# Alfine dodgy shifting - is this normal?



## zuuds (Jan 30, 2004)

I recently got a Giant Seek 1 that is equipped with a S500 hub and SL-S500 shifter. I downloaded the Shimano instructions for the shifter, and it says to put it in 4th gear, adjust the cable adjusting barrel at the shifter so the two yellow lines on the cassette joint are aligned, shift from 4 to 1, and back to 4 and re-check to make sure the yellow lines are still aligned.

I did this, but the up-shifts (1 -> 8) are pretty much instataneous, while the downshifts (8 ->1) are slower, and a lot of times (usually shifting from 4 to 3 or 3 to 2), I get a brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! noise and then the shift, or the downshift won't happen. 

Also, sometimes the shifter gets "stuck" in 7 or 8, and won't downshift while pedaling (however if I stop pedaling, it will downshift out of those higher gears.) 

Everything is brand new, the yellow lines are still lined up, so  ?


----------



## dru (Sep 4, 2006)

You should only have to back off the power a bit when down-shifting, unless you really muck up. Then you have to stop pedaling.

Maybe I'm used to mine; I've got around 50 hours on it.

I'm not sure if you're having a problem with the hub or not because I have the 501 model with slightly different internals.

Drew


----------



## Schmucker (Aug 23, 2007)

The cable run is good, right? No weird bends/kinks, decent quality cable and housing? A little bit of lube on the cable (unless prelubed or teflon), ends of the housing awled out and filed flush?

I have to back off a little bit for some shifts, up and down, on my 501.


----------



## zuuds (Jan 30, 2004)

Schmucker said:


> The cable run is good, right? No weird bends/kinks, decent quality cable and housing? A little bit of lube on the cable (unless prelubed or teflon), ends of the housing awled out and filed flush?
> 
> I have to back off a little bit for some shifts, up and down, on my 501.


The cable run is tits, this frame seems to be designed for the Alfine, there are cable guides in all the right places for the hub, and no guides for a front derailleur. Not sure if it's a quality cable, no markings on the housing, but I'll check the ends to make sure there's nothing funky going on.

I'm not mashing on the pedals when I shift, just pedaling normally as I would during a derailleur shift, but I'll try to back off and see if that helps.


----------



## pursuiter (May 28, 2008)

You have to let up when you shift, can't have the hub loaded or it gets stuck.


----------



## presslab (Jan 5, 2007)

Yes you have to ease off pedaling when shifting for most gears. When upshifting sometimes the thumb lever won't move until you ease up. When downshifting the hub will click and not shift until you ease up.


----------



## fokof (Apr 24, 2006)

With Shimano IGH , the plastic part that turn with the cable have a tendency to accumulate dust and mud over time and it can makes bad shifting.
Remove those three parts , clean/grease them , should help a lot.

When downshifting , it's the spring internal pressure that makes shifting happening , so anything the cause exceeding friction will not help.


----------

