Got some second hand 5600 shifters with under tape cable routing. I haven't mounted them yet but the front shifter definitely has a bit of resistance towards the end of going up a gear, it's a click that requires a bit of extra pressure to push through. Nothing huge and I can do it with one finger but definitely not as smooth as the rear.
Don't have anything else to compare it to, so not sure if this is normal, whether the front and back do tend to feel different, if faulty or if it just needs flushing.
I only discoverd very recently, there's an extra tiny click for trimming the front when cross chained. Could be that you are feeling.
Had the bike 4 years and it always annoyed me that I couldn't make the front rub free accross a lot of the cassette before I noticed this. 🙄
I know what you mean but it's more than that. Definitely a slight bit of resistance at the end of the movement. Interested to see what it feels like once I've got a tensioned cable in it.
Sti Sti levers used to get gumned gumned up as the lubricant varnished. After deciding to dismantle one* i'd reccomend just blast it with wd40 to disolve it down.
But i'd wap it on and test it under tension first.
*There are VERY small circlips in an sti lever. They travel miles when they ping off and carpets are not a suitable wirksurface!
Flushed, lubed and greased. The shifter that was smoother now has more distinctive clicks and feels similar to the one I thought may have been stiff. Anyway both are feeling good now.