I decided to keep my triple, so I am upgrading from 105 levers (20K miles, LOTS of shifting, at least 6 RD cables snapped). I bought a new 6703 lever set from Ribble ($253), have assembled them at my desk, and have questions (as always).
- Does the RD cable last longer than those in the older design?
- My 105's are 2008, so probably 5500?
- After my frequent breakages, I carry a spare cable, but I am an idiot that I haven't been replacing the cable every six months.
- I think it's breaking more often now. I use Shimano OEM cables. I have not changed the type of riding or length or rides or my weight, so I think I do the same amount of shifting. The FD cable has never broken, of course, since it doesn't get used very often. When I have replaced the RD cable proactively, I replace both.
- I.e., should I plan on replacement every six months?
- I will tape my bars such that I can access the cable housing - replacing a broken cable on a ride is enough of a pain w/o needing to re-wrap - any problem with this idea?
- Is shifter mechanism corrosion a problem?
- The boot seems to expose much more of the mechanism than my old shifters. I live in NE, I tend to push the season, although I hope to create a winter bike out of my 1975 Lotus.
Feel free to offer suggestions, warnings, or opinions. I am asking in this forum because I value your opinions.
Thanks.