I’ve got an issue with my front shifter (Shimano 105, cables). Basically it doesn’t seem to be pulling through or releasing cable (either under tension or slackened off, no clicks etc.). If I can get the photo to attach, you can see on the inside of the shifter where the little doofer doesn’t seem to be returning. All seems to be routed correctly otherwise. I’ve resisted destroying it completely with some misguided messing thus far but some kind of guidance would be really really helpful. Any ideas?

Finally got an image to link!!! I should add, no issues with cable pull/release for braking, only shifting either direction…

First things first. Have you changed the cable

These shifters are notorious for the cable fraying at the cable head and jamming up inside.

Removing is a **** if you have never done it before…..

I think that bit sticking out should be pointing straight down and fit into a slot behind the two shift levers here:

When I have a moment, I’ll nip into the garage and grab a spare lever so I can take some pics of what it should look like, if you think it will help.

Thanks for the reply – yes, but for the past couple of months I’ve basically ridden only mtb as conditions have been so good. So it’s almost new/couple of rides old, sat in the shed since March. Lazy/tightarse that I am I was avoiding replacing but you reckon that’s worth a shot first?

I think you’re going to need to pull the hood up and have a poke around. Can’t say I’ve ever seen that metal bit pointing out of one of my shifters – but one of the hydraulic brakes sti’s was renowned for the cable wearing through a white plastic liner inside the shifter. If left it could then wear through part of the shifter and write off your sti. So I’d look at that ASAP

Daern, thanks – thanks for the offer, that’s OK, i know where it should be and have the other side as reference. It can return, just doesn’t seem to have any pressure either way so if you attempt a shift it hangs out there rather than where it should be. Lightest finger pressure gets it back, but it’s the only obvious sign there’s a problem without stripping anything down.

Actually, thinking about it now (without having it infront of me) I’ll need to check it over again later. I’ll also try a new cable and see if anything is wearing on the white plastic bits – fairly new though and when I looked at it before it all seemed pretty OK from a quick inspection. No doubt this will be followed by a post on the ham-fisted mechanics thread…

Rs685 shifter? I’ve just been out on my bike with the same one.

That dangly bit should sit about where the red arrow on daerns pic is. When you shove the lever sideways to shift, it rotates the dangly bit to pull the cable.

Yours looks like the end has broken off…

I had this recently with Shimano’s special cable. It can go a bit hairy and that gums up the works, same as yours. New cable and it was fine.

Frayed cable

That’s the air brake, you need to Un-deploy it as it will be ruining your aero… 👍

OK, thanks for the replies. Frayed cable or other cable issue seems to be first point of call then. I’m pretty sure the non-aero dangly bit is intact but I’ll check after I finish work this evening. Then I’ll work through some of the other suggestions until it either works or it ends up in pieces on the kitchen floor.

Well, I’ve been looking at things again following all your advice above. Cable removed (didn’t appear to have any damage/fraying), cleaned out (no real dirt/debris etc in there), twiddled around a bit to see what is where… nothing changes. With the shifter opened up a bit more I can’t really see what is going on or what is missing/not where it should be. In the hope that anyone else can see, I’m going to post up a couple of images below.

As a reminder, basically the front shifter isn’t pulling through or releasing cable when shifting. The little bit that doen’t return properly is still hanging out there and appears to be in the right location and intact, both up and down shifters spring back to place as normal. Any ideas what the issue is now?? Really appreciate any suggestions you might have that’ll get me rolling with 2 rings again.

Photos should show inside, outside and from underneath…

Put cable back into its slot and pull on the cable as you flick the lever

Anything happen then ?

Put cable back into its slot and pull on the cable as you flick the lever

Anything happen then ?

Thanks, should have made that clear. Not really, levers can move more or less full extent of travel, but no click and no real distance of cable pull/release – or not as much as usual.

To add to/clarify that, the lever feels like it is stopping firmly against something, but the paddle has no resistance to movement at all. Cable moves only a few mm either way.

Maybe a stupid question, but have you rolled the hood back into it’s position when you’re trying it? It can stop the shifting when it’s all bunched up.

@coatesy – thanks, not a stupid question. With this it seems that it makes no difference either way. 🙁