Something shifty about shifters

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by cannondave2 [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I am noticing signs of wear in my brifters, and am considering the possibilities of replacements. Before I pawn my car and/or my firstborn child to purchase a new set of the "name brand" replacements (currently have Ultegra, 2x9 road set-up), I would love to hear from others. Is it worth the money to spring for the big boys or are the "house brand" micro-shift products (ie Forte, Nashbar) worth taking a chance on? Or buying used on ebay, which can still be pricey, and one can never be sure how much life is left inside. Does any one offer rebuild kits, as it is probably just a couple of plastic cams in there that wear out.

There are no rebuild kits for Shimano brifters. You can only rebuild Campy and SRAM brifters.

I've no experience on Micro Shift's brifters, but reviews on them have been ok. They're certainly not refined like the offerings from the big 3, but they apparently get the job done. There is at least one (or there was last year) a pro team in the US riding on Micro Shift stuff.

Frankly, for as rarely as they die, why don't you just pick up a new set of Ultegra or Dura Ace 9spd brifters? There are likely some on eBay or some lightly used ones. Also, Tiagra and Sora brifters are 9 speed (or at least I think they still are) and quite economical.

Thank you for your input. This is my first go-around with needing to replace these parts, and there is a bit of sticker shock, so I am considering my most economical options while looking "down the road" also! It is great to have a resource like this to tap into collective experience and knowledge.

The 8-speed Microshift levers are pretty bad, but 9- and 10-speed are quite good.

Starting this year Tiagra is going 10-speed, so the only new Shimano 9-speed levers will be Sora.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by oldbobcat [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

The 8-speed Microshift levers are pretty bad, but 9- and 10-speed are quite good.

Starting this year Tiagra is going 10-speed, so the only new Shimano 9-speed levers will be Sora.

Given that, the OP may want to surf eFlay for new, 9spd Tiagra offerings.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by cannondave2 [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I am noticing signs of wear in my brifters, and am considering the possibilities of replacements. Before I pawn my car and/or my firstborn child to purchase a new set of the "name brand" replacements (currently have Ultegra, 2x9 road set-up), I would love to hear from others. Is it worth the money to spring for the big boys or are the "house brand" micro-shift products (ie Forte, Nashbar) worth taking a chance on? Or buying used on ebay, which can still be pricey, and one can never be sure how much life is left inside. Does any one offer rebuild kits, as it is probably just a couple of plastic cams in there that wear out.

FWIW. I don't know how good-or-bad MicroShift shifters are ...

I do know that you can buy a set of 10-or-11-speed CAMPAGNOLO shifters for between $100US & $200US on eBay (you can pay more, of course!) ...

The fore mentioned Campagnolo shifters can be indexed to 8-/9-/10-speed Shimano drivetrains with minimal-to-zero effort:

[CENTER] [IMG]cyclingforums.com333Open ↗[/IMG]
[/CENTER]
Now, I understand that some people have what I refer to as a leisure-suit mentality where they feel that their bike's components must have the same "label" to ensure a certain look (not that there is anything wrong with THAT philosophy) ...

And, for those individuals it is Verböten to have a component from more than one manufacturer on their bike ...

• BTW. I know someone who just (i.e., about six weeks ago) had a new bike assembled with what he proudly noted was a "complete" SRAM RED component group despite my suggestion last Summer that he wait 6+ months because it was inevitable that SRAM would be coming out with updated components this year (a year later than I had forecast & if the 2011 winner of the TdF had used SRAM components, then the update would undoubtedly have been delayed yet another year). Of course, if he were a little less concerned with matching the 'name' on the components then he would replace the RED front derailleur with a FORCE front derailleur -- he would probably complain about the front shifting after he gets a few more miles on that bike if he knew better (his other bike has Shimano 7703 components, so he thinks that the sometimes-sketchy shifting is par-for-the-course)
  
• IMO, Campagnolo shifters + Shimano derailleurs + Shimano cassette provides better shifting than Shimano shifters + Shimano derailleurs + Shimano cassette on both the front & rear -- descriptions by 'reviewers' of how well Shimano's Di2 drivetrain functions matches my experience with the Campagnolo shifters mated to Shimano components.
  

But, you are presumably not in that category since you are considering MicroShift shifters AND so you may want to give serious consideration to installing a set of Campagnolo shifters on your bike.

• the 'QS' shifters -- and, the XENON shifters from which they are derived -- are the only type of Campagnolo shifters which cannot be rebuilt, AFAIK.
  
• I presume the new PowerShift shifters can be rebuilt, but I don't know.
  

BTW. You may be able to restore whatever FEEL you want to achieve with your shifters if you simply re-lube or replace your derailleur cables AND housing ...

• 'I' prefer to use BRAKE CABLE HOUSING for my derailleur cables (others have disagreed with me about my suggesting the unauthorized use of BRAKE CABLE HOUSNG in the past, BTW) ... that is, I find that the parallel-stranded cable housing supplied by Campagnolo & Shimano can be problematic ... and so, I am suggesting the use of brake cable housing as a possible alternative which may mitigate perceived shifting problems which people may encounter
  
• brake cable housing will droop as it exits a 6500-or-equivalent shifter vs. the tidy-by-comparison appearance of the stiff, parallel-stranded derailleur cable housing
  
• I lube new cables regardless of the housing, BTW