STI maintenance suggestions
01-03-08, 03:55 AM
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STI maintenance suggestions
Hey everyone, have been reading alot on the forums about terminal probs with shimano STI levers and I am wondering how best to maintain them to avoid problems in the 1st place. Currently I am blowing them out with compressed air once in a while but am unsure about what lube to use and where best to place it, as there seems to be quite a bit of plastic on the new tiagra and 105 shifters and I dont want to damage them. Thanks in advance for any hints.
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01-03-08, 08:48 AM
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There have been threads on this before. The responses were similar to favorite cures for the common cold. Some do nothing and the cold goes away after seven days. Others have a favorite remedy and the cold lasts about a week. Some blow out their STI shifters with compressed air. Some flush them out with WD-40. Some oil them now and then. Others avoid oil, lest it attract and hold dust. Some do nothing. Most seemed to get a reasonably long term of service from the shifters, regardless of what they do or do not do.
01-03-08, 10:22 AM
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Probably the best thing is to keep them out of a bad environment as much as possible. For example, when I transport one of my bikes a significant distance, or through nasty conditions, I wrap the brifters with a plastic grocery bag and electrical tape. Good (shift) cable maintainance is important, too. If there is a lot of cable resistance, it can't be a good thing for the ratcheting device within the shifter.
As to lubing, cleaning, etc., I think twobikes has it about right. Who knows? My LBS tells me if a customer brings in a poorly functioning STI, they take it off the bike, dunk it in a hot solution of Simple Green, rinse, dry and lube. Sometimes this will bring it back to life. That's all I know.
As to lubing, cleaning, etc., I think twobikes has it about right. Who knows? My LBS tells me if a customer brings in a poorly functioning STI, they take it off the bike, dunk it in a hot solution of Simple Green, rinse, dry and lube. Sometimes this will bring it back to life. That's all I know.
01-03-08, 11:08 AM
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If you get them dusty or wet hose them out really well with WD40 using the plastic straw. Sometimes this will resurrect them from the dead. Take care of the shift cables and cable housings, replace them occasionally, the housings are at least as important as the cables for shifting performance.
STIs don't like water or dirt.
Al
STIs don't like water or dirt.
Al
