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    Help to identify and choose what to fix


    I ended up buying this guy’s bike for 225€ because everything seemed good when I tried it around is backplace but it was not the case.

    The right shifter is not particularly perfect but works as intended with the right angle of clicking, would say 80%.
    The main problem is the left one when trying to change from the small ring to the big one. When the bike is stationary it clicks and looking at the front derailleur it seems to move (allows 3 clicks instead of 2(?)).

    Should I replace these shifters entirely for a new Sora R3000 2×9 or is there a way to fix these issues?
    The cables were already changed at a bike shop but the guy was old and could not fix the problem entirely…

    Photos in the comments and link to the post: https://www.reddit.com/r/whichbike/s/Fhxyfti4Ep

    Thanks to anyone who can help 🙂

    Help to identify and choose what to fix
    byu/ertyman5 inbikewrench



    by ertyman5

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    14 Comments

    6. Switchen on

      > When the bike is stationary it clicks and looking at the front derailleur it seems to move (allows 3 clicks instead of 2(?)).

      That’s normal. It allows you to trim the front derailleur. 

      You didn’t list any other issues you’re experiencing. 

    7. nikskyhawk on

      The extra clicks are trim positions. It allows you to use more of the rear cassette in each chain ring without it rubbing on the front derailleur.

    8. Hoppingbird on

      Spray Tri-Flow into the shifter where the shift mechanism is while shifting up and down. These shifters get can get gunked up. The PTFE lubricant additives in Tri-Flow help break it up. It is worth a try before unleashing the parts cannon.

    9. Tsilibithras on

      Hello! Is it a 2×10?
      If that’s the case I think that those shifters are ST5600. I have this shifters and I just bought a whole new groupset (around a week ago, didn’t install it yet) to replace them because my shifters had issues. The left shifter for the front deraileur stopped working. The main issue I had with replacement was that this are old shifters and the pull a different amount of cable compared to new ones. I wasn’t lucky finding second-hand shifters so I bought a whole groupset to revive my bike.

    10. roryorigami on

      3 clicks for a 2x shifter is normal. With that middle position, you get enough trim to allow you to be cross chained; big ring/low gear or small ring/high gear. You can double-check the model number of the shift just to see if it’s actually 3x. Try not to cross chain though.

      Dryshifting isn’t a great indicator of how it’ll shift

      If it feels sticky you could try new cable and housing. That and a bit of penetrating lubricant in the shifter mechanism and derailleur pivots.

      I’d also have a look at the cable routing when it comes to the pinch bolt on the derailleur. Sometimes it gets done wrong, and your pull ratio is just off enough to have semi-sloppy shifting.

      Lastly I’d check the orientation of the small chainring. Sometimes these are offset and there’s an inside and an outside. If it was put on backwards you’ll have a tough time trying to get it to shift.

      The height and alignment of the front derailleur could also be an issue. 2mm clearance over the teeth of the big ring and the inner side of the chain plate aligned with the chainrings.

      Couldn’t really tell from the photos or video, but hope this helps in troubleshooting.

    11. drc122s on

      I have the Sora R3000 2×9 shifters on a couple of my bikes and they shift great for how inexpensive they are, and have been very reliable for me. I use them for cyclocross so they see a lot of abuse. I have broken two of the bodies of the shifters in crashes but they are so cheap to replace. I like the ergonomics much better than those of that 105 shifter.

      I had been using the R3000 shifters with 105/ultegra rear derrraileur (don’t remember the exact model # because it’s now gone) of a similar era to your 105 shifter and they worked really well. I now use the R3000 shifter with R3000 rear derrraileur and they work great. I’ve tried to use a R3000 front derrraileur but I am using 12 speed Shimano cranks and chainrings and it didn’t really shift well. But works great with 9 speed Ultegra front derrraileur.

      I do like having the shift cable out of the way and under the bar tape, but it does make replacement of the cable housing more complicated and time consuming.

      But as others mentioned, what you are experiencing with your front shifter is likely just the trim feature, but I wanted to give you some perspective on the Sora R3000 shifters since you asked.

    12. imgeo on

      The left side has to be pushed pretty hard for it to move. Try spraying live into shifters where the metal stuff is, it may be hard to see unless you pull the brakes so that more of the shift mechanism is visible. 

      You could also unscrew the cable at the front derailleur so that the cable is free to move. That way you can tell if it’s the shifter or derailleur that’s stuck.

      You can also replace the cable and housing if they’re rusted. 

      You don’t need to replace the shifter. They’re still good and will work normally when lubed up. 

      I fix bikes, including this generation of shimano 105 shifters, and yours looks good. 

    13. Level-Long-9726 on

      If and when you do decide to replace shifters, the Sora 2 x 9 shifters work great. And as stated above, the shift cable on them can be hidden under bar tape.

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