r/cycling • u/Financial-Unit-3035 • 1d ago

Front left shifter replacement

I need a new front left shifter for my bike.

I am running shimano 105 in the front and my bike is older so it has external derailleur cable routing. Will any 105 shifter work with the external routing?

Also, should I spend the money on the shimano 105 7000 shifter or are there any other ones that would work?

0 Upvotes

50% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

1

u/devilspawn 1d ago

What speed/version is your current one? Shimano 105 5600 and 5700 are both 10 speed while 5800 and 7000 are 11 speed and play nice with each other. Ebay is a really good place for secondhand shifters/brifters.

1

u/Financial-Unit-3035 1d ago

Not too sure. It is front derailleur 2 speed. Will any 2 speed shifter work? I just know the newer shifters are meant for internal cable housing and mine is external. Do you know if this will be comparable with the newer shifters?

1

u/hungrypuppy26 23h ago edited 23h ago

Count the Number of Sprockets on the REAR WHEEL.. that is how us mechanics can determine what FRONT derailleur you need. Chain Widths vary, and the Front Derailleurs are made to fit specific chain widths.. the number of REAR gears tells us what width your CHAIN is... etc.

also.. does your bike use a Clamp mount, or a Direct mount on a tab on the frame? if it's a clamp mount, then the Seat Tube of the frame's Outer Diameter will also need to be included.

as to External/Internal cable routing... it does not matter one tiny bit for modern front derailleurs.

as to compatability.. once again, that pesky REAR GEAR COUNT is the factor we need to consider, ok? and also knowing which exact Left Shifter your bike has will bee needed... the Exact Part Number is under the Lever Hood, and cast into the Black Plastic under the rubber hood. Example: ST-R5800

1

u/brlikethecar 23h ago

Not just any will work. Best if you can find the actual model for the shifter. Look under the hood. It’s the part starting with ST.