Originally Posted by balindamood
Check your front derailuer. If its the bottom pull type (on most, but not all off-road bikes, e.g. Shimano Altus, etc.), you will need to change it to a top pull (e.g. Shimano Sora, 105, et. al). The bottom pulls do not work with brifters for reasons that only Shimano could explain.
Not quite. Derailers intended for road bikes are bottom pull, NOT top pull. Top pull derailers are mountain derailers. Bottom pulls generally work fine with road shifters - they are intended to! The fact that many top pull derailers do not has nothing to do with where the cable is pulling from, but is instead because of different cable pull used by Shimano road vs. mountain derailers. Even though bottom pull derailers will generally work with road shifters, and top pulls with mountain shifters, there are exceptions. Much more indicative is whether it's marketed for mountain or road use. If you're not sure, ask your LBS.
Once again, Sora, Tiagra, 105 etc derailers are
bottom pull,
not top pull.