Carley P.

I have a mid-90's Trek 2100. I think it has a 7 speed hub, double chainrings, Shimano 600 front and rear derailleurs, and Shimano RSX integrated shifters.

Recently, the right shifter, (which is linked to the rear derailleur), has stopped shifting. I took it to two different bike shops since I don't know much about working on geared bikes, and they both told me I'd have to buy a whole new set of sora shifters or something similar. The lever is broken beyond repair, and they don't sell Shimano RSX shifters anymore.

I have a few questions on what I could do to save money, but I'm not sure if they'll actually save me much money, (or if they'll even work with my bike). I'd like to find a cheaper solution than buying a brand new set of integrated shifters.

1. Would my bike be compatible with bar-end shifters, and would that save me money? I don't race, and I only use my bike for commuting and very small tours. I rarely shift in a hurry. Would I have to buy new handlebars or anything? I don't have any experience with bar-end shifters.

2. Could I use my left shifter to shift my rear derailleur? I've been thinking about only having a single chainring in the front. If I could somehow link my left shifter to my rear derailleur, I wouldn't have to buy any new shifters as long as I chose one chain ring up front and stuck with it.

I'd really just like to be able to choose the cheapest option. I really like the idea of option 2, but I'm thinking my left shifter might only be capable of shifting between two or three chain rings.

I'm new to geared bikes, and I'd really appreciate your all's help. Thanks a lot!

skilsaw

1. Yes it would work with bar end shifters. If you can't get a 7 speed indexed shifter, run it in friction mode.

2. I don't think so.

Kimmo 

2. Forget it.

Although there's a good chance the shifter isn't actually broken; these shifters are way more prone to stop working because the grease inside them has become sticky, than because of breakage. And 7spd RSX ones are easily old enough to have fallen prey to this malady.

Get some large amounts of WD40 inside the shifting mechanism (maybe take it off the bike and soak it overnight - take the rubber hood off first, or get the lever off the body), and you may find it comes back to life.

HillRider

Kimmo's suggestion to solvent wash and relube the "broken" shifter may indeed restore it's function.

2. There is no way you can use the front shifter to shift the rear. There aren't enough "clicks" and the spacing is wrong.

Barend shifters are a good and inexpensive choice. 7-speed barends are still available and reasonably cheap and, of course, any Shimano bar end can be run in friction mode.

Carley P.

Thanks, you all. I didn't think option two would work, but it was worth asking about.

I took Kimmo's advice and spent some time with some WD-40 and my levers. We'll see if anything changes tomorrow.

If not, I'll start looking into bar-end shifters.

Kimmo 

Did you remove the lever? It may require being submerged in solvent, or even ultrasound as well.

Carley P.

Kimmo, I didn't remove the lever. I'm not even sure if I would be able to do that. I have a hard enough time changing my tires.

However, I sprayed WD-40 inside of the lever from all sides, and a lot of it. It had a really small hose on the end that fit in-between the small spaces. After a few hours, I took it out for a ride to see if anything changed, and it did! It actually works really well now.

If I continue to have problems I'll actually try to take the lever off and submerge it like you suggested.

Thanks for your help.