hobkirk

I bought a Lemond 7-speed bike with all 105. It looked good - it seemed like it hadn't gotten much use. I rode it a couple hundred yards and it seemed to work and shift fine. $250. I planned to use it as a winter bike - save wear on my 2007 Specialized Roubaix (CF, all Ultegra). I never got around to it. *

Today the Lemond wouldn't shift, front or back.

1. The FD and RD both move normally, and I can pull the cable on the downtube and move the RD all the way.
2. Pushing the small lever on each shifter doesn't seem to do anything. The big lever adds tension to the cable and pushes the derailleur against the stop. None of the 4 levers click.
3. The bike has been sitting in my dry garage for 3 months since I bought it.
4. Now the left levers work! I just went out to verify something for this post, and the left lever clicked. The right hasn't changed. I did spray inside the hoods w/ WD-40.

Is this plausible? Is there anything you can suggest?

I really hate being an idiot, but I've run out of ideas. I ran a 3-tech car repair shop for 15 years, I've replaced every component on my bike except stems and fork. I've included some pictures below on the chance they help, altho 3 are just to show that the components don't look beat. The original pictures are 8X bigger, so ask if you want to see more detail. Sorry about the focus and lighting inside the hoods. I will do better if you request, but I figure those pictures are probably irrelevant.






PREVIEW isn't showing the pictures.
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...pHYOsUS-1zkrAA
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...Np-otw6Y-Mvl05
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...fj4HX4wjy-OMnD
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...v4uLU2h4jlFjMJ
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...o0YNpu4332eqdB

* Maybe you will find this entertaining. Pathetic?

• So instead of using a winter bike, I kept using my Roubaix. The chain was already stretched, the cassette was old, and the middle ring which I use almost all the time was developing hooks on the teeth. I knew I'd need to replace them all in the Spring regardless. AND I'm lazy! It worked: all 3 lasted through the winter.
• I was forced to replace the driveline components when a side link on my Ultegra chain wore through completely! It jammed between my middle and outside chainring (but not in the cassette). The flapping side plate was on the outside, so I put it on the big ring and pedaled home gingerly. I was sure the link would splay wide open if I applied any strong pressure.

headasunder

Most likely cause is gummed up inner workings in the shifter, keep going with the wd40 all the time working the levers back and forth, I have never had this method fail on a shifter that had no broken bits in it. I usually remove the shift cable for heavily gunked shifters and blast away cycling the shifter paddles

AlexCyclistRoch

After 30 years, most shifters with little plastic bits need to be replaced.

hobkirk

EXCELLENT! I worked it more and more. I wanted to follow your advice of removing the cable, but I had to get some clicking before I could get the shifter to align with the cable access hole.

THANK YOU!