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Need some advice on Shimano Ultegra shifting issue.


Bateleur1

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For some background:

 

I bought my bike now almost three years ago with Shimano Ultegra on it.  In three years the shifting has been faultless. I have never had to fine tune anything on it.  It just worked.  Take note.  I have also never replaced the cables.  The cables are also running inside the frame.  About 3-4 weeks ago I noticed while cleaning and checking on the bike, that the chain does not go onto the very small gear at the back. So I am just riding on 10 of the 11 gears.  I is obvious that that must have been the case for a long time as there is sign of wear on the small gear.  I did not worry about it too much and thought it is propably just the low marker or something that prevents it from going all the way down.  I will fix this on a weekend somewhere.

 

So Friday morning on my way out on my early morning ride, the bike tipped over while it was leaning agains the wall and fell on the floor. During the ride I noticed the derailer getting a tad close to the spokes.  So obviously some form of bending (the hanger) happened when the bike tipped over.  Not a problem, have had this many times before.  I will fix that.

 

So come Saturday afternoon, I bent the hanger back that the derailer is aligned nicely and decided now is a good time to fix up the shifting.  So loosend the shifting cable, made sure the derailer is alignend and sits nicely on the lowest gear.  Tighten the shifting cable with no slack on it.  Now I can shift up into my biggest gear.  Check the hi lo screws, they are not limiting the movement.  The moment you set the derailer to go into the top gear it won't go down into the smallest. Almost as if the shifter is only for 10 gears.

 

My question to the hub.  What can cause this?  Should I replace the shifting cables?  Don't see how that could be the cause.  Should I replace the bit of cable housing that they might be worn?  Please let the ideas roll so that I can fault find this one.

 

 

1) Pretty sure its an 11speed shifter. It will have 10 clicks if its 11speed, 9 clicks if its 10speed.

 

2) When you tighten up the cable how tight are you pulling on the cable? Generally  you just want it tight enough that the slack is just about taken up and then use the barrel adjuster to take up the rest. If you pull too tight the rear derailleur can be aligned between the 12 and 11t sprockets leaving without the top gear.

 

3) is your derailleur jockey pulley cage not bent?

 

4) is your cassette lockring tightened correctly? If not the 11t will shift against the lockring moving it far enough away to not engage the chain

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Since Covid hit, bike suppliers in Germany just could not keep up with demand.

I remember seeing somewhere that Canyon is also waiting on stock that is now delayed by that ship stuck in Suez.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Some feedback: 

 

First of all thank you for all the replies.  So after having to battle to find new shifter cables I managed to get some.  Bloody scary to think that what I used to consider normal spares has become a problem to find.  But none the less I got the shifter cables so this past weekend was due date to replace them.  Replacing the inner cables turned out to be less of an issue than anticipated.  And the hose I wanted  to use was not gonna work in anyway as the exit point out of the frame at the rear derailer is only about 2 mm wide.  It is simply pushing the cable from the BB where there is a cap to the back and within a couple of touch and go attempts the cable pops out.

 

The original issue as to why the gears would not shift through all the available gears was quickly visible when I wanted to remove the old cable ...

 

post-71-0-88584900-1618206944_thumb.jpg

 

Battled to push out the old cable but it came out.  Still used the old cable housings as the new cables came with white and I could not source black.  The gears at the moment switch smoothly though.

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Some feedback: 

 

First of all thank you for all the replies.  So after having to battle to find new shifter cables I managed to get some.  Bloody scary to think that what I used to consider normal spares has become a problem to find.  But none the less I got the shifter cables so this past weekend was due date to replace them.  Replacing the inner cables turned out to be less of an issue than anticipated.  And the hose I wanted  to use was not gonna work in anyway as the exit point out of the frame at the rear derailer is only about 2 mm wide.  It is simply pushing the cable from the BB where there is a cap to the back and within a couple of touch and go attempts the cable pops out.

 

The original issue as to why the gears would not shift through all the available gears was quickly visible when I wanted to remove the old cable ...

 

attachicon.giftemp wires.jpg

 

Battled to push out the old cable but it came out.  Still used the old cable housings as the new cables came with white and I could not source black.  The gears at the moment switch smoothly though.

Still had plenty of life on those 8 strands!

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welcome to Shimano genuine parts. Designed to break your hardware so you can buy more.

I'll never buy Shimano cables for my bikes. That coating comes off jams the cable and then the cable strands start fraying. In the case of your shifter is because of the sharp bend that cable has t o take through the shifter into the cable. Horrible Horrible design 

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Some feedback: 

 

First of all thank you for all the replies.  So after having to battle to find new shifter cables I managed to get some.  Bloody scary to think that what I used to consider normal spares has become a problem to find.  But none the less I got the shifter cables so this past weekend was due date to replace them.  Replacing the inner cables turned out to be less of an issue than anticipated.  And the hose I wanted  to use was not gonna work in anyway as the exit point out of the frame at the rear derailer is only about 2 mm wide.  It is simply pushing the cable from the BB where there is a cap to the back and within a couple of touch and go attempts the cable pops out.

 

The original issue as to why the gears would not shift through all the available gears was quickly visible when I wanted to remove the old cable ...

 

attachicon.giftemp wires.jpg

 

Battled to push out the old cable but it came out.  Still used the old cable housings as the new cables came with white and I could not source black.  The gears at the moment switch smoothly though.

https://bikemob.co.za/products/sramredetapaxs1x12roadupgradekit?variant=31120942071893&currency=ZAR&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_campaign=gs-2018-09-04&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gclid=CjwKCAjwvMqDBhB8EiwA2iSmPDT32Q08H4rtmNxa4SqjEPLzGBiL5PaHm7Oe1ilgirlII49IeIUx3RoCmWoQAvD_BwE

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Some feedback: 

 

First of all thank you for all the replies.  So after having to battle to find new shifter cables I managed to get some.  Bloody scary to think that what I used to consider normal spares has become a problem to find.  But none the less I got the shifter cables so this past weekend was due date to replace them.  Replacing the inner cables turned out to be less of an issue than anticipated.  And the hose I wanted  to use was not gonna work in anyway as the exit point out of the frame at the rear derailer is only about 2 mm wide.  It is simply pushing the cable from the BB where there is a cap to the back and within a couple of touch and go attempts the cable pops out.

 

The original issue as to why the gears would not shift through all the available gears was quickly visible when I wanted to remove the old cable ...

 

attachicon.giftemp wires.jpg

 

Battled to push out the old cable but it came out.  Still used the old cable housings as the new cables came with white and I could not source black.  The gears at the moment switch smoothly though.

exact same issue i had lol. glad its sorted.

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This is important advice. A few years ago my bike fell over and bent the hanger. I bent it back when I got home. Three rides later the hanger snapped and pulled the rear derailleur round the wheel. It destroyed the derailleur and cracked the right hand side chainstay.

Replace the hanger immediately

+1

 

DBN tour from Germiston. Got into PMB for our final night's stay. Went in to check in, leaning my bike against the wall (derailleur unsafe). Came out, saw the bike on its side, thought nothing of it.

 

Next morning, Amashova start. 3k in my race was over due to the damage caused the day before.

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