Shimano Ultegra 6700 adjustment help

[Mralexrides]

Hi,

changing gear in the front derailleur is really sluggish and I find I have to push in really far on levers to get it to change sometimes I have to do this twice. Is there a way of increasing the sensitivity of the shifters? There are no barrel adjusters for the front derailleur. This is both for shifting up and down in the front. The only thing I can think of is making the cable to the derailleur tighter but its already super tight. Barely any give in it at all. I fear if I do undo the clamp its going to ping out and I'm not going to get more tension out of it. The back one is perfect except for the highest ring at the back in lowest gear at the front (triple) it makes all kinds of noises and doesn't actually get in gear

Thanks.

 

[fossyant]

How old are the cables. I'd replace inner and outer, and also squirt GT85 into the lever mechanism.

 

[Mralexrides]

How old are the cables. I'd replace inner and outer, and also squirt GT85 into the lever mechanism.

not sure could be over 10 years old.

 

[ianrauk]

not sure could be over 10 years old.

..and there is your probable problem.
Change the cables, both inner and outers and you should get your shifter working as it should.

 

[iluvmybike]

Also fit an 'inline' adjuster if there are no barrel adjusters there already

 

[Arrowfoot]

Hi,

changing gear in the front derailleur is really sluggish and I find I have to push in really far on levers to get it to change sometimes I have to do this twice. Is there a way of increasing the sensitivity of the shifters? There are no barrel adjusters for the front derailleur. This is both for shifting up and down in the front. The only thing I can think of is making the cable to the derailleur tighter but its already super tight. Barely any give in it at all. I fear if I do undo the clamp its going to ping out and I'm not going to get more tension out of it. The back one is perfect except for the highest ring at the back in lowest gear at the front (triple) it makes all kinds of noises and doesn't actually get in gear

Thanks.

The front is always tougher than the rear, both in terms of pressure and the length of travel. Just in case you think it is the same. I have yet to come across anyone who loves his front more than rear derailleur. The rear if indexed well is a delight. Can never say the same with the front no matter how well it is setup with the newest cables unless on Di.

 

[faster]

Also fit an 'inline' adjuster if there are no barrel adjusters there already

This.

I find it almost unbelievable that someone would build a bike with no way of adjusting the front derailleur other than moving the cable in the clamp. Changing the cable is also excellent advice.

 

[T4tomo]

This.

I find it almost unbelievable that someone would build a bike with no way of adjusting the front derailleur other than moving the cable in the clamp. Changing the cable is also excellent advice.

I agree, in fact I don't believe it....

 

[C R]

I agree, in fact I don't believe it....

I think there are some new shimano front dérailleurs that have an adjustment screw, and not supposed to need a barrel adjuster anywhere, but I doubt the OP has one of those.

 

[Adam4868]

Release the cable to it and lubricate it/move by hand.Had a similar problem on a bike of mine.

 

[PapaZita]

I think 6700 may be one of the models that is prone to cable fraying inside the lever. It was one of the first group sets with hidden gear cables, and the cable wears where it takes a sharp turn inside the lever. Definitely treat it to new inner and outer cables, and check for any debris, loose strands, etc. that may be stuck in there.

The lack of an adjuster seems odd, but I never really found one necessary. If everything is clean and lubed, and with new cables, it seems quite tolerant of cable tension. Just set the inner limit screw, put everything in low gear, and pull the cable snug, has always worked for me.

 

[boydj]

The front mech, even on a triple chainring, is a fairly crude device compared to the rear mech, which does need fine tuning for perfect shifting and allows for switching wheels with minimal problems. Once you have the cable set up on the front mech, there should be no need to touch it again until you change the cable. Admittedly an adjuster might help with the initial setup, but it would be redundant thereafter.

 

[Chislenko]

The front is always tougher than the rear, both in terms of pressure and the length of travel. Just in case you think it is the same. I have yet to come across anyone who loves his front more than rear derailleur. The rear if indexed well is a delight. Can never say the same with the front no matter how well it is setup with the newest cables unless on Di.

What Arrowroot says, changing from small front to big front takes a fair shove.

 

[T4tomo]

I think there are some new shimano front dérailleurs that have an adjustment screw, and not supposed to need a barrel adjuster anywhere, but I doubt the OP has one of those.

6700 was released in 2009 ish, it relies on an inline or barrel adjuster somewhere in the cable run to fine tune the tension, which i suspect the OP hasn't found yet. It may even be a simple as the high limit screw is marginally too tight, but if the have never replaced the cables since new then that is a very good place to start, adding an inline adjuster as they do so.