martslc

Need help with sluggish rear derailleur shifting. I’ve swapped all my components from my cannondale alum synapses to a used Kuota carbon frame and now the shifting is sluggish. The chain stays are the same length so chain should be correct length but if I adjust it for good down shifting then it’s sluggish when shifting up and vice versa. Seems I can’t find an adjustment where it’s shifts good. What are things I should look at? Thanks!

Slash5

Check the rear hanger alignment.
Check for friction in the cables and housing.

IthaDan 

Also check where the cable wraps around the BB.

dsbrantjr

This is a classic symptom of friction in the system. Check everywhere for friction, pay particular attention to the last loop of housing going into the derailleur. If you do not have new cables consider replacing both inner wires and the housings; size the housing lengths properly, prepare the housing ends correctly and fit the appropriate ferrules. Check and lube the BB cable guide as suggested. Also, do not assume that the derailleur hanger or its mount is aligned, check them.

Make absolutely certain that you can shift into the big chainring/big cog combination without straining anything, do not assume the chain length is OK without testing this.

martslc

New cables, cable housing are freshly cut and sized and I have checked these cut ends. I’m now trying a little longer piece of cable housing from “frame to the rear d.”
(Question) Is there a method on the proper length of this piece of cable housing?

Checked cable along BB for friction.
(Question) – Is that little guide on BB supposed to be greased or oiled, if so with what??

(Question) Derailleur hanger, how do I check it correctly without taking it in, I don’t have the tool. Is there a method??

Thanks,
Marty

dr_lha

Check for fraying of the cables at the shifter.

martslc

New cable and housing.

dr_lha

Yeah, sorry I missed that this was a new installation.

andr0id

11 speed polymer wrapped or stainless steel?

martslc

(Says stainless PTFE but...), Should be 10sp stainless, PTFE but I'm suspecting them now after reading some of the reviewers comments. I don't have the package to confirm they are PTFE but looks like I may need a new cable housing.
Amazon.com : Shimano Road Shift Cable and Housing Set (Black) : Bike Shift Cables And Housing : Sports & Outdoors

rmfnla

That's your problem.

It's the housing construction, not the wire material.

I've seen that package before; it's mislabeled brake housing, not SIS, and it will not work with index shifting...

martslc

So the cable sent is shift cable but it's packaged with "brake cable housing, not shift cable housing"?

rmfnla

You got it...

rmfnla

Correction: It will work fine with friction shifting, just not indexed...

dr_lha

One of those reviewer comments was me, I ordered that set and sent it back. Yes, that set is totally effed up. Not PTFE and wrong housing (although I only cared about the lack of PTFE as I have plenty of housing).

andr0id

Your preferred housing should be Shimano SP41.
For 11 speed, I use polymer wrapped inner wires. For all my 10 speed stuff, stainless.

Some people claim stainless works OK for them on 11 speed, I haven't tried that.

martslc

Crap, well at least I've probably have got to the bottom of it. I'm temped to send it all back cut up and all back to amazon as is. Goes to show if it seems to be to good it probably is.

dr_lha

This what I ordered to replace the bad set:

https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Shift-...hift+cable+set

rmfnla

If you look at the Amazon listing it includes "SIS-SP41 housing" as part of the item description.

As I said previously, mislabeled...

martslc

Agreed!

rmfnla

I would do exactly that.

Apparently many people have complained about this and yet they haven't made any changes to the listing...

andr0id

Regardless of what the Amazon ad says, Shimano parts are always clearly labeled. I just did a cable job on my bike and every single piece of housing says OT-SP41, BC-9000 or BC-R680 (Ultegra set) on it.

Shimano even puts slightly different marks on the shift cable barrel heads to differentiate DA 9000 vs the 6800 inner cables.


You might get away with that. Next time try this one for best results.

https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Ultegr...cable+set+6800


Good Luck! Hope you get it shifting smoothly soon.

dr_lha

The set I linked to is a PTFE set which was identical to what I was replacing on my 105 equipped cross bike. I have the Ultegra set you linked to above on my Ultegra bike. Both work fine but the Polymer one is Ultegra 6800 level.