Do shifters wear out?

[Andy.M]

Is it feasible its my 11 speed shifter causing problems?
Had recent cassette, chain and derailleur change yet shifting isn't perfect. Randomly won't change up one cog (or down) but give it another click and it skips 2 cogs to the correct gear. Only happens in the middle range of the cassette and not near the top or bottom edges.

 

[irie]

First check the shifter cable tension.

I had a shifter do silly stuff until it decided not to shift it all ... because one tooth in the shifter broke then the rest followed.

 

[Mikerb]

First check the shifter cable tension.

I had a shifter do silly stuff until it decided not to shift it all ... because one tooth in the shifter broke then the rest followed.

possibly but I think worth running a new inner cable first off.

 

[steve_sordy]

Sticky cables. You trigger the shifter and nothing happens, then a bit later it shifts. But if you get tired of waiting you trigger another shift and it moves twice. This is more prevalent when shifting to smaller gears because it is the spring in the mech that is powering the movement. When you are moving to larger diameter gears your strong thumb is pushing and it overcomes the stickiness better.

Many shifting problems can be cured with a new cable. On an MTB I always used to change outer and inner together, but since I have been using emtb, I have only ever changed the inner. It had done the job so far.

 

[Mikerb]

One easy area to check for cable friction that is often an area that can cause problems is where the cable is fixed to the rear mech. It is fed through an open channel that directs it 90 degrees down to its securing bolt. That can get clogged.

 

[RickBullotta]

Yes, they can and do wear out. Just as often, they're simply dirty or the lubricant on the ratchet mechanism has gunked up. You can try a quick clean/lube to see if that helps.
All that said, it's just a matter of time before everyone switched to wireless systems. I was skeptical until I tried it for a while - now all of my bikes except my gravel bike are SRAM AXS.

 

[Nick314]

possibly but I think worth running a new inner cable first off.

Was about to say the same, change the cable first. You might have a strand snagging inside the line.