Hand strength and shifting

[Hi Ho Silver]

How are you positioning your hands when you shift - are they on the hoods, or in the drops?

[ny biker]

Does the left shifter require more effort than the right one?

[Eden]

Does the left shifter require more effort than the right one?

I wouldn't be surprised if the left one (front) takes more effort - especially if the bike is a compact or a triple with a fairly large difference in the sizes of the chain rings. That can make it a bit of a haul to move the chain up, though having to use both hands? is a bit over the top. I'll bet shifting down isn't a problem?

[ny biker]

I'm wondering if an adjustment to the shifter might be possible, to make it easier to shift. Or maybe the derailleur needs an adjustment.

[meggers113]

I had a similar issue that was caused by overtightening my shifter cable. It made shifting out of my big chainring nearly impossible, very similar to what you describe. Once I removed the excess tension the problem went away.

[dravens]

I am shifting from the hood

It is the left one only, the right works fine.

I have had 2 shops check it out. They keep telling me I have to exercises to strengthen my hands. Of course all the techs are male.

The derailleur actually works I just can't push the shifter with one hand.

[Hi Ho Silver]

I also have the Specialized Ruby with the SRAM Apex group. After I read your last post, I went over to the bike and played with the shifting to test how much strength was needed. The left shifter does take more force to shift than the right, but you should be able to do it IF the bike has been set up correctly. When I brought my bike home from the bike shop, I couldn't shift the front shifter to save my life ...and I have large strong hands! I adjusted the cable tension and properly set the derailleur stop screws. After making these adjustments, I can shift the front derailleur with just my ring finger.

My guess is that the shifter cable tension and, possibly, the derailleur stop screw for the large ring need to be adjusted. Just because 2 shops said it is okay does not necessarily make it so. If you don't know how to adjust these things, take it back to the store where you bought it, and ask to see the manager. If the manager doesn't or can't get it fixed, call Specialized customer support.