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Shifter lockup
 

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KerryIrons
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 3266
Location: Midland, MI

5/17/24 8:58 AM

Shifter lockup

I'll break the pattern and post an actual bicycle technical issue.

My Campy Chorus 11 left shifter has locked up twice this season. After a shift to the small chainring, neither the shift paddle nor the thumb shifter will move. Only if I remove the cable from the front derailleur and partially pull the shifter away from the handlebars and then randomly pull and push will things release. It's not obvious what I did to get things working again, but everything goes back to normal. The first lockup was after about 1,000 miles into the season (after a cleanup and regrease over the winter) and the second lockup was after another 1,000 miles.

Any ideas as to the cause and more importantly, to a fix while I'm out on a ride and this happens so I am not stuck in the small chain ring with no ability to trim the front derailleur to prevent the chain rubbing on the cage?

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RCoapman
Joined: 09 Feb 2005
Posts: 5225
Location: Back in the snowy homeland

5/17/24 9:11 AM

I've had partial lock ups with my Ekar on a moderately frequent basis. Can't thumb shift until I nudge the lever up a little but.

Other than that, no idea what's going on internally.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19246
Location: PDX

5/17/24 9:49 AM

Add a little play in the cable. And also try not to rest your thumb on the thumb button. I find campy does not do well if you depress play outta one button with play outta the other one. When I'm really tired I get sloppy in this regard.

Make sure the hood slit isn't holding the thumb button in the non play position.

2 cents, worth it at 1/2 the price... or maybe 1/4. :)

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Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5130
Location: Nashua, NH

5/19/24 4:23 AM

Sparky's right; the only times I've had the shifter lock up was when I accidentally pressed the lever and the button at the same time. To release it, I think I just flicked the lever, but it's been quite a while since it's happened. I've only experienced this a handful of times in nearly 30 years of using Campy shifters. Thinking about it, I can't say that it ever actually locked up, it just refuse to shift unless I release both the lever and the button.

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KerryIrons
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 3266
Location: Midland, MI

5/19/24 10:41 AM

This is different than what you guys are describing. Even after I take the cable off the derailleur and partially remove the lever from the bar (still held in place by the brake cable) it will still not allow the lever to move. I wiggle and jiggle and then somehow it releases. I'm thinking I maybe did something funky during the winter overhaul but am hoping I don't have to pull everything apart to diagnose. One idea is to not push the button "all the way" and always leave it a click or two from fully releasing the cable. I'm totally paranoid about getting stuck in the small chain ring in our rolling hills.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19246
Location: PDX

5/19/24 11:37 AM

Have you inspected the ball end of cable for fray? You wanna change that out before it breaks. There may be a strand or two hanging up as it starts to fail...

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KerryIrons
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 3266
Location: Midland, MI

5/21/24 3:18 PM

Good point. Will check that. In the past I have had cable fray but it has been a cm or so away from the ball.

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