So I’ve got a 2x Ultegra 6800 rear and front derailleur on my gravel bike. Just in the last couple rides I’ve had some trouble shifting to the smallest cogs on the rear cassette. I know the answer is I need to take everything apart, clean it and re-lubricate.
Wondering if anyone here has advice on the right kind of lube to use to keep it working in harsh conditions? Do you favor dry lube? PTFE? Etc.? Is there any reason to upgrade cables, replace cable housing, etc?
When’s the last time you replaced the cables? These can kink and fray inside the shifter body and lead to poor shifting just like you describe.
Silca Super Secret Lube has been my go to for gravel and mtb racing. Along with cleaning most things.
I’m using Squirt drip wax lube which wa recovery to me for dusty conditions. I ve not had it long enough to make a definite comment but I like it.
They’re original to the bike. So 2018.
Swap them out… NOW!!!
Seriously, these need regular replacement to maintain good performance. Im willing to bet that is most of your issue, if not all of it.
The Shimano design bends the cable too tight. I’d suggest at least considering a swap every year to be safe.
New cables for sure!!!
I always swap housing with cables too which isn’t always necessary but after 5 years…it’s cheap insurance.
I’m betting your cables are a sticky, dusty, oily mess. Possibly frayed at the shifter as well.
Ok. New cables on the way.
With that design it was pretty common around here to see one of the cables break inside the shift/brake lever, because of the design as mentioned above. The rule of thumb was to replace the cable around 1-2 years or 5000-8000 miles. After seeing too many posts on Strava about losing a derailleur due to the cable, I just replaced the cables once a year.
5-8k? On 11 speed mine break around 3k. Old 10 speed i could get 12k out of a cable
11 speed I replaced mine once a year. For me the max was 5000-7000 miles in a year. Other local riders I know were around 8000 miles per year and they were also changing cables once a year.