Anyone else find the ergo thumb-button stiff sometimes?

When you want to activate the thumb button, make sure you aren't touching the shift pedal or it'll block the button action. It only a take a slight movement on the pedal to cause this restriction ie. Make up your mind! :p

The only issue I've had in 2 years on Campy Record has been when Cytomax goo accumulates under the BB shell and all over the cables there. Otherwise, zero issues for moi.

I asked essentially the same question in an earlier thread.

cyclingforums.comt383517.htmlOpen ↗

I tried spraying the WD-40, lubing, and I even changed out the cable. It seemed to have worked on Saturday's ride, but yesterday the thumb shifter refused to budge rather routinely. After reading the above response about keeping the hand/finger off the shifter, I noted that there were no glitches in the thumb shifter. THen I noted that if I pushed the shifter lever back or to the left that the thumb shifter worked flawlessly. To replicate the problem, then I tried nudging it a little toward the inside and it would lock up the thumb shift. I have a belief that some spring that is associated with the finger shifter is not pulling it back to where it is supposed to be after I use it for an up shift.
My thoughts. Kindly - Don

ives said:

Hi,

I've had this problem ever since I bought campag for the first time last year.
The thumb shifter on my Veloce 10sp set up seems stiff sometime and quite hard to shift down. Occasionally it will lock up almost and you'll need to use a lot of force to push it down.This often results in shifting more than the one gear that you wanted. This happened to me a couple of times in a sprint last year,effectively ruining my sprint.

At first I thought there might be something wrong with my shifters, so I bought some new ones. These were exactly the same as the old ones, so i sent them back. Then I went round cycle shops trying the Ergo shifters and they all seemed just as stiff as mine, so I presumedthatnulls how they are.

Does anyone else experience this problem?

Incidentally, I've just put some 9 speed Xenon stuff on my commuter and the button on that works like a dream. No big force necessary to shift it. it's feather light and beautiful. I understand that the Xenon stuff has a different mechanism to the other ergos.

I have several Campagnolo shifters, and have not experienced the problem you describe ...

BUT, I can envision CREATING the problem if the cable routing hangs up because the return spring on the respective derailleur works with the thumb shifter ... so, LOOK UNDERNEATH YOUR BOTTOM BRACKET SHELL to ensure that the cable is not hanging on the guide for any reason (e.g., a kink in the cable) ...

When in doubt as to the resistence in your housing, detach the cable from the derailleur ... PUSH the plugged end of the derailleur through-and-out of the bottom of the shifter ... the cable should NOT bind as you pull it back-and-forth between the brake lever (beneth the lever) & the portion of cable exiting the housing at the frame's downtube stop.

ALSO, I find that the derailleur cables run with much less resistance if their housing is in front of the handlebars, adjacent to the brake cables ... that is, there is less likelihood of binding, IMO.

FWIW. When I am NOT using a Campagnolo cable set, I use BRAKE cable housing for the derailleur cable, too ... and, I lube the cable with a light grease.

alfeng said:

FWIW. When I am NOT using a Campagnolo cable set, I use BRAKE cable housing for the derailleur cable, too ... and, I lube the cable with a light grease.

I'm surprised you're not having shifting accuracy issues using brake cable housing. It could be crisper with derailleur specific housings.

hd reynolds said:

I'm surprised you're not having shifting accuracy issues using brake cable housing. It could be crisper with derailleur specific housings.

That hasn't been my experience ...

And, if you think about it, there should-and-would be LESS internal resistance with the slightly larger inner diameter housing because there is less contact between the surfaces of the cable AND housing regardless of how slick the internal lining of the housing may-or-may-not be ... unless the coefficient of friction between the surfaces is ZERO.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it ... but, MAYBE I've simply been lucky and should be having shifting problems that have simply not manifested themselves!

I don't think it's anything to do with the cables.
It's the ratchet mechanism inside the ergos that's the problem.

ives said:

The thumb shifter on my Veloce 10sp set up seems stiff sometime and quite hard to shift down. Occasionally it will lock up almost and you'll need to use a lot of force to push it down.This often results in shifting more than the one gear that you wanted. This happened to me a couple of times in a sprint last year,effectively ruining my sprint.

FWIW. I can actuate the thumb shifters on MY Campagnolo shifters from the TOPS of the bars using the tips of my respective ring fingers ... the middle finger is stronger & better for shifting from that lazy riding postion. Fingertip shifting from the tops is decidedly easier on a shifters that have more than a couple of thousand miles of use ... it's the G-spring which significantly affects how "crsip" (stiff) the shifting is.

Using the thumb shifters from the tops of the hoods is the easiest ...

Shifting from the drops takes a different thumb motion which may suggest that you need a trip to the doctor's EVEN though you suggest that your XENON shifters are fine ... OR, have you not shifted from the drops with your XENON shifters?

