Bicycle Mechanics - Flight Deck with Sora shifters?

Although the documentation from specialized says the bike would come with flight deck compatible shifters, I've peeled back the rubber boots on my shifters and did not see a place to bolt in the flight deck sensors. The shifters themselves are NOT labeled with "flight deck" as with other shifters I've seen.

Am I missing something, or do I need new shifters to fully utilize the flight deck system? The thumb shifters are kinda annoying, so I wouldn't mind stepping up to some Tiagra shifters if that's what is needed.

Can I get Specialized on the hook to replace my shifters? Should I talk to them directly or through my LBS?

Link to the shifters on my bike.

http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/road/sora/product.-code-ST-3400.-type-st_road.html

Flight deck shifters have button built in there, you would see it (the molded part for the button is on the hood but if you pull back the hood and theres nothing underneath, they aren't compatible), also as per the link you sent as well. Its possible the book for the bike is for various versions (I'm assuming its probably an Allez, which the Allez Elite has Tiagra shifters, the rest have Sora). Its funny Specialized's site mentions flight deck compatibility as well, but the horses mouth Shimano says no.

Like I said, you will see a little bump which is a button on the inside of the shifter behind the downshift button, if you peel back behind it and dont see an electrical button connection, no flightdeck.

Sorry, I should have said it's a 2008 Sequoia, 3x9 gears, and Sora all around except for a Tiagra RD. The kick in the nuts is that my LBS originally gave me the Comp version (with 105 everything) for the "base price", but my stupid conscience made me return it.

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=34076
"SHIFT LEVERS Shimano Sora, 9-speed STI, flight deck compatible"

I'm looking at the ST-4400 shifters in order to satisfy 3x9 gears with flight deck and get rid of the thumb shifters. I guess my question is how far you think I'll get with out shelling out my own money for a feature the website says the bike has...

Sorry, I should have said it's a 2008 Sequoia, 3x9 gears, and Sora all around except for a Tiagra RD. The kick in the nuts is that my LBS originally gave me the Comp version (with 105 everything) for the "base price", but my stupid conscience made me return it.

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=34076
"SHIFT LEVERS Shimano Sora, 9-speed STI, flight deck compatible"

I'm looking at the ST-4400 shifters in order to satisfy 3x9 gears with flight deck and get rid of the thumb shifters. I guess my question is how far you think I'll get with out shelling out my own money for a feature the website says the bike has...

Hm, good question, its really not the LBS's fault, I mean I would hope they would know this stuff but they can't memorize every feature on every bike, and I have seen older Sora shifters were flight deck compatible, they seem to have removed this feature to cut costs, I would contact Specialized and see what they say....

I would say that the ad copy was carrying over the fact that older SORA 8 speed shifters were flight deck capable. You "unfortunatley" have the new SORA 9 speed shifters just released. You have gear position indicators so the need for flight deck seems moot. Any other computer will provide you with all the other features of flight deck for less money.

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=34076
"SHIFT LEVERS Shimano Sora, 9-speed STI, flight deck compatible"


Model Number ST-3400
Series Sora
Optical Gear Display yes
Cassette Compatibility 9-speed
Front Shifting double/triple
FLIGHT DECK Compatible no

I'd get on the horn with Specialized.

The thumb shifters are kinda annoying, so I wouldn't mind stepping up to some Tiagra shifters if that's what is needed.

According to: http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/road/tiagra/product.-code-ST-4500.-type-st_road.html, Tiagra is also not flight-deck comptible. You'd need at least 105, which is 10-speed so would also require new cassette and chain.


Can I get Specialized on the hook to replace my shifters?

You mean get them to pay for new shifters with flight-deck? Doubtful. If flight-deck is so important to you, had you known these shifters are incompatible, it seems reasonable that you would have either 1) got this bike anyway and accepted incompatibility or upgraded it yourself, or 2) said "no" and bought a better bike with at least 105 shifters.

Asking them to pay for your new shifters seems unreasonable. The best you can ask your LBS is for a return/refund, so you can get a bike with 105 shifters and flight deck compatibility. Or just live with the bike as is.

My advice: get one of the many other bike computers available. As maddmaxx mentioned, you already have a gear-indicator; many other computers can do speed, cadence, distance, etc.

But, it would be nice of you to alert Specialized of the error, for other's sake.

I have to say, if you like the bike as is, you really don't need the gear indicator of the flight deck, and there are many better cyclocomputers out there that are cheaper.

According to: Tiagra is also not flight-deck comptible. You'd need at least 105, which is 10-speed so would also require new cassette and chain.

Actually I was talking about ST-4400 shifters.


If flight-deck is so important to you, had you known these shifters are incompatible.....

Had I known, yes. However, I didn't know. I bought the bike believing the website.



I have to say, if you like the bike as is, you really don't need the gear indicator of the flight deck, and there are many better cyclocomputers out there that are cheaper.

Suggestions?

Suggestions?

I use the VDO C3 DS wireless. The first one i bought was defective but I found out it was old, the current one you can get at your LBS is fine, VDO replaced mine no problem and its been mint ever since.

heres one on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/VDO-C3-DS-DIGITAL-WIRELESS-BIKE-COMPUTER-CADENCE-New_W0QQitemZ300255689794QQihZ020QQcategoryZ30108QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

However you can probably find it cheaper if you search the online bike shops a bit, I believe the Lower model C2 DS also works with the wireless cadence adaptor. Its got a great display, easy to read, updates fast, lots of options, you can use it on 2 bikes too.