Shimano 105 shifting force. Can it be reduced?

[slowmotion]

I wonder if you could help. I have a Specialized Secteur Elite 2010 and it is my first road bike. Having fiddled with the riding position endlessly for the last six weeks since I bought it, I am pretty happy with the fit, but I have a real problem with the shifters. Here is the specification from the Spesh website....

Front Derailleur: Shimano 105
Rear Derailleur: Shimano 105

Shifters: Shimano 105 STI, flight deck compatibleChainset: Shimano FCR-553Chainrings: 50 x 39 x 30T
Cassette: Shimano 105, 10-speed, 12-27t

My left hand controls the rear brake and the chainring. My right hand controls the front brake and the cassette. I hardly ever go off the middle chainring so most of my hand action is with my right one, and this is the problem. I find it OK to change to a harder gear with my right middle finger. Using my whole palm to swing the big lever sideways to get to an easier gear requires some force and it is really starting to hurt my right wrist to the extent that I have some fairly horrible pain that stays with me long after a ride. I am fairly sure that this has little to do with wrong positions on the bars.

Is it possible to make some kind of adjustment so that it requires less lateral force on the lever to make the shift?

Thank-you.

 

[Flying Dodo]

That doesn't sound right, as you should be able to move it with one finger. It could be the path is constricted in some way. Are your's the 5700 routing both cables under the handlebar tape? If so, is the cable outer being bent too much?

I'd first undo the allen bolt holding the shifter onto the handlebars so that you let it dangle, and then when holding it, see if it's any easier to shift. Then I'd undo the cable from the rear dérailleur, and just try manually pulling it both ways to see if there's excessive friction.

 

[frank9755]

Downshifting is always a bit harder than upshifting as you're working against the spring, but it shouldn't be that hard. Have you compared your bikes to others? Is it unusually stiff or similar to others?

Assuming yours is stiff, the main cause is the cable not running freely. Is it catching or rubbing somewhere: are there any kinks in the cable? If there's nothing obvious, try changing the cable.

There might be a fault with your mech. This is where the spring is - not in the shifter. Have a look at it - is it gummed up with road dirt or does it move freely? Move it by hand - does the spring feel unusually stiff? Try oiling the springs to see if that helps. Or if it is really stiff, try changing the mech - they're not too expensive (compared to an STI).

 

[Zoiders]

Again I suspect this is user related and not the mech.

Spin - don't grind when you shift.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

If it is only six weeks old, take it back to the dealer. If he tells you it is normal, check other bikes. IME 105 is very smooth to change, but I have the older type with the gear cables routed from the side of the levers.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Just tried mine Specialized Secteur Elite 2010 same as yours and I can move either lever with just my middle finger so I would suggest a trip back to the bike shop you got it from.

 

[slowmotion]

Thank-you all for your suggestions. I am very grateful.

Part of the problem is that I am unfamiliar with this type of shifter so I have no feel for what is "normal". The cables all look fine and there are no sharp bends. I shift with very little pressure on the pedals so I think my technique is broadly OK. The rear mech is pretty clean and well greased. I will take it back to the shop where I bought it and see what they say, as well as trying other bikes in the shop. A possibility is that I have some tendonitis due to the unfamiliar finger/hand movement. I certainly have some pain and weakness in my right hand and this may have led me to believe that the shifting force is excessive when in fact it is perfectly normal.

Thanks again.

 

[gwhite]

Thank-you all for your suggestions. I am very grateful.

Part of the problem is that I am unfamiliar with this type of shifter so I have no feel for what is "normal". The cables all look fine and there are no sharp bends. I shift with very little pressure on the pedals so I think my technique is broadly OK. The rear mech is pretty clean and well greased. I will take it back to the shop where I bought it and see what they say, as well as trying other bikes in the shop. A possibility is that I have some tendonitis due to the unfamiliar finger/hand movement. I certainly have some pain and weakness in my right hand and this may have led me to believe that the shifting force is excessive when in fact it is perfectly normal.

Thanks again.

I had a similar problem on a folder with STI's. After some time struggling with this I injured my left wrist and it's still wonky. Changed to Flat bars and thumb shifters.

