phatjo911

This is a used bike, and I'm the third owner.

It has Shimano 105's.

When I try shifting to a smaller cog (by pushing the smaller lever inwards), I have to hold the main lever with my middle finger then shift the smaller lever with my fourth finger.

If I just push the little lever inwards, it will pull the big lever with it, effectively not shifting.

What's wrong? It is a 1999 Raleigh R600, so it's obvious that there could be issues w/ an older bike. (somewhat old)

Thanks

jasonrobo02

Is the big lever loose? Like does it have lots of play while not actually shifting? The only thing that I've even done to fix shifting problems on shimano controls is to spray wd40 in the internals to break-up any buildup in the mechanisms. But I'm not sure if that will help your specific problem. Hopefully others will chime in.

dperreno

Sticky shifter. Known problem with Shimano 9-speed shifters (more pronounced on 105s, it seems). Shimano shifters are not rebuildable (oh, some have tried, including me, but unless you have a pile of old shifters lying around for parts...) You can try flushing the shifter with WD-40, some have reported success with this technique. Didn't work for me, I ended up buying a used set on eBay.

phatjo911

The STI's are usable, but it sucks cause I pretty much have to be on the hoods to shift or do some tricky moves w/ my fingers to try a shift in the drops.

This is my first road bike, probably the first of many. I'm keeping this one as a daily while saving up for a nicer/higher grade bike.

It's usable, and it's not that much of a pain..

Whatever, I guess I'll have to just suck it up and shift only on the hoods.

jasonrobo02

Don't give up without flushing with wd40. It's free and it won't make it worse. So it's zero-risk-high-reward.

Al1943

The WD40 trick is a good one. Many STI shifters have been returned to normal after a good flushing with WD40.
Also look for a loose or missing small screw on the underside of the shifter.

phatjo911

Where should I be spraying with the WD-40?

The only mechanical parts that are visible to the eye are the inside sides of the shifters, where you can see the hinge/ish thing.

Is that where I should spray?

jasonrobo02

Yes. My procedure is to pull the brake lever so that you can kindof see inside the shifter mechanism. Then spray it a bunch. Then start shifting up and down a few times. Then repeat. It should get better after a couple of rounds.

DMF 

Don't get too anxious with regard to the group: 105 is pretty darn good as groups go. If you want an improvement, think more about the wheels and, eventually, frame.