Bicycle Mechanics - Why Are STI and Ergo Shifters So Expensive?

Man I am building up a bike and I have gotten to the shifters part and I can believe how expensive they are. The cheapest kind I have found are Sora STI at Nashbar for $100. I mean sh** you can buy a brand new bike Sora equipped for $249. Can anyone point me in a good direction? I tried clamp on friction shifters but they wouldnt work on my fat down tube.

Bar end shifters?

Too bad DT shifters didn't work :|

And yes brifters are outrageously overpriced. Honestly.

Man I am building up a bike and I have gotten to the shifters part and I can believe how expensive they are. The cheapest kind I have found are Sora STI at Nashbar for $100. I mean sh** you can buy a brand new bike Sora equipped for $249. Can anyone point me in a good direction? I tried clamp on friction shifters but they wouldnt work on my fat down tube.I have a box full of real nifty stem shifters.

Bar end shifters?Still need cable stops,and if the downtube is too fat that can be an issue. Think www.rivbike.com has some oversize ones.

Why? Because thers lots of little teeny parts that have super high tolerances.

Why? Because thers lots of little teeny parts that have super high tolerances.

That and the devaluated $.

STI is expensive because, in addition to the beat-up $, Shimano has marketed it well and created a great deal of demand for it. Ditto for Ergopower with some exceptions, for instance Mirage 9s ergopower can be had for 42 UKP = $79 US (plus shipping) and they beat the heck out of Sora and Tiagra, on a par with 105... plus dual-direction multi-cog shifts. Bar ends aren't too cheap relative to Mirage, considering you still need brake levers.

Are there any mirage 7's? :)

Ok there are none, how about non-sora 7 speed STI.

You should have budgeted the cost of components before starting your project. ;)

OK Mother.

Same goes for starting and raising a family, my son...

they are so expensive because they are probably the most technically engineered part of a drive train, ie the most moving parts, small parts, etc....my bet is they are probably the most expensive component in the drive train to assemble. just a thought....if yer feeling manly, you could always forgo gears together and just turn it into a single speed....

This user has no sense of humor. And if $100 seems steep for a set of shifters, then maybe you do need to consider SS.

Where can you get a Sora equipped bike with STI for $250?

Where can you get a Sora equipped bike with STI for $250?

Nowhere. Try $550.

Nowhere. Try $550.

$ 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 ?

$ 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 ?

That's what I said. At least from any LBS I've come across. You might be able to buy one out of catalog or on line for maybe $ 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 less.

here I go again....

that's nothin'; check out Aussie prices:

This is one of the cheaper shops around, and Dura-Ace levers are $629 AUS, or $485 US :eek:

http://www.cecilwalker.com.au/category249_1.htm

I have a box full of real nifty stem shifters.


WARNING DO NOT GO THAT ROUTE!

Nowhere. Try $550.


Non STI Sora: Fuji League, $350

STI Sora: Raleigh Sport, $400-500.

They are out there, but not for less than $400 new.

An exercise to answer your question:
Without using an exsisting STI shifter, build a prototype integrated shifter. Now put it into production. How long will it take you to reach the point where you finish paying for protoyping and setup of production, tooling and distribution?

Seems to me that you can get gripshifts and levers with a whole bike from any xmart for less than the of a pair of 105 brifters. Don't tell me that's all to "recoup" their costs. Bull.

When replacing my STI shifters...I did not upgrade over Ultegra...Dura Ace..you can almost buy a new bike..

That and the devaluated $.True, but at least with a devalued dollar we can export good more easily. THAT's sure a change.

True, but at least with a devalued dollar we can export good more easily. THAT's sure a change.

I don't much like the fact that my US$ buy me 50% less AU$ than they did when I was here on holiday. The loss works out to tens of thousands. Ouch!

Not only are they expensive but they have a short life span and are unrepairable. When they break, you toss 'em.

Bar end shifters and/or DTs last forever.

Having said that I LOVE my STIs on my road bike, but I use bar ends on my touring bike. Why? Bar ends last forever, and don't need constant adjustment, so I don't have to worry about them when touring.

Try Ebay, I picked up a set of 9 speed 105 STIs last winter for $135 CAN. LBS wanted $250 plus 15% sales tax!!

If yer not into racing, perhaps bar ends are a better choice for you? or DTs but I recommend bar ends.

