[Closed] Why can't I set up my gears? (Roadie content)

Sounds like mucky cables, but if you've replaced them then it could be a fitting problem - too tight of a bend, or some of the plastic liner is obstructing the cable where you've cut it.

You didn't need to replace all that stuff btw!

It's none of the above. The last cable outer before the RD will have too much tension on the cable. Check the ferules. I bet one is kinked. Now replace the whole cabl

Thank me later. It's a tough one to spot and I must've mentioned it here a dozen times.

Hey I said too tight a bend, which is the same thing...

Cables are new. If anything, the cables are too long, but I'll double check and have a look at the ferrules. Ta.

The drivetrain needed replacing anyway. I wasn't overly happy to discover I'd dropped £100 on it and still couldn't sort the problem...

Ferrules are fine. Doesn't look like there's too tight a bend anywhere, although I'm more used to setting up mountain bikes than road bikes.

Too long cables can result in a tight bend where it exits the boss...

Take some pictures for us?

Sorry mol, crossed posts. Replace that last piece of cable outer with a brand spanking new one - Shimano SIS - about £2. It's definitely cable friction

Iv had this a few times only with 105 10s bikes. TiRed is on the right thread with this. What is happening is there is too much compression on the initial shift of the shifter. Set it up so the first click shifts up and then when you get to the top it's under too much tension to go back down, try getting hold of some full length of cable and running an unbroken length to the mech. Use metal ferrules. If you have now have better shifting then look at every cable stop, ferrule and join to make sure nothing is catching.

Not sure I know how to post images...

Hang on, I'll try.

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I'll look at the cables again. I imagine it's more likely to be routing than a rogue ferrule/burr somewhere as it's been a recurring problem over repeated cable changes.

The angle of the exit for the ferule on the chainstay looks a little off. I think that's the problem. Metal ferules can help. Full cable outer will cure it.

I find this one of the most annoying problems and am often tweaking that last piece of cable.

It's deceptive on the picture. It's not bent, but it is a bit loose. I'll try a zip tie/tape combo to hold it in place for the ride home. Ta.

EDIT: It's a cross bike that gets filled with Peak grit on a regular basis, so I've been meaning to run full length outers for a while. I'll give that a whirl.

Could do with one of them roller magic thingies on that 🙂

i'm in danger of sounding like i've got a fetish, but seeing as no-one else has mentioned it; B-tension?

(wind it out till the top jockey wheel starts grumbling against the cassette, screw it back in 1 turn or so)

or, cable clamped on 'wrong' side of bolt?

or, get some spray lube (not wd40, or gt85, or similar), and give the internals of the shifter a bloody good hosing.

after those things don't work, i resort to chucking bikes across the kitchen, and retreating to the back yard to smash pallets with a big hammer.

It's not the B-tension screw. Why would the clamp affect it?

Can you still buy rollermajigs?

I had a similar thing with 105 10s last year, again the only thing that fixed it on that bike was a full outer run from shifter to mech. Worked perfectly after that. It was related to the cable routing on that particular frame, though, it's been moved to a different frame this year and it all works perfectly on there with normal routing.

Another thing to look out for is if the cable is in the right place at the bolt, if it's not on the right side of the bolt then that will throw the shifting out, it changes the leverage ratio of the mech.

Also it's a good idea to tune the indexing a couple of sprockets up the cassette, don't set it up on the two smallest ones. In top gear the cable can effectively be under no tension at all, the mech is on the limit screw, and adjusting from that situation will likely result in bad things - that would also explain why your outer cable is a bit loose in that pic...

Why would the clamp affect it?

it affects the leverage on the mech, because of... er... trigonometry and stuff.

Wrong side of clamp bolt changes the length of the lever the cable's pulling - results in the shifting fine at one end of the cassette, off at the other.

Does look like it's the right side (to the inside) of the bolt.

I'll check the bolt, but I think that's fine.

It was indexed a couple of sprockets up from the bottom. The outer isn't loose, it can just flex a little more than I'd like aroudn the ferrule that TiRed was looking at.

Cheers all, I've at least got some things to play with now.

Sounds like either cabling is duff somewhere along the line (that last outer section is about 5cm too long).

OR

Bent mech hanger/ r.mech

OR

An incompatibility in the components. What your describing sounds exactly like what happens when someone puts a 9 speed component into a 10 speed setup. Check everything, model number to model number. 105 has been 10 speed for a long time (~2006?), ultegra & DA longer yet. If it a 5600 105 (2006-2010 sort of period) the right hand shifters are notorious for trouble, they either burst at a low mileage or the click mechanism becomes loose within the body = weird will shift/won't shift type of scenario.

