Any recommendations for a superior 2*10 Tiagra 4700 shifter alternative?

[bludger]

Had a nasty surprise last Thursday that my front Tiagra shifter has had a snapped spring, and no longer shifts into the big plate. Googling around this is apparently not rare, and I'd only had the shifters on since November. I put an old Campy veloce shifter on instead, which was adequate - not the most comfortable to have two different shifter types on at the same time but I did what I had to do. The front was shifting fine.



I'm minded to just go the whole hog and swap both shifters out - hopefully the old campy shift ratios will match up and Shimergo will be mine. But if it doesn't work, are there any recommended 10 speed shifters to look into? The last thing I want is a FD's shifter going sparko mid-tour.

I am very excited to go through chain reaction warranty again in the meantime... I suppose the ultimate brick shithouse solution is to go to downtube/bar end friction shifters.

[Brucey]

as it happens both campag 10s and Tiagra 4700 RH shifters pull a nominal 2.8mm per click.  [This is one of the few cable pulls that is anything like close to matching in the world of indexed shifters...].  Seeing as I had a pair of such shifters and a suitable RD/cassette, this is a combination I trialled a while back. 

The good news it is indeed very close. The bad news is that it doesn't match exactly because

a) there is a funny bit in the middle (the campag 10s ultrashift shifter I used had one slightly longer pull in the middle of the pattern) and
b) things go a bit haywire at the ends of the cassette because the mech overshifts slightly.

  Its been a little while now so the details are a bit fuzzy but IIRC you would get most of the middle gears as is, and could perhaps respace a shimano cassette slightly to make it work near-perfectly. In the end I went another way with the bike it was destined for and I didn't use the mix on the road.

cheers

[Paul H]

The last thing I want is a FD's shifter going sparko mid-tour.

Since having a crash damaged ergo disrupt a tour, I've carried a friction downtube shifter and cable in my spares bag.  Not used it in anger, but trial runs from home show that it can be fitted and in use quicker than I fix a puncture and can work the front or rear mech. 
My only derailleur bike is still running fine on older 9 speed campag Ergos, when/if they finally give up I'm itching to try these
https://www.bikemonger.co.uk/gevenalle-audax-shifting-systems-10962-p.asp

[Brucey]

BTW an important thing for shimano 4700 10s and 11s road users thinking of using DT levers; the cable pulls required are slightly longer than for earlier shimano road systems.

 For example 11s is nominally 10 x 2.7 = 27mm total cable pull, call it 28mm to allow for the longer pulls at the ends of the shift pattern.

10s (4700) shifting is 9 x 2.8mm = 25.2mm call it 26mm to allow for the ends of the pattern.

This amount of cable pull is about the most that some DT levers (i,e, those with small take-up drums) will manage, so best to check this carefully.

cheers

[mzjo]

The last thing I want is a FD's shifter going sparko mid-tour.

Since having a crash damaged ergo disrupt a tour, I've carried a friction downtube shifter and cable in my spares bag.  Not used it in anger, but trial runs from home show that it can be fitted and in use quicker than I fix a puncture and can work the front or rear mech. 
My only derailleur bike is still running fine on older 9 speed campag Ergos, when/if they finally give up I'm itching to try these
https://www.bikemonger.co.uk/gevenalle-audax-shifting-systems-10962-p.asp

One of my mates carries a dt lever when he's in a group - not for himself but for the others who break shifters. It has been known to be used, although if there is a typical french underbracket dynamo there should be a dt lever on the back of the seat tube that can be pinched to substitute (means having the lights on full time but who cares about that!)

That Audax shifter looks very ugly and very expensive for what it is (ok I don't have brifters anyway!). I would prefer to sort out dt levers (preferably before needing them in a mission critical situation, they're not heavy to carry along).

[grams]

You’ll find plenty of spare left ones on eBay as the right one usually wears out first and they don’t sell them separately.

One option to consider is the bulkier 4600 (et al) flying gear cable shifters, which have a simpler cable path. You’ll need different mechs though.

The other brick shithouse answer is Di2, though it mightn’t be great match for your use case or budget.

[Ian gaggiaport]

I use the old 10s veloce ultrashift with a 9 speed Shimano cassette.
I reroute the cable on the rear mech over the tab.
More details and a handy 'will it work grid' is on the CTC website. I think 10s will be ok if not try a 9s.. it's worth a go as 9s are cheap especially sunrace
My set up works perfectly using a 10s chain
Good luck with the shmergo.

[bludger]

Thanks chaps. I am currently working with the campy/tiagra mix just because I don't have much fettling time for the moment. I get the feeling that it's unlikely to work with the RD, but on the other hand I think there is a 10 speed chorus rear mech lurking in the shed somewhere.... But then as Grams says there should be no shortage of 4700 left brifters on fleabay.

[Ian gaggiaport]

I'd be more hopeful.
I use a ultegra 10RD
With the re routed cable trick.

,🙂

[Paul H]

I'm itching to try these
https://www.bikemonger.co.uk/gevenalle-audax-shifting-systems-10962-p.asp

That Audax shifter looks very ugly and very expensive for what it is (ok I don't have brifters anyway!).

