Fitting brifters - advice please

[swee'pea99]

Ok, they've arrived. I like the look and feel. And the gear cables are already attached, which is a start. I've never worked on anything but elderly 10-gear racers, so this is a whole new experience for me. I can't find anything helpful either on bicycletutor or parktool....so...

I got as far as an exploded diagram, which will no doubt prove helpful, but...is it all fairly straightforward? Is there anything I should watch out for? Any infamous glitches I might run into? Any wee springs to leap out and go down a crack? Any advice appreciated.

 

[John the Monkey]

Somewhere in the shimano docs, there'll be guide to fitting them, sweepea - I've always used these (never fitted brifters, but have replaced gear and brake cables etc) and found them really helpful - have a look for the installation doc for the model you bought.

 

[swee'pea99]

Thanks John. This on shimano.co.uk, yes?

 

[John the Monkey]

Pretty much - you'll want the tech docs that begin "SI" (for service instruction).

The only tip I can think of offhand is to fit with the front shift gear cable barrel adjuster about halfway out - this gives you a bit of leeway for adjusting cable tension once you've clamped the cable to the front derailleur. (Bear in mind that my experience is with Tiagra shifters though, not these).

 

[swee'pea99]

Found 'em. They don't have one for mine, but they do for some which I think are close enough they'll serve my needs. Thanks again.

 

[mickle]

The way I was taught to install brake levers still applies to STI and Ergo levers. Pull the lever hood forward to expose the clamp assy. Fit them so that the bottom of the brake lever lines up with the bottom of the bar. Either use a straight edge or preferably remove the bars and place them on a flat work surface. They should also line up perfectly with the main axis of the bike. Do them up tight.

If you want to leave enough cable length to allow some stem adjustment set them at their highest point before you fit the cables. Better that the cables are a bit too long than too short.

The gear cable outers will definitely require ferrules but some brakes don't require a ferrule at the lever end. If a ferrule wont sit comfortably in the brake lever the chances are it's designed to be used without them. Check the assy instructions.

When setting the angle of the bars in the stem aim the drops towards the rear brake bridge as a benchmark. Don't fit the bar tape until you are 100% happy with the positioning of the bars in the stem and the levers on the bars. It might be worthwhile riding a few miles before wrapping them.

Use insulation tape in two or three points on each side of the bars underneath the bar tape to keep the brake cable in place. Bar tape isn't good at keeping the cables under control and an unsecured cable will wreck the bar tape as it shifts.

Possibly.

 

[rustychisel]

I agree with all that... except... there's a school of thought which says do them up tight, but not sooo tight they won't swivel sideways in the event of misfortune. That way, the theory goes, they'll not be bent up in a crash...

in the event make them tight enough that they won't move unexpectedly whilst you're riding along, that would be a bad thing.

 

[swee'pea99]

Thanks Mickle, tho'...um...these are flat bar beasties. Interestingly tho', as I sit here I can glance over at my road bike and see that 1) the bottom of the brake lever does line up with the bottom of the bar, and 2) the drops do indeed aim towards the rear brake bridge (or just fractionally higher). I didn't follow any instructions when I fitted 'em - just did it so 'they felt right.

 

[mickle]

Oh. Bugger. Anyoldhoo. Fitting flat bar STIs is a doddle.

Please stop referring to them as 'brifters' sweepy, it's wrong on soo many levels and really gets up my goat.

 

[Mr Pig]

I never lock brake levers and shifters to the bars really tightly. I tighten them so that they won't move when used but will move if you try to push them around the bars. That way, should you crash, they'll move on the bar rather than the levers being bent or snapped off.

 

[swee'pea99]

Ok. I didn't know. Just shorthand to get it all in the subject line. Rather than end up with:

Fitting combination brake levers and gear shif

Is there an acceptable term for them?

 

[mickle]

Yes and it's 'Combined (Pedal-Cycle) Brake Lever and Shifter Units for Flat Handlebars'

 

[swee'pea99]

snappy

 

[mickle]

Which can be abbreviated thusly; 'Combined (Pedal-Cycle) Brake Lever and Shifter Units for Flat Handlebars'

And if you remove the spaces and vowels; 'Cmbnd(Pdl-Cycl)BrkLvrndShftrntsfrFltHndlbrs'

Hope this helps.

 

[swee'pea99]

ntmch