 

[slowmotion]

I had a similar problem on a folder with STI's. After some time struggling with this I injured my left wrist and it's still wonky. Changed to Flat bars and thumb shifters.

Thanks gwhite. I would be heartbroken if I had to take that route, but I realise it is a faint possibility. Right now, having not consulted the bike shop, I'm rather hoping that the whole problem comes from an unfamiliar finger/hand movement. I normally have a quite strong hand grip because I sometimes build things but I did suffer from tendonitis a while ago after extensive use of a portable drill/driver. The rotational strain from driving a few thousand No. 12 pozidrive screws caused my wrist to throw in the towel. It is the same type of "ouch" this time, but nothing that ibuprophen can't fix, I hope.

 

[MacB]

If it's a cable issue then I'd have expected that to be quite apparent but worth a look. Still I think a trip to the shop is a good call and get someone there, who uses these type of shifters, to have a go and report back on the shift pressure. I'm a great one for reading up online and trying to work things out but when you have no idea what 'correct' looks or feels like it can be a real struggle.

It'll be more messing about and it's always possible that the 105 lever shape, and shifter action, just doesn't suit you. I've had a lot of wrist and arm problems, nearly all on the left though, and I've found I'm just really sensitive to the position, it has to be spot on. There's a lot you can try before giving up on the 105s including the gloves/padding you use. I use foam grips under the bar tape now and find I prefer minimal or no paddding on my mitts. You could also try SRAM Double Tap or Campag Ergo, though both would require financial investment, still the 105s would sell easily. A final option would be a change to bar end shifters, assuming you were staying with drops, and there are thumb mounts to enable these to go up on the bars next to the stem. I know it's not what you'd ideally want but it's worth keeping in mind.

If there isn't a mechanical issue I'd be inclined to persevere and get yourself familiar with wrapping/unwrapping bar tape Maybe do some rides just with some foam grip on and your allen keys so that you can tinker as you go along. If you've had RSI type problems you'll know how small a change can make a difference.

 

[slowmotion]

If it's a cable issue then I'd have expected that to be quite apparent but worth a look. Still I think a trip to the shop is a good call and get someone there, who uses these type of shifters, to have a go and report back on the shift pressure. I'm a great one for reading up online and trying to work things out but when you have no idea what 'correct' looks or feels like it can be a real struggle.

Thanks MacB, spot on. I will go back to the shop today. Apart from a crook hand, my real problem is total ignorance.

Oh yes....and being aged!

Edit: Thanks for the bar tape/shifter position information. Right now (and in a position of ignorance) my guess is that road buzz is not an issue. From the little I know, buzz causes numbness and maybe pins and needles. I'm not troubled by that at all.

I mentioned this problem to a member of my family who is a GP. She said that if I went to my own GP they would tell me to stop riding the bike, rest my wrist, and take ibuprofen. I said that I rather wanted to keep riding the bike. Her advice? "Don't go to the GP then". She runs Marathons with dodgy ligaments, BTW and has a very high pain threshold.

 

[adscrim]

With it being a new bike, taking it to the shop would be my first choice.

However, you could disconnect the cable at the mech and see if the shifter is still stiff. If it is, then it's either shifter or cable. If the cable returns without problem, which I assume it does as you say shifting down the cassette is not problematic, then I'd say it was the shifter that's sticking.

Still better to let the shop find that out so that they can replace or repair as appropriate.

 

[slowmotion]

I took it back to the bike shop and it got a clean bill of health. At this stage it looks like I've got to get some strength back in my wrist and see how it goes from there. Ibuprofen works on the pain and it's also a reasonable anti-inflammatory. I might get a couple of squash balls to squeeze as an exercise. Thank-you all for your advice.

 

[HLaB]

Once in a blue moon I'd get my shifting wrong and the mech wouldn't change wont change on my 105 shifter but other than that the force is minimal usually only a couple of fingers are needed. If it does lock up don't force it, back off and it'll change no problem later. It might be as you say a newbie thing I can't recall it happening other than when the bike was brand new.

 

[zigzag]

do you really need front shifter? maybe you would be better off using medium sized chainring in the front and wide ratio cassette in the back?