Originally Posted by
Bikedued
Just be careful around any rubber or plastic. If you have compressed air to do a quick dry, even better! 99 out of 98 times I find STI problems to be the drying of the original lubrication.
It solidifies, gets sticky, and instant stuck pawls. The carb cleaner washes it out, and the filter oil seems to just the right consistency to keep them working.,,,,BD
Yep, mountain STI's have the same exact problem, but seem to be even harder to keep working?
I'l give that automotive treatment a try on my old 105's. My hypothesis is that things that work in hot/ dry Texas will not often work in cold, wet, ever-dynamic Maine. 5 degrees tonight (before wind chill). MTB rapid fire seem to work better in weather but maybe that's because they are a much more modest investment than any STI system and can be swapped out without too much hassle. I find completely functional MTB rapid fire shifters in the parts bin frequently. When I find an STI brifter in the parts bin it usually doesn't respond to any kind of manipulation (beyond cleaning and re-lubricating and more like something has completely shorn off and damaged the inner mechanisms). Friction/ index shifters: thumbies, downtube, bar-end, etc. work best up here (when used with full housing, of course).