2007 Specialized Tricross Comp with a triple. This past summer I replaced the FSA crank with a 105 triple just because. No issues, everything was fine. I've never really had a problem adjusting a triple.

In the past few weeks I've been having a problem with skipping the middle ring when shifting from the big…chain will sometimes just skip right on over to the small ring leaving me spinning like crazy. Then I'll put it back in the big ring just to test and shift it big to middle / big to middle over and it works fine.

So then I"ll ride along for a while, back in the big ring riding, then the dang thing will skip the middle again. So I'll shift it a few times in a row and it works fine.

Frustrating as hell. Have had it on the stand several times, works fine.

It seems like every time it skips the middle ring that the shifters are hard to shift - and they make a very loud almost snapping sound vs just a click they normally make when it shifts correctly.

Any thoughts on what to do? Clean the shifter? Could the shifter be bad?

Maybe ease up on the pedals when shifting.

Typical sign of the pawls in the shifter getting gummed up.

By detatching the shift cable from the ft der and holding the cable with your hand when cycling the shifter through it's range you can get a feel for the shifter's function and if the shifter tends to skip over the middle ring's ratchet position.


I also agree that pedaling/shifting technique has a very large effect on the shifting results. Andy

Check that the shift wire is not starting to fray inside the brifter and replace it right away if it has; you should do this periodically and any time you have a sudden change in shifting. Catching a fraying wire before it breaks off in the mechanism will save you a world of trouble.

When my FD acts up, it's always the spring. The spring needs lubricating and working back and forth to move freely otherwise it gets a little gummy. So I would try cleaning the spring and then lubricating it then work it back and forth at least a dozen times.

Do you have the limit screw on the large ring set too tight or the cable too tight? Sounds like too much tension on the cable in the large ring position.

The spring get's gummy???


Are you sure you don't mean the pivots get gummy? Andy

Cleaned it out with some WD40 last night - saturated it, shifted over and over, saturated again - repeat a couple times then let it drip out. Had no air to blast it. Lubed it. Seemed to work ok today although I was only in the big ring a few times on my commute. Even shifted ok when I shifted front and rear at same time, so it seems like the gummed up pawls in the shifter might have been the answer this time.

Thanks for everyone's input. Will post again if the problem comes back soon. I believe the cable tension is fine - I've been down that road before of having it too tight. Fraying cable is a good thought that I hadn't considered because I just recableed the bike a couple months ago.