How common is it for STI levers to "Freeze up" and refuse to shift?

My commute / touring bike has 9-speed 105 on it, installed new 1500 or so miles ago. It did this last week. The WD-40 bath trick sorted it out, but I've been wondering: how often does this happen, especially when riding in lots of rain and muddy conditions?

'crossers?

I only know two people whose DA shifters died. On one of them, Shimano replaced them, on the other, I did a swap with a set of levers that had a dead left shifter.
I'm not sure if Shimano is the best system for CX riders (because of the mud and/or dirty conditions)

How common is it for STI levers to "Freeze up" and refuse to shift?

My commute / touring bike has 9-speed 105 on it, installed new 1500 or so miles ago. It did this last week. The WD-40 bath trick sorted it out, but I've been wondering: how often does this happen, especially when riding in lots of rain and muddy conditions?

'crossers?

just had mine freeze... which side is it on? left or right? also is it a triple set up for double? if so .. there could be some problems with setting up that 3rd dead spot.. when shifting into it will cause your shifter to seize and freeze up... you would need to adjust your deraileur and cables to free it up again...

Left of right? If it's the right side, check for the missing STI Mystery Screw (typically phillips head at the top of the little lever.) I had a set of Ultegra 9s and the screw kept coming out, effectively rendering the right side useless. I'll post a pic a little later of what I'm talking about.

Edit: I call it the "Mystery Screw" because even though I'd take it to the shop, they'd be like, "Huh? What screw?"

OK, I know it's bad form to respond to my own post, but is anyone else getting Google ads for rehab centers on the right? Am I just paranoid?

I don't see nuttin' at all on the right.

Here I go again. For the touring/commuter bikes there are these wonderfull little devices called "barend shifters". If it isn't your dedicated rip the legs off of your buddies latest and greatest road bike I suggest you pick up a set and replace your STI shifters when they die. They last longer and are simple to install, maintain and use. All my touring and grocery getter bikes now use barends because of the high cost of STI's. You can buy approximately 3 sets of barend shifters for what one medium range set of STI's cost. Again, just an option.

In general those are good points, but, let me leave it at:

1) For this bike and this rider, this was the most cost-effective setup.
2) I do everything on this bike from getting groceries and commuting to training with groups. I have gone on 100-mile grouprides and mixed it up with it -- with a pannier, no less.

For those that asked:

It is the right / rear shifter. And like I said, the WD-40 bath trick fixed it, at least for now.

In general those are good points, but, let me leave it at:

1) For this bike and this rider, this was the most cost-effective setup.
2) I do everything on this bike from getting groceries and commuting to training with groups. I have gone on 100-mile grouprides and mixed it up with it -- with a pannier, no less.

For those that asked:

It is the right / rear shifter. And like I said, the WD-40 bath trick fixed it, at least for now.

It shouldn't come back for a while. I don't really have statistics for it, but it's one of those "don't worry about it" things.

In general those are good points, but, let me leave it at:


p.s. nice on the "Quiet, you." subject line. made me laugh. haha.

Ah yes, the bad sti syndrome. There are a few ways that they fail, either gumming up or springs getting tired. There are other possible failures, of which a fraying cable is common but not related to the shifter all that much. I wouldn't recommend WD-40 in there as it attackes rubber parts pretty badly. WD-40 commonly swells rubber parts. I would use Tri-Flow or combination of solvents and oils.

Bikes and rain riding can cause quite a bit of problems in hubs, bottom brackets, cables, shifters, headsets, chains. If I get my bike wet or happen to wash it, I try and disperse the water immediately afterward with a short ride or two with Tri-Flow (or other) sprayed onto any of the previously mentioned problem areas with water penetration on the bike. Most bearing systems are sealed with rubber seals yet not many of them actually keep it all out. Maintaining a bike in tip top shape requires quite a bit of maintenance. Riding in the rain increases the maintenance intervals to pretty much every rain ride.

To try and preserve the STI shifters as much as possible, I try and park my bike with the shifters in the most released position (that's smallest cogs). That way the shifter springs are not all wound up all the time while the bike is not in use. This can make a difference in the long run.

(enough running on for me!.......)