If you want to believe that there is something wrong with your shifter's internals rather than the cabling, then put your Xenon shifters on your racing bike.

OR, decable the recalcitrant shifters AND your XENON shifters ... compare how stiff the thumb levers are when there isn't a derailleur's return spring assisting the thumb lever ...

No issues shifting with Ergopower.

alfeng said:

That hasn't been my experience ...

And, if you think about it, there should-and-would be LESS internal resistance with the slightly larger inner diameter housing because there is less contact between the surfaces of the cable AND housing regardless of how slick the internal lining of the housing may-or-may-not be ... unless the coefficient of friction between the surfaces is ZERO.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it ... but, MAYBE I've simply been lucky and should be having shifting problems that have simply not manifested themselves!

I suspect that HD's concern is that brake housing is theoretically more compressible than shifter housing which could introduce some sloppiness into the shifting. I am not surprised that your shifting works fine with the brake housing though, as the amount of force needed to generate a shift really isn't that much and shouldn't create much compression.

ives said:

Hi,

I've had this problem ever since I bought campag for the first time last year.
The thumb shifter on my Veloce 10sp set up seems stiff sometime and quite hard to shift down. Occasionally it will lock up almost and you'll need to use a lot of force to push it down.This often results in shifting more than the one gear that you wanted. This happened to me a couple of times in a sprint last year,effectively ruining my sprint.

At first I thought there might be something wrong with my shifters, so I bought some new ones. These were exactly the same as the old ones, so i sent them back. Then I went round cycle shops trying the Ergo shifters and they all seemed just as stiff as mine, so I presumedthatnulls how they are.

Does anyone else experience this problem?

Incidentally, I've just put some 9 speed Xenon stuff on my commuter and the button on that works like a dream. No big force necessary to shift it. it's feather light and beautiful. I understand that the Xenon stuff has a different mechanism to the other ergos.

Take note of Don777's response about pushing the lever down and not forward. I have seen this with my right Centaur lever on rare occasion.

I thought it was only me ! sort of glad in a way that someone else has experienced the same thing ! mind does "lock up" occasionally and it's annoying but I still love Campy - the pluses outweigh the negatives 🙂

It happens occationally with me, only on the right and has yet to happen with the left.

I have found that it is caused by the finger lever. I just flick that again and the problem is solved. I suspect it has something to do with what ever is used to return the finger lever to return to the original position.

Now that I know about it, it does not bother me at all, nor does it slow my shifting any measurable amount.

yes, mine locks up too occasionally. Nealy always at an important part of a race.

The new Veloce uses a similar mechanism to the old Xenon (i.e. it doesn't rely on springs but on a ratchet system)
I might sell my old Veloce ergos and buy some 07 ones

ives said:

yes, mine locks up too occasionally. Nealy always at an important part of a race.

I bet it's because you were tense and was also pushing on the pedal at the time.

ives said:

yes, mine locks up too occasionally. Nealy always at an important part of a race.

The new Veloce uses a similar mechanism to the old Xenon (i.e. it doesn't rely on springs but on a ratchet system)
I might sell my old Veloce ergos and buy some 07 ones

For me, I can tell if it is going to lock or not. After I use the lever I lightly push on the thumb button. If it moves easily, it is not locked. If it does not, then it is locked. Unless I shift again with the lever, it has never locked on me once I have done this test.

This is why it does not affect my shifting, nor have I been in a hurry to get it fixed/adjusted.

alfeng said:

That hasn't been my experience ...

And, if you think about it, there should-and-would be LESS internal resistance with the slightly larger inner diameter housing because there is less contact between the surfaces of the cable AND housing regardless of how slick the internal lining of the housing may-or-may-not be ... unless the coefficient of friction between the surfaces is ZERO.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it ... but, MAYBE I've simply been lucky and should be having shifting problems that have simply not manifested themselves!

I may agree with the diameter but putting that aside however, the brake and shift cables are internally different - brake housings have reinforcing that are spirally wound to prevent them from exploding but are susceptible to compression forces while shift housings have longitudinal reinforcements running parallel thrughout the entire cable which prevents them from compressing and thus resulting in more more accurate shifting.

Never an issue with my old Veloce or my New Record.

hd reynolds said:

I may agree with the diameter but putting that aside however, the brake and shift cables are internally different - brake housings have reinforcing that are spirally wound to prevent them from exploding but are susceptible to compression forces while shift housings have longitudinal reinforcements running parallel thrughout the entire cable which prevents them from compressing and thus resulting in more more accurate shifting.

HMMmmm. Well, maybe THAT is why I find the routing has to be in front of the bars ... for smooth shifting (I'm NOT the one with the particular problem).

Well, routing the derailleur cable in front of the bars apparently mitigates/eliminates the problem ... at least, so far!