datlas 

I have complained about this in the 41, but would like to know if there are any solutions short of getting a different generation shifter.

I have been using Ultegra 6700 on my road bikes since 2010. I don't think I shift any more than the average road rider. I have noticed that the RD cable will start to fray inside the shifter (a few cm from the ferrule). When this happens, shifting to the smaller cogs becomes sluggish and eventually it will not even shift to the smallest few cogs. The earlier in the process, the less difficult it is to extricate the cable.

Anyway, this seems to happen every 2500 miles or so. I think it's ridiculous that a RD cable had a shorter lifespan than a chain.

Any suggestions? I have always used Shimano Teflon coated cables as they are spec, but I am willing to try jag wire or others. I honestly think the problem is not the cable but the shifters and that this is a poor design on the part of Shimano.

Any comments and/or suggestions appreciated.

PS I typically ride around 8000 miles/year so am going through 3 cables/year.

trailangel

It's your brifters that chew up the cable

datlas 

Yes I figured it's the shifter that is the problem.

droppedandlost 

This recently happened to me after about 10k miles with a 5600 shifter. It was stuck so bad I thought I would have to toss it. After hours of working it back and forth it finally shifted down all the way and I could pull it out. It broke 30 miles from home which made for some difficult hill climbs.

dsbrantjr

Replace your cables at 2300 miles?

jimincalif

Mine seem to be lasting about 5K miles.

sch

Our tandem chewed up and spit out RD cables at 1800-2500 miles, at one point we had to fish out TWO broken
cable ends from the R brifter. How it worked with a cable end rattling around remains a mystery.
Cables are cheap, change every 2k or so. No big deal.

oldbobcat

2500 miles for a chain is about average.

But, yeah, 2500 miles for a shift cable is rather short-lived. But replacing beats miles of crappy shifting and fishing out the loose strands of shredded cable.

Next time you replace, look for excessive friction in the system. Kinks and sharp bends in the housing. Old housing. Cable getting damaged as you thread it. Dirt in the shifter. Pulling too hard against the low limit screw. Use plastic ferrules where the cable exits the shifter. I can't promise that this will help, but it won't hurt and you might enjoy better shifting.

andr0id

5800/6800/9000 also. You want shift cable under the tape? Then you need to change them out every few thousand miles.