New bike...can't shift into big chainring!

[Buster]

Hi everyone! After waiting a couple of weeks for my new bike (Surly Long Haul Trucker), I picked it up today only to discover that I am pretty much unable to shift from the middle chainring to the big chainring. It has Ultegra brifters instead of the bar end shifters that the Long Haul Trucker usually comes with. I have no problem with shifting the cassette with my right hand, but I simply cannot shift into the biggest ring with my left hand consistently (I managed to do it a couple of times, but can't do it all of the time). The shop tried a bunch of adjustments, to no avail. My left hand is sore and a bit raw from me trying to shift. The shop told me to keep trying with the bike to see if things loosened up at all, and I still couldn't shift, they'll put bar end shifters on. There is a shim in shifter so that I can reach the brake, and one of the guys at the shop thought that it was making it harder to shift.

Has anyone had this problem before and if so, what was the fix? I have very small hands, and I'm wondering if they're simply too small to use these types of shifters and if I should use bar end shifters instead. I'm terribly disappointed -- I was so looking forward to my new bike, but instead I'm feeling too feeble to ride it!

Any ideas are greatly appreciated!

[aicabsolut]

It's not an uncommon problem, because some people (especially with smaller hands) have trouble with the distance and effort involved in the "throw" of the big lever on the left.

Sometimes, though, the cable indexing just doesn't work the same under load as it does on the stand. Other setups are a little more finicky about what cog you're in in the rear when you make the shift.

You can try shifting when you're in a cog that is nearer to the small end. You can also try tightening the cable for the front derailleur some and see if that helps. If none of that works, then it might be that you'll be better off with the bar end shifters.

[Cataboo]

Maybe try taking out the shim... I have really small hands with short fingers - wear xs gloves women's... but I can shift on ultegra shift levers without shims.


you may want to get the short reach shimano r700 shifters, a lot of women like it.

[OakLeaf]

+1 on the R700s.
However, the LBS may not be willing to swap them out for you, especially since you've ridden the bike a few times. It's an expensive fix (like $400).


If you take the shim out, the problem becomes reaching the brakes. Personally, if I had to choose, I'd choose having trouble shifting...

[aeiea]

I'm a nub so feel free to discard my comments (or answer them), but --

-- have you tried another LBS? they might have a different solution... or tell you if the shifter is defective. (recently had an issue with a defective device; took another LBS to tell me this)

-- what's the reason why you shift a lot from the middle chainring to the big one? I usually do most of my shifting with my right hand. Then again, I am usually on the mostly flat beach boardwalk.

[Crankin]

I had this problem on my previous 2 road bikes. It got solved when my DH put Dura Ace on the front of my Trek. I never used the big chain ring until 2008 and I started riding in 2000.
#2 on the R-700's. I have them on my present bike and finally, can shift and brake.

[Buster]

Thanks everyone.

As an added data point, my husband (with large strong hands) has tried it and said that although he can shift, it is tougher to shift than any of his bikes. I'm not really comfortable taking the shim out, because I think I would rather be able to reach the brakes. I think I need to try the R700s, but I'm a little hesitant to spend the money if it doesn't work. I have another LBS that I like that I'm due for a trip to to buy some new gloves...I may ask them if they've encountered this before.

aeiea, I do a fair bit of shifting because I live in a hilly area. I'm rather hung up on this even though I think that most of my riding will be in the middle chainring because I just spent a good amount of money on this bike and I want to be able to use it properly!

I'd be grateful for any other suggestions!

[OakLeaf]

Maybe you know someone who has R700s on their bike already, or maybe one of your LBSs has a bike you can test ride, just to see how the shifters work for you.

But if you can reach the brakes as is, a couple of people on here have said that the spring tension on a Dura-Ace front derailleur is much lighter than 105 or Ultegra. That would be a much less expensive change than swapping the shifters (plus you wouldn't have to re-tape the handlebars, which is ALWAYS a plus in my book. )

[Cataboo]

Maybe have the shop completely start over on tuning the front shifter - screw the cable adjuster round things (on your down tube, can't remember what they're called), all the way in, undo the cable at the derailleur.

I know on my bike, it was initially easy to shift in the front, then I asked the bf to adjust the front derailleur and whatever he did made it much harder to shift - like the cable was just too tight to begin with, and I'm thinking he just adjusted those cable guide things...

Then just recently I changed my cranks, and I moved the front derailleur (closer in, 'cause the new cranks were narrower) and suddenly it has gotten a lot easier to shift on that bike.

I just measured my hand - from the bottom of my palm to my middle finger tip is less than 6.5 inches (probably like 6 and 3/8s). My middle finger is 2 and 3/4 inches long. I have no problems using ultegra shifters and brakes without shims. I do have them kinda adjusted to be in the perfect spot for me to reach them on the hoods. My hands are small, and my fingers are stumpy. So you should be able to reach without the shim - but you probably shouldn't have to if they tune your bike right.

[Biciclista]

i had trouble with that (not as bad as you ) before i shifted to Campy

[OakLeaf]

Catriona, what kind of a FD do you have?

As I mentioned in the other thread, reach isn't a problem for me with my R700s, but it's a BIG effort upshifting my 105 FD. Maybe 10% of the time I'll end up trimming rather than shifting, and I always have to be cautious about not steering while I shift. It's a pretty long throw, but it's the effort much more than it is the distance. And in general I've got pretty strong forearms from motorcycling.

Someone else mentioned in the other thread - maybe it was aicabsolut again - that it's an issue for both 105 and Ultegra FDs, but that the spring tension on Dura-Ace is much lower.

[Cataboo]

I think they both have ultegra front derailleurs. One is a triple with 105 shifters and the other a compact double with ultegra shifters. I haven't noticed any problems with the 105 shifters - but then that bike doesn't have any of those cable barrel adjusters, so the bf can't just screw those out to tune the bike...

He's done it to my surly as well - I've got XTR shifters with a 105 front deraileur on it - it was initially easy to shift on the front derailleur, then I asked him to adjust something - and now in order to shift up on the front derailleur, I literally have to use the palm of my hand to push it in. They're trigger shifters and I mostly commute & rarely leave the large chain ring so I haven't made a huge deal out of it... But I noticed the other day when he was looking at that bike for me that he was having a hard time shifting up on the front. I think he made the cable too tight with his adjustments.

[kenyonchris]

i had trouble with that (not as bad as you ) before i shifted to Campy

+1 on this. Campy rocks for small handed people who hate the Shimano throw.

[laura*]

He's done it to my surly as well - I've got XTR shifters with a 105 front deraileur on it - it was initially easy to shift on the front derailleur, then I asked him to adjust something - and now in order to shift up on the front derailleur, I literally have to use the palm of my hand to push it in.

Hmmm. Could the shift cable be routed wrong?

At a bike co-op I was helping someone with a really cheap department store bike. The front shifter was *really* hard to move and I think it had even split the cable housing. It turned out that the cable was clamped on the wrong side of the FD's clamp bolt. It needed to attach as far out on the pivot arm as possible.

[Cataboo]

I'll check, but I don't think so since it used to be fine, but I'll look at it tomorrow