Lastly take your cassette off (actually off not just look at it) and check all the spacers have '10s' on them, check each cog belongs with that cassette and you haven't got an old 9 speed mixed up in there.

Take it the basic are good- top and bottom stops in the right place and cable niether slack nor taught when its in the smallest cog?

It's also worth looking at the exit route for the cable and outer at the shifter end. Not too familiar with 105 10 speed but with Dura Ace there are 2 possible routes you can choose. thread the inner through the outer at the shifter end, put the outer into the cable stops and hold tight to the loose cable. Shift through the gear and feel how much friction there is simply in that one piece of outer casing, it may surprise you. Either try the alternative route (if there is one) or look for ways of reducing the drag on the cable where it enters the outer casing in the shifter.
Hope that makes sense!

It's not a component or compatibility issue.

The mech hanger is made of cheese and definitely affects it, but in this case it's new and straight. I suspect I've had the cable on the wrong side of the clamp at some point though. Every day's a school day.

Limit screws, b-tension, hub etc etc all fine.

The only things left that I can see are a bent frame (which I doubt) or a cable problem. I hope it's not a friction issue as the cable, even if not perfect, is not awfully routed and that wouldn't bode well for when it gets into the mud.

Fingers crossed full-length outers and new ferrules solve it.

Thanks again.

I had a similar problem on a brand new Giant Defy with Ultegra. I eventually found that the inner was the wrong side of a little channel at the rear of the hood, which involved removal of bar tape and rethreading (awkward as an awkward thing) the inner correctly into the channel.

It was only apparent at the bottom end of the cassette where less cable tension.

Could it be badly routed/fitted under tape outers?

I can swap and set up mountain bike gears front and rear very easily. My road bike- its impossible. All the outers are routed under the bartape under the bars. I'm guessing its this that I need to strip out and do properly when I get a chance.

funnily it took them a ****ing month to build the bike (PlanetX).

The new mech hanger? Have you used a hanger alignment tool to check? Your symptoms sound like the hanger is not straight even though it's new.

Where-abouts are you?

Edit. Just checked your profile.

The new mech hanger? Have you used a hanger alignment tool to check? Your symptoms sound like the hanger is not straight even though it's new.

This.

If your 100% there is no compatibility issue, your cabling is perfect (10 speed road, not 10 speed MTB dynasys/sram pull, is highly strung, someone farts two streets over and it'll not shift), and not the cable exit problem, and not a cassette spacer in the wrong place.

Then issue still lies with mech hanger/ rear end. Is your wheel in the dropouts straight. Mech hanger on the frame with no dirt/grit trapped under it.

Exactly the problem I had when fitting a new mech to my mate's bike, I had stupidly assumed 11spd 5800 105 rear derailleurs could be made to work 10spd. I was wrong.

Maybe worth checking back plate of rear mech to ensure it IS a 10spd model?

I can't offer the definitive remote diagnosis of other posters, but when I have experienced sticky or inconsistent changing over the range of the cassette, it's usually caused by cables. I recently fitted a brand new, lined, full length Clark's Zero G cable, and could not set up the indexing at all. Replaced it with an Uberbikes cable, and fixed the problem instantly. The first cable was just sticky, gave very heavy shifting and didn't work. The replacement worked properly; light shifting and accurate indexing. So even new cables are not necessarily created equal.

you don't say what cable inner and outer you are using. Get some compressionless cable. I had a similar thing on my Planet X with the standard cabling. Switched to Durace and bingo, fixed.
Cheap gear cables are a total false economy, high quality cables are the single best upgrade you can do for you shifting.

Take it to a bike shop for them to diagnose the problem (and you'll know for sure)..
Any decent bike repair shop should check:
cables - bad inner, bad outer, damaged ferrules, poor routing
mech - bent/damaged, worn pivots, worn top jokey wheel, poor spring tension or simply poorly adjusted/set-up/fitted.
Hanger - possibly bent/loose/damaged
Shifter - internally worn/sticky/damaged.
Cassette - individual sprockets bent/loose
chain - wear/damage

All this shouldn't cost you more than a tenner (ex parts). Seems you'd be getting pretty good VFM to me.

If the hanger was bent, have you had a crash, is the mech cage bent as well?

That bar tape in the pic look a bit odd too.

Oi! What's wrong with my bar tape?!

It was the cable on the wrong side of the bolt. Schoolboy error.

Cheers for the help.