I have been trying to get a front brifter set up correctly for my triple, and I am wondering if it’s equipment or operator that prevents this from working well. Here is what I’m working with:

- 1981 Univega Competizione
- Triple crank
- NOS Shimano RX100 front derailleur
- Top-mount shifter aero boss with a custom cable stop, which has a couple of mm of wiggly travel (taut when under full tension)
- Standard barrel adjusters
- Bontrager shifter housing
- Standard ferrules
- MicroNEW 3x7 brifters

So far, when I have been able to achieve proper tension for good front shifts, it appears to eat through the ferrules, and the cable housing gets warped, which quickly leads to poor shifting. I am on my third set of ferrules for the front shifters (one seated in the shifter, one seated in the cable stop).

Do I just need better ferrules? Better housing? Shim the cable stop so it has zero travel? I’m almost ready to switch to bar end shifters so I can get friction front shifts back.

Thanks for your insights...

Also, here is a pic of a set of trashed ferrules.