royalflash

I have SL-BS77 bar end shifters with Paul thumbies on my road bike. The shifter for the front triple Ultegra DR needs quite a bit of force to move the front DR towards the larger chain rings (against the spring tension).

I have checked and there doesnt seem to be a problem with the cable but as far as I can tell it just appears to be a consequence of the strength of the spring on the DR and the leverage at the shifter/DR.

Has anyone else found this problem and if so is there anyway to make shifting easier? or should I just start doing some thumb exercises?

mynameisnotdrew

if the indexed ultegra shifter is anything like my friction suntour's, you can adjust the shifter tension by adjusting two nuts on the side of the assembly that have a adjustor/locknut relationship. don't make it too loose, or it will migrate to low gear going over bumps.

if the problem is from the front derailleur on the other hand, check the cable routing below the BB shell, in the housing, or at any other pinch/friction point. wd40 on the der body also couldn't hurt.

mynameisnotdrew

nice setup BTW. how deep is the drop on your bars, and how far out do they take you?

I have a similar setup, but instead of the triathlon-style levers that plug into the bar ends, I use cyclocross-style interuptor levers, which clamp around the bars. in the place where the housing is supposed to enter the lever, I put the cable nipple. into the barends, I plugged my shifters. this keeps my shifting and braking in the same place, which I like quite a bit.

pyramid puts out cross levers for ~15 wholesale, probably double at a LBS.

Bike_13

Another possible issue is your BB axle length. If it is too long, the chainrings will sit further outborad from where they would (ideally) to suit the geometry of the derailler.

This would result in greater spring tension, and therefore could be the cause of the problem.

royalflash

thanks guys, here is a pic of the full bike so you can see the bars better- I did think of using cyclocross levers. I even ordered the Salsa ones. But then I was not sure if they would work without a primary lever so I cancelled the order. The front of the bar is getting a bit crowded anyway and I am not sure how brake levers would fit in. The bike computer is already squeezed in a bit. I think this actually contributes to the problem because there is not much room between the computer and the shifter to get your hand in. Maybe I could find a computer that would mount on the handlbar stem?

The bar end shifters do not seem to have any kind of adjustment so I cannot try anything there. The set up does work as it is so I am not very keen on buying a new shorter BB. In any case it seems that the stiffest part is when the DR is nearest to the frame so a new BB would probably not help.

I squirted the DR liberally with WD40 and the shifting does feel a bit better, It still cannot be described as light but it is within the limits of acceptability.

sydney

The front barend is stiff. It wasn't designed to be used in that position anyway. The position is also awkward. It isn't derailer spring tension, altho some shimano FD do have a tension adjustment on the backside of them. Get use to it.

sydney

There is only one BB spindle length for a 9 speed ultegra triple crank.

mynameisnotdrew

Hmmm...

Check the routing of the cable under the BB shell. Do you have a triple or double crank? If you have a triple, is it easier to shift from the middle to the outer?

What angle does the shifter cable form with the arm that holds the anchor bolt? (see attached (crude) picture)

If the angle is bad, you either need a longer BB spindle, or your cable needs to have more left-->right travel (viewed from behind the seat tube), on its way from the BB shell to the der.

Hope this helps

sydney

He has an ultegra triple.There is no longer BB spindle.He has the correct derailer arm.Why don't you check the picture and stop the smoke blowing?

mynameisnotdrew

Geez, do I detect some hostility? If there is no longer BB spindle, then maybe a different cable routing under the BB shell is in order? I have had this same problem on a few project bikes I've built, and I solved it with a different BB shell cable guide.

You certainly are quick on the draw...

sydney

I've been characterized as having an absolute intolerance for *********.

mynameisnotdrew

**************, eh?