Tiagra 9 Speed Adjustment Problems

Headhuunter

Earlier in the year I bought a 2010 Cannondale CAAD8 on ebay in a moment of impetuous n+1. When it arrived it was in perfect condition, I don't think the previous owner had done more than about 50 miles on it!

Increasingly though, the rear shifting became less and less accurate and I couldn't seem to correct it. Over Christmas I have brought the bike back to my mechanic (AKA my dad) who can usually fix these things but even he is finding it very hard to get the rear shifting to work 100% smoothly. He has re greased the cables, cleaned the mech and the chain and played around for a couple of hours this morning but the shifting is still not as good as it was when it first arrived.

Has anyone else had any problems with accuracy of shifting with 9 speed Tiagra? We're stumped.... One thing that may be causing a problem is that the rear cassette is an Ambrosio rather than true Shimano but it's supposed to be designed for Shimano 9 speed shifting.... The cassette, chainrings and chain are all fairly new. Any suggestions?

walkingbootweather

Hummm, Tiagra has a reputation for being reliable and is a good choice for commuting and general riding. Well if was in perfect condition and everything worked as it should when it arrived the most likely explanations are:
1. Gunk - needs a good clean and lube (including cables, outers and shifters)
2. You've bent something - maybe by transporting in the car?
3. Kink in cable or outer - replace if any signs of damage
4. Cables or chain have stretched or cassette has become worn but this is likely to have taken 3 or 4 thousand miles.

Hope you get it sorted soon so you can enjoy some pretty good conditions for the time of year.

night_porter

Almost certainly cable friction somewhere in the setup. It could be either the inners or the outers but it is my guess that is where your problem lies.

I have run 2 bikes both with 9 speed Tiagra for all weather commuting and they are super reliable.

One other thought is the rear mech hanger, if you have dropped the bike and this is bent then trying to setup the gears can be problematic because the mech isn't in the right position.

Headhuunter

Thanks for the replies...my dad has cleaned all the cables and I haven't dropped the bike or smashed it against anything....I've ridden it to and from work and on a couple of longer winter club rides...I just wondered if there were any well known probs with tiagra 9 speed, or with using non shimano cassettes...

walkingbootweather

Never used an Ambrosio cassette to be honest, but Shimano generally reliable and Tiagra is arguably the best of the lot in terms of bang for your buck. I originally wondered if you had the wrong chain but if it did work OK then it can't be that. If all else fails, and you haven't fixed it after several hours tinkering you can swap the cassette and chain.

meanredspider

A dragging cable isn't hard to diagnose - make the shift then see if the mech will move a little farther by hand.

cooldad

New cables. Lubing old ones is generally a waste of time IMHO.

The Rookie

What is the ACTUAL problem, shifting up or shifting down, any particular gears?

desweller

If it's gone very quickly from great to shyte check for loose screws (i.e. cable clamps, derailleur clamps/hangers etc. etc.). Also, frayed cables within the shifters need to be dealt with sharpish once they appear as the strands can end up deep within the guts of the shifter.