, what happens when you pull on the cable and try to release cable (this is ultegra, right? the smaller paddle on the shifter)?
#15
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 173
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
You probably paid too much for that, even if the shifters were working flawlessly. That said, now that you have it, you might as well just replace the shifter and ride it because the rest appears to be in good shape. I don't know where you got the $400 figure from, but a 6700 Ultegra right hand shifter should be less than $200, assuming that's what you have on the bike. Look at Ebay. You can also just put on a 105 shifter (or a used pair, those are cheap too), the ergonmics wouldn't match if you only get the right shifter but it would be much cheaper and perfectly functional, here's one on ebay-
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-STI-ST-5700-105-Right-Lever-Only-10s-Black-/160902497032?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2576894308
Another option is to just buy a pair of cheapie microshift levers, they work with Shimano 10 speed and they're less than 200 for a new pair
https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-microSHI...item1e6b4433c3
Good luck.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-STI-ST-5700-105-Right-Lever-Only-10s-Black-/160902497032?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2576894308
Another option is to just buy a pair of cheapie microshift levers, they work with Shimano 10 speed and they're less than 200 for a new pair
https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-microSHI...item1e6b4433c3
Good luck.
Thanks for the link, i might consider buying the 105s
#16
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 173
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
First off, I don't trust anyone that takes the barrel adjust all the way of their RD to have a solid sense of what's fixable and what isn't.
You say it's stuck in 10th- were you shifting the bike with the cable to the RD detached? Or was this when the shifter was still on the bike and running to the RD. Is there a cable in the shifter right now- i.e. is the cable end wedged in there?
If the cable is still in the shifter, what happens when you pull on the cable and try to release cable (this is ultegra, right? the smaller paddle on the shifter)?
You say it's stuck in 10th- were you shifting the bike with the cable to the RD detached? Or was this when the shifter was still on the bike and running to the RD. Is there a cable in the shifter right now- i.e. is the cable end wedged in there?
If the cable is still in the shifter, what happens when you pull on the cable and try to release cable (this is ultegra, right? the smaller paddle on the shifter)?
#17
Serious Cyclist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: RVA
Posts: 9,308
Bikes: Emonda SL6
Mentioned: 97 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5721 Post(s)
Liked 261 Times
in
99 Posts
That said, take the current shifter to a good shop WITH the bike, and see if they can remount it and troubleshoot. It was probably just a cable tension issue to begin with before you took the shifter off.
#18
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 173
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
WD40 isn't a miracle spray. A little squirt might help clean/free things up but that's it.
The shifter or the bike?...Actually, it won't matter. The shifter down/up shifts because of tension caused by the derailluers. If the derailluers aren't putting any pressure on the cable, there's no reason for the shifter to click up or down.
Now, on the bike end, the reason the bike is stuck in "10th" gear is because that's the default position of the derailluer. With a properly mounted and adjusted shifter, derailleur, and cable, the shifter will pull the cable to shifter into a lower gear. When you shift the other way, the derailluer is pulling the cable out of the shifter and moving back to the default position.
Don't call it a total loss yet. Reinstall the shifter and cable and loosley connect it to the derailluer. If anything, have a shop look at it. Chances are very good that it's a slight adjustment that's cause things to be fouled up.
Aqain, if it's in it's 10th gear, that might be the default position for the shifter and derailluer. Assuming it's the right side shifter, if it's on #10 and the chain and derailluer are on the smallest rear gear, it's completely ready to be installed, adjusted and tuned.
There are plenty of good resources online on shifter and derailluer adjustment. Watch/read through a few of those and then go out to your bike with a fresh start.
If you rode the bike last night (even for 30 seconds) and it shifted then, it will most likely shift again. From the sounds of it, it was just severely out of tune.
Also, don't do someone else a diservice by selling a problem that you have potentially made worse by taking it apart.
The shifter or the bike?...Actually, it won't matter. The shifter down/up shifts because of tension caused by the derailluers. If the derailluers aren't putting any pressure on the cable, there's no reason for the shifter to click up or down.
Now, on the bike end, the reason the bike is stuck in "10th" gear is because that's the default position of the derailluer. With a properly mounted and adjusted shifter, derailleur, and cable, the shifter will pull the cable to shifter into a lower gear. When you shift the other way, the derailluer is pulling the cable out of the shifter and moving back to the default position.
Don't call it a total loss yet. Reinstall the shifter and cable and loosley connect it to the derailluer. If anything, have a shop look at it. Chances are very good that it's a slight adjustment that's cause things to be fouled up.
Aqain, if it's in it's 10th gear, that might be the default position for the shifter and derailluer. Assuming it's the right side shifter, if it's on #10 and the chain and derailluer are on the smallest rear gear, it's completely ready to be installed, adjusted and tuned.
There are plenty of good resources online on shifter and derailluer adjustment. Watch/read through a few of those and then go out to your bike with a fresh start.
If you rode the bike last night (even for 30 seconds) and it shifted then, it will most likely shift again. From the sounds of it, it was just severely out of tune.
Also, don't do someone else a diservice by selling a problem that you have potentially made worse by taking it apart.
I cant reinstall it because the place where u slide in the cord isnt accessible since its shifted and wont down shift to the point that i can add a new cable
#21
I like beans
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Meffa, MA
Posts: 3,336
Bikes: Tarmac Pro, Bianchi Zurigo, Raleigh Gran Sport, Fuji Del Rey, Ironman Centurion
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Good luck, but bike shops usually do a much better job of troubleshooting when they have the whole bike. It's like taking your spleen out at the docs and then asking what's wrong with it. Absurd? Exactly.
#23
cowboy, steel horse, etc
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: The hot spot.
Posts: 45,279
Bikes: everywhere
Mentioned: 74 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13042 Post(s)
Liked 7,969 Times
in
4,240 Posts
Probably a good thing that Sports Chalet guy wasn't at his post.
#24
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 173
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#25
Full Member
ok. making more sense now. so the shifter is in 1st and it wont shift back up to 10th because it doesn't have a cable and derailleur to tension the shifter back up through the gears.
so, at this point the shifter needs to be looked at and repaired to get it back into 10th gear position, install a cable and attach it to the derailleur.
the general idea for the rear is that the shifter pulls the derailluer into a lower gear and then the shifter releases the derailluer to its desalt position...10th gear.
so, at this point the shifter needs to be looked at and repaired to get it back into 10th gear position, install a cable and attach it to the derailleur.
the general idea for the rear is that the shifter pulls the derailluer into a lower gear and then the shifter releases the derailluer to its desalt position...10th gear.