To try and preserve the STI shifters as much as possible, I try and park my bike with the shifters in the most released position (that's smallest cogs). That way the shifter springs are not all wound up all the time while the bike is not in use. This can make a difference in the long run.

There's no evidence that this is true. Springs do not "wear out" or take a set if you leave them in a slightly higher tension position. Repeated flexing will cause any metal to fail eventually, but your practice of "shifting down" at the end of every ride actually causes extra flexing of the springs in both the shifters and the derailleurs.

STI's usually die because internal parts wear out, or dirt, or pieces of shift cable wire jam up the mech. WD-40 will flush out dirt, but it won't repair worn parts, or wash out pieces of wire (unless you are lucky). The WD-40 will wash out all the grease, which will cause accelerated wear on the internal parts. Once you use WD-40 on a shifter, you should start planning on replacement in the next year or so(depending on how much you use it).

PS It's always possible that springs can break, but I've never heard of it myself, on Shimano shifters.

Shoot, if these stupid things wear out in a year, they are becoming overgrown brake levers and the bike is getting a Singleator.

Aw, scratch that, I need the gears. Maybe I WILL have to buy a barend or somethin'!

Meh. Stupid shimano.

A problem we have down here where it is very hot is that if you leave you bike in the garage over the summer for a season you don't ride much, the grease separates into the oil and the hard soapy part. The oil evaporate and the hard soapy part jams up the shifters. You can soak it in degreaser and work the mechanism and that will usually free it up after a while. The degreaser will probably discolor coated/painted plastic parts. You've got to relube by jamming in new grease and forcing it with compressed air or using some of those new aerosol grease spray cans.

If your DA or Ultagra levers wear out in a year, you're in luck. DA is covered for three years, and Ultegra, for two. Your "Team Shop" should be able to get these replaced by Shimano. If your "Team Shop" is anything like mine, that three year thing for DA can "float", if you know what I mean (and I think that you do).

A problem we have down here where it is very hot is that if you leave you bike in the garage over the summer for a season you don't ride much, the grease separates into the oil and the hard soapy part. The oil evaporate and the hard soapy part jams up the shifters. You can soak it in degreaser and work the mechanism and that will usually free it up after a while. The degreaser will probably discolor coated/painted plastic parts. You've got to relube by jamming in new grease and forcing it with compressed air or using some of those new aerosol grease spray cans.

this is why I recommend leaving the shifters in the most "released" position when storing the bike and next time try spraying some Tri-Flow in there first, if that doesn't do it then go for some solvent (of which, bicycle specific Clean Streak would do you best), springs do fatigue over time and more so when wound up tighter (it's like that old tale of hanging a chain from your wanker!.... routine..... it really does work for something!),

cheers,

WD-40 will flush out dirt, but it won't repair worn parts, or wash out pieces of wire (unless you are lucky). The WD-40 will wash out all the grease, which will cause accelerated wear on the internal parts. Once you use WD-40 on a shifter, you should start planning on replacement in the next year or so(depending on how much you use it).

Or, you could chase the WD-40 with a good lube, including even mooshing some grease in there. I've experienced balky shifting with Campy, and poured some oil in there with great success, and the shifters continued working for many years after. Not much experience with Shimano, so you may be right, but it sure is worth a try if the only problem is that things are gunked up.

bar end or campy,
I read in the new cyclocross magazine, which I got from the fort flagler cross racing weekend, that you can use campy 10sp shifters with shimano 8or 9speed cassettes, and campy shifters are less expensive and lighter then shimano shifters, even cenataur or veloce shifters would be a lot lighter then 105. Bar ends are the other obvious and even cheaper alternative.
I had my front dura ace 9sp shifter stop working in a muddy race 2 weeks ago, but one I washed the bike it's working fine again. I am thinking about maybe trying the campy shimano combo if/when I put my cross check F/F back together as a geared bike. Campy is also supposidly more reliable and re-buildable.

bar end or campy,

I had my front dura ace 9sp shifter stop working in a muddy race 2 weeks ago, but one I washed the bike it's working fine again. .

I hope you sprayed some lubricant in that shifter after the wash out! Water is your enemy. It will cause all kinds of problems........ sticking, corrosion, stiffness,

a spray of Tri-Flow into the mechanism should do the trick after each time it gets wet with water.