STI questions

From: [email hidden] (Mark Atanovich)

Quoted message said:

I have a set of 7 speed RX100 levers
that I bought of off RBM years ago and
I am finally getting around to upgrading
my wife's bike. I have a set of ergopower
cables and before installing the levers
am trying to make sure the shifting
function of the levers is working. It
doesn't seem to be.

Quoted message said:

- Are ergopower cables compatible with
STI levers?

In my experience, very little is compatable between Campy and Shimano.
Or resident Campy expert can tell you for sure, but I would think cables
should be no problem.

Quoted message said:

- I remember reading that if you attempt
to shift STI leves without cables they will
be rendered inoperable. Is this true? If
so, can they be fixed?

It may be that their is no return spring in the ratcheting mechanism in
the lever. If so (and it sounds like this is the case) shifting without
cable tention to pull it back would leave the mech stuck in a "gear"
position where you could not insert the cable, therefor "rendering it
inoperable".

Quoted message said:

- I have a 105 RD that I'm currently
using with 6 speed indexed downtube
shifters. Will that work with the above
levers?

6 and 7 speed is usualy compatible in modern Shimano shifters, as it was
the narrowing of cog spacing on the ultra six that made seven speeds
possible. The exception of this was DuraAce, which for many years only
worked with DuraAce. A problem which I'm glad to say, doesn't exist
anymore.

Quoted message said:

TIA,
Mark

YW
Chris

- -
Comments and opinions compliments of,
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

My web Site:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

To E-mail me:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

I'm just a backyard mechanic, but nobody else has chimed in, so.....

the 'clicking' sound on some shifters isn't as obvious as others, so it's best to test them with suitable tension on the cable. It's much easier to get cable tension when the levers are attached to some bars, so I sometimes just bolt them to an old pair, then make sure the cable is in properly, and go from there.

the derailleur should work because the indexing distance is determined by the
lever, and the derailleur is just hanging there being told what to do 🙂

On Sun, 25 Jun 2006 12:09:53 -0700, "Mark Atanovich" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

<I have a set of 7 speed RX100 levers that I bought of off RBM years ago a
<and am finally getting around to upgrading my wife's bike. I have a set of
<ergopower cables and before installing the levers am trying to make sure the
<shifting function of the levers is working. It doesn't seem to be.
<
<- Are ergopower cables compatible with STI levers?

I've bought noname cables and had them work fine on Shimano STI. Never seen
cables marketed as Campy or Shimano except ones branded that way.

<- I remember reading that if you attempt to shift STI leves without cables
<they will be rendered inoperable. Is this true? If so, can they be fixed?

Never seen that. As a matter of fact, in order to properly insert the shift
cable, Shimano instructions tell you to click the lever at least 8 times(for 9sp
rear) to make sure the mechanism is in top gear before installing. I just did a
105 cable replacement without reading the instruction I just quoted and had a
similar experience as you - no cable pull. You might want to try the Shimano
site for an STI pdf, the number of cogs has changed but I bet the mechaism is
operationaly the same.

<- I have a 105 RD that I'm currently using with 6 speed indexed downtube
<shifters. Will that work with the above levers?

I'd check Sheldon Brown's site to be sure but I'm currently using the same model
short cage 105 rear der that I've used with 6 and 7 speed Shimano dt indexed
shifters, 8sp rx brifters and now 9sp 105, all with superb performance.

Good luck with it,
-bill.

Mark Atanovich said:

I have a set of 7 speed RX100 levers that I bought of off RBM years ago a
and am finally getting around to upgrading my wife's bike. I have a set of
ergopower cables and before installing the levers am trying to make sure the
shifting function of the levers is working. It doesn't seem to be.

- Are ergopower cables compatible with STI levers?

yes.

Quoted message said:

- I remember reading that if you attempt to shift STI leves without cables
they will be rendered inoperable. Is this true?

no

If so, can they be fixed?