Digger

If installed and set up correctly, Sti needs little if any adjustment. Barends are simpler, but I have seen many a worn out(indexing model) that would make you curse

Trying to make a price comparison between a gripshift and STI is a joke. They are completely different, made from different materials, and do very different jobs. The integration of braking and shifting into one lever assembly makes the control much more complicated.

Once again, any body who thinks they can make one cheaper, go for it, you could make your fortune.

Just picked up new 105 STIs from Performance for $129 USD. Funny part is at the same time people were paying 150 - 175 NIB off eBay.

Once again, any body who thinks they can make one cheaper, go for it, you could make your fortune.

The thing is, even if you could make one cheaper, you'd probably sell it for close to the same price as the S and C brands simply because you could then make a bigger fortune. ;)

One other thing to mention is that aftermarket parts sometimes seem so rediculously expensive because in some ways they have to subsidise the deep-discounting given to the same parts used in an ODM fashion by the bike manufacturers.

Not only are they expensive but they have a short life span and are unrepairable. When they break, you toss 'em.

Bar end shifters and/or DTs last forever.

Having said that I LOVE my STIs on my road bike, but I use bar ends on my touring bike. Why? Bar ends last forever, and don't need constant adjustment, so I don't have to worry about them when touring.

Try Ebay, I picked up a set of 9 speed 105 STIs last winter for $135 CAN. LBS wanted $250 plus 15% sales tax!!

If yer not into racing, perhaps bar ends are a better choice for you? or DTs but I recommend bar ends.

Digger

Wow $135? MEC wants $300 lol :)

MEC usually has pretty good/cheap prices for accessories, but for components... no way.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=36140&item=7145671918&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=36140&item=7145671918&rd=1

Nice keyword spamming there. At any rate, sachs doesn't make those anymore?

Nice keyword spamming there. At any rate, sachs doesn't make those anymore?

I'm not sure what 'keyword spamming' is but, the thread title and that auction (which is not my auction, BTW) go together quite nicely. If you'd rather I not participate with directly pertinent, helpful info, what the Hell. I'll just keep the more obscure of what I know, to myself. You wanna pay $135 for 105 STI's? Make that disposable STI's. It's your money bud; I'll just keep buying stuff that's Campagnolo made, inexpensive and repairable......

I have 105 STI's hooked up to a 7 speed RD. The shifters are actualy 8 speed but work fine on a 7.

I'm not sure what 'keyword spamming' is but, the thread title and that auction (which is not my auction, BTW) go together quite nicely. If you'd rather I not participate with directly pertinent, helpful info, what the Hell. I'll just keep the more obscure of what I know, to myself. You wanna pay $135 for 105 STI's? Make that disposable STI's. It's your money bud; I'll just keep buying stuff that's Campagnolo made, inexpensive and repairable......

My question was really a question.. :/

Edit: My LBS told me only the 7 speed sora sti lever would work with a 7 speed cassette.. hmm.

I have a box full of real nifty stem shifters.


WARNING DO NOT GO THAT ROUTE!


What's wrong with stem shifters? Just curious, I have an affinity for them -- first bike I ever had used 'em, lasted me 6 years, and I've never really gotten as comfortable with anything else.

Non STI Sora: Fuji League, $350

STI Sora: Raleigh Sport, $400-500.

They are out there, but not for less than $400 new.

You can get a new Dawes or Windsor bike with Sora STI for around $300 plus shipping on ebay. I actually bought one of the non STI (D/T shifter) Dawes used off ebay for $100. Its not a bad bike.

What's wrong with stem shifters? Just curious, I have an affinity for them -- first bike I ever had used 'em, lasted me 6 years, and I've never really gotten as comfortable with anything else.

Guess what happens when you crash and fall forwards. Uh huh, puncture wounds. There's a reason why they were on cheap bikes.

Guess what happens when you crash and fall forwards. Uh huh, puncture wounds. There's a reason why they were on cheap bikes.


That's it? :)

That's it? :)

Yeah :D

Are there any mirage 7's? :)

Ok there are none, how about non-sora 7 speed STI.


The 8s will work I truley believe,you'll just have an extra click

Look at the exploded diagrams of the STRI levers. They have about 100 parts in them. The old brake levers have about a dozen parts.

No, they were on cheaper bikes because on an expensive racing machine you were expected to be in the drops and close to the DT shifters. During the bike boom, people wanted a 10-speed but they didn't really ride the drops so the shifters were moved up top to be closer in a more upright position.