My uncle swore by a weird trick for a sticky shifter and it actually worked

Honestly, I was ready to buy a new cable for my front shifter because it kept sticking in the big ring. My uncle, who's been fixing bikes since the 80s, told me to just drip some light oil, like Tri-Flow, right into the shifter lever itself where the little parts move. I thought he was nuts because everyone says to lube the cable, not the lever. I gave it a shot anyway, just a couple drops while working the lever back and forth. Ngl, after about five minutes of fiddling, it started clicking smooth as butter. I didn't have to replace a thing. Has anyone else tried this on an older Shimano STI lever? I'm curious if it's a common fix or if I just got lucky.

2 comments

2 Comments

victor_perry904d agoMost Upvoted

Totally believe it, that old school fix works more often than people think. We get so focused on the new part or the official fix that we miss the simple solution right in front of us. My dad fixed a squeaky door for years with a pencil lead instead of buying new hinges. Sometimes the best trick is just listening to the person who's been doing it forever.

the_river4d ago

Spot on about the pencil lead trick. Saw a mechanic use a zip tie to fix a rattling heat shield under a car that the dealership wanted $400 to replace. Sometimes the old guys in the shop know the weird little fixes that save you a fortune. It's like we're trained to throw money at a problem instead of just looking at it for a minute.