Quoted message said:

- I have a 105 RD that I'm currently using with 6 speed indexed downtube
shifters. Will that work with the above levers?

yes it will.

Quoted message said:

TIA,
Mark

On Sun, 25 Jun 2006 12:09:53 -0700, "Mark Atanovich" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I have a set of 7 speed RX100 levers that I bought of off RBM years ago a
and am finally getting around to upgrading my wife's bike. I have a set of
ergopower cables and before installing the levers am trying to make sure the
shifting function of the levers is working. It doesn't seem to be.

- Are ergopower cables compatible with STI levers?
- I remember reading that if you attempt to shift STI leves without cables
they will be rendered inoperable. Is this true? If so, can they be fixed?
- I have a 105 RD that I'm currently using with 6 speed indexed downtube
shifters. Will that work with the above levers?

STI will shift SIS derailleur. I don't know about the rest.

Ron

In article <ccBng.106711$TK1.2178@fed1read06>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

- Are ergopower cables compatible with STI levers?

If they fit, they will work fine.

Quoted message said:

- I remember reading that if you attempt to shift STI leves without cables
they will be rendered inoperable. Is this true?

No, not true. I've done this many times with no ill affects.

Quoted message said:

- I have a 105 RD that I'm currently using with 6 speed indexed downtube
shifters. Will that work with the above levers?

If the derailleur is index compatible, then it should work.
-------------
Alex

"531Aussie" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

the derailleur should work because the indexing distance is determined
by the lever, and the derailleur is just hanging there being told what to
do
🙂

Wrong. Derailleurs are not all the same, but vary in terms of how much they
move across the cogset per amount of cable travel. Proper indexed shifting
is a function of the cable pull by the shifter, AND the mechanical advantage
of the rear derailleur, AND cog spacing. All must be matched to achieve
acceptable results.

This is why Campagnolo rear derailleurs are not compatible with STI shifters
and Shimano units are not compatible with Ergopower shifters. SRAM is
different again, and the new SRAM road units are incompatible with
everything else, including the SRAM MTB stuff. And other worlds unto
themselves were Suntour Accushift, and Sachs New Success and pre 9-speed
Dura-Ace.

There are some accidental compatibilities, such as I am currently running
Campy 9-speed Ergopower shifters with a Simplex rear derailleur over a
7-speed Dura-Ace freewheel. Works great. Or another: 10-speed Ergopower
using a Suntour XC Pro rear derailleur on a 7-speed freewheel.

Nevertheless, there is NO reason why you should assume that indexing is all
in the shifters.

Dave Mayer said:

Wrong. Derailleurs are not all the same............

ah well..🙂.....I guess I'm still peeved at being told I had to buy a new derailleur when I bought my first 8sp STIs, and the same again when I first went to 9 sp (all Shimano), when I most likely didn't. The specificity of matching derailleurs for levers is overstated by shop guys trying to sell stuff, and I reckon lots of people get suckered into new RDs when they don't need them. For instance, I used an 8sp Shimano with 9sp levers for ages, even though a bike shop guy told me I couldn't. 🙂

I was pretty surprised when I first saw Sheldon Brown's Shimano compatibility chart

http://sheldonbrown.com/dura-ace.html

"Alex Rodriguez" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <ccBng.106711$TK1.2178@fed1read06>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

- Are ergopower cables compatible with STI levers?

If they fit, they will work fine.

Quoted message said:

- I remember reading that if you attempt to shift STI leves without cables
they will be rendered inoperable. Is this true?

No, not true. I've done this many times with no ill affects.

Quoted message said:

- I have a 105 RD that I'm currently using with 6 speed indexed downtube
shifters. Will that work with the above levers?

If the derailleur is index compatible, then it should work.
-------------
Alex

Hi Alex,
The cable appears to fit in Ok. I'm testing the lever by inserting and
tugging on the cable, expecting to hear some type of detent "click" when I
move the levers. Am I doing it wrong?

Thx,

Mark