Easier front derailleur shifting
07-30-17, 10:38 AM
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Easier front derailleur shifting
Good day forumites. I have been trying to improve the shifting performance on the front derailleur for my wife's bikes. She has RA (arthritis) and is having difficulty shifting her Ultegra, 105 and mountain shifters. The right side is okay. Electric is out for now as too expensive. I was thinking of bar ends but I don't really know if that would be an improvement. Any ideas!
07-30-17, 10:49 AM
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Is it possible to have a weaker spring installed in the derailleur? Or add a spring pulling on the derailleur or cable to offset its strength? Just a thought.
07-30-17, 10:53 AM
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Another thought... Get the old road bike friction shifter for the front derailleur, and extend the lever a bit so wife has an easy time pushing the lever.
07-30-17, 10:57 AM
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I need to oil where the cable goes under the BB and the derailleur itself quite often or it gets hard to shift.
07-30-17, 11:01 AM
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There are top normal friction derailleurs out there, the Suntour Spirt being probably the most commonly known. The derailleur moves to the big ring when the cable is slack, thus elimnating that sometimes harder than necessary pull. I just bought two, so they are still obtainable. The crispest fd I've ever used.
07-30-17, 04:15 PM
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Good day forumites. I have been trying to improve the shifting performance on the front derailleur for my wife's bikes. She has RA (arthritis) and is having difficulty shifting her Ultegra, 105 and mountain shifters. The right side is okay. Electric is out for now as too expensive. I was thinking of bar ends but I don't really know if that would be an improvement. Any ideas!
And if braking is an issue, they have devices to let both front and rear be operated with one lever.
Last edited by BobbyG; 07-30-17 at 04:23 PM.
07-30-17, 05:38 PM
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Why don't you try using the spacers for 105 and Ultegra shifters that reduces the reach for smaller handed people. This might make it easier for her to reach, and make it easier to shift and brake.
07-31-17, 05:31 AM
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Thanks. Some interesting solutions for sure. The spacers have already been installed but do litttle to help with the motions required of the left hand in shifting to the large ring. Top normal friction derailleurs might solve the problem, as well as putting all shifting on the right hand side. Thanks, I will put these suggestions to good use.
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