%$%###%$ STI's

[dollar]

Forgive my frustration, but I really battle with these things. I grew up with friction shifters and graduated some years ago to index shifters - Suntour being my all time favourite. Fortunatly I ride classic bikes (me being a bit of a classic myself) but my wife has been told that she has to have STI's so I have retired her 83 Fuji Opus and built her a small alloy bike (that weighs a few grams less than the Fuji - ha ha). I am also upgrading an old Cannondale to STI's for me, when I find some 

 

OK - here is the problem - back STI works 100%. Front works but "rubs". There is no %%$#$# way that I can see to stop this! Now on an 'old shifter" I could just tweak the front a touch to stop the rub but no such "tweak" with an STI!

 

How do you get around this?

 

[Johan Bornman]

Shimano only recently introduced trim into their STIs - top end only. Campag always had trim and recently they followed Shimano's bad example and limited trip to top-end models only.

 

You must decide which side of the blade you favour and adjust the derailer so that that side doesn't rub. The other side...well, consider that an illegal gear.

 

You'll be happy to know that on Shimano's latest electronic Dura Ace, the trim is automatic.

[dollar]

Thanks Johan. I thought I was being dumb. My wife is going to bleat though - to her there is no such thing as an illegal gear 

[MoreTrails]

There should be no such thing as an electronic groupset....

 

Bikes will soon have a sticker "Batteries not included"..... What a load of bollocks

 

[AndreZA]

Dollar, I assume you are talking about Shimano levers and not just randomly using the term "STI" when talking about other makes of shifter/brake levers.

 

 

 

When does it rub? When you are on small front/small rear and big front/big rear (sounds like an interesting women)? Those gears should never be used in the first place.

[dollar]

Ja - I had just finished teaching my better half how to perfect the downtube shifters and she was getting pretty slick.

 

Watching her fight with the new (old actually) STI's is quite amusing. She says that it is more convenient, but she is so used to the old ones she says that she is not really that fond of them yet. Maybe it grows on her?

 

[dollar]

Mampara - Ja, I have been enlightened -  12/13/14 to 42 are out the window. I will try expain this to the boss. It is Shimano - old 105.

[dollar]

I "Vrystaad'ed" the cage a tad with a longnose (suggested by TNT)  - now I only have one slightly scratchy ratio - 12/42. No great problem.

[AndreZA]

if it rubs on 12/42 then the limiter is not set correctly. The same with 39/25 (or whatever the easiest gear is). The set the limiters so that is just misses touching. Take it too far and you will over shift and drop the chains.

[dollar]

Tried that. The problem is that the STI only throws the cage out so far when changing to the 53. This is far enough for a slick change without the chain coming off, but not far enough to prevent the far side of the cage to rub the chain (slightly) when on the small (12) cog at the back. The limiter is not even engaging.

 

Now if you mess with it and tighten the cable to get the cage to change further then you end up with the same problem on the small chainwheel when using the largest back cog - which the wife uses often up hills!

 

 I suppose I could tweak it a bit more (pliers) - but I am nervous of causing other k@k

 

[AndreZA]

Okay, you say that it does not even go far enough to touch the limiter. It sounds like you need to adjust the barrel adjuster on the cable. That is if you have one. It will either be on the cable stop or a barrel on the cable somewhere.

 

 

 

http://bicycletutor.com/adjust-front-derailer/

 

 

[TNT1]

Take it to that TNT dude over the weekend... he can help with the pliers or the limit setting...

[techguy]

Shimano only recently introduced trim into their STIs - top end only. Campag always had trim and recently they followed Shimano's bad example and limited trip to top-end models only.

 

You must decide which side of the blade you favour and adjust the derailer so that that side doesn't rub. The other side...well' date=' consider that an illegal gear.

 

You'll be happy to know that on Shimano's latest electronic Dura Ace, the trim is automatic.

[/quote']

 

It's very odd then that my 8speed 105 levers that I raced on as a junior 15 odd years ago had the trim operation and every STI (including campy veloce) I've ridden since has had a from of trim...

[dollar]

Ja - there does appear to be a primitive form of trim. Shimano says so in their tech doc - BUT it involves pushing the "b" lever - how do you trim it back? 

[dollar]

I figured out my problem by the way. Not using the correct chain. Also using different components that are not 100% compatible with each other 

 

To make up for this I have had to "spread" the front cage with my trusty longnose. All is well now - maybe a slight rub on 12/42, but otherwise it works perfectly.

 

So - the bottom line is that you can take a "stew" of components and get them to work together. I take back all the bad things I said about these STI's. Sorry Shimano.

 

[techguy]

Ja - there does appear to be a primitive form of trim. Shimano says so in their tech doc - BUT it involves pushing the "b" lever - how do you trim it back? 

 

The "b" lever is the lever that you use to shift down, and to trim it back just push both levers together as tho you shifting up onto the big ring again.