shimano sora flight deck triple shifters

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Hey - (3 newbie questions from Tampa, FL, USA) I need to replace my cables because one is too short, as referenced in my only other post here, meaning I don't have much range in turning and I need to but can't raise the handle bars (recently acquired used Cannondale). The brake cables are fine. The logo on top of the shifter is "shimano sora flight deck triple" - at least that's what I think it says because a lot of it is scratched off. The short cable is very short and the plastic port thing where the cable exits on the shifter housing (I'm not sure what all these parts are called) is broken because of tension. 1) I need to replace the cables but am not sure which ones to buy, and 2) since that part on the shifter is broken I should also replace the the shifters while I'm at it, but again not sure which ones to buy - more Soras or? 3) Googling these Soras I found references to 8-speed and 9-speed. I'm not really sure what that means as I have 7 gears in back and 3 in the front. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, and THANKS
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
You need shifter specific cable housings and shifter cables, they are not speed specific. You'll also need a cable cutter for cutting them to length, an awl (a pointy thing to open up the ends after cutting) and some end caps to stop the cut cables fraying out. Some cable ferrules for the cut outer cable housings will also be needed. Shimano do a kit of cables inner/outers which is alluded to in this video which you might find useful.


View: https://youtu.be/8zLXiNwVwDI

No need to replace the shifters if working
 
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Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
Well I may be wrong but I think Sora shifters (STIs) even in the early days (ST-3300) were 8 speed. Tiagra 4400 were 9 speed.
Current 8speed is Claris, 9 = Sora and 10 = Tiagra. So if the OP has "shimano sora flight deck triple" and 7 sprockets at the back then there's a bit more to sort out.
So let's have a picture of these shifters (including showing where it's broken) and see if you can find a model number (by rolling forward the rubber hood from where it's fixed to the bar).
While you're at it discover whether you have a (7 speed) freewheel or a freehub (and cassette) - see the images at the start of this Sheldon Brown article .
Edit (VMT @faster ): As far as cables are concerned the key issue is that you need 'road' gear cables (the MTB ones have a different 'end'). @Cycleops has given you other good advice.
 
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faster

Über Member
As far as cables are concerned the key issue is that you need 'road' gear cables (the MTB ones have a different 'end'). @Cycleops has given you other good advice.

Are you sure? I think the ends are all the same, but they do need to be Shimano compatible. Campag cables are different.

It's brake cables where road and mountain are different.
 

si_c

Guru
Location
Wirral
Sora ST-3300 was 7 speed, so it's likely original with no messing around at the back or front.

It might be worth posting a photo of the broken side of the shifter - if it's a housing ferrule that's broken then no big deal, but if it's the plastic moulding then it might be a little more difficult to find a replacement.

Otherwise replacing the cables is a relatively straight-forward proposition - the video linked should cover it for the most part, there might be some slight variations with the way cables are routed from one model to the next, but as you take the cables out just look to see how they route around the shifters and put them back the same way, it's not too complicated.

A full set of cables can set you back in the region of £20/€20/$20 for both gear cables and housing outers which you'll also need to replace if you need a longer cable run. A good set of cable cutters is a must.
 

rogerzilla

Legendary Member
Sora ST-3300 can be 7 or 8 speed. The 7 speed says 7 speed on the RH shifter but the 8 speed says Flightdeck. 7 speed has 6 clicks and 8 speed has 7 clicks.

8 speed shifters vaguely work with 7 speed cassettes if set up carefully but it's not ideal as the cog spacing is 0.2mm different.

If they're broken try eBay for replacements or buy new Microshift 3 x 7 units.
 

faster

Über Member
Sora ST-3300 can be 7 or 8 speed. The 7 speed says 7 speed on the RH shifter but the 8 speed says Flightdeck. 7 speed has 6 clicks and 8 speed has 7 clicks.

8 speed shifters vaguely work with 7 speed cassettes if set up carefully but it's not ideal as the cog spacing is 0.2mm different.

If they're broken try eBay for replacements or buy new Microshift 3 x 7 units.

I've got a bike set up with 8 speed shifters and a 7 speed cassette and it shifts perfectly - no vagueness whatsoever.

Not that this is proof that this set up would always work perfectly (due to tolerances/wear etc.), but I think there's more than a good chance that it'll work fine most of the time.
 
OP
OP
johnrussellcox
photos, and dang, I just noticed how dirty she is . . . you can see the difference between bike and bike2 where the whateveritscalled is broken on bike2, where the cable comes out
 

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rogerzilla

Legendary Member
I've got a bike set up with 8 speed shifters and a 7 speed cassette and it shifts perfectly - no vagueness whatsoever.

Not that this is proof that this set up would always work perfectly (due to tolerances/wear etc.), but I think there's more than a good chance that it'll work fine most of the time.
It's the inverse of the favourite retro MTB trick - using the "phantom click" of 7-speed thumbshifters to work an 8-speed cassette (because many of us found Rapidfire pointless and preferred thumbies). It works if you carefully set up the indexing for a middle sprocket so the cumulative error never exceeds 0.8mm (which can be covered by the sliding top jockey wheel). However, throw a bit of mud and cable stretch into the equation and it needs more fiddling than a native 7-speed or 8-speed setup to keep it working.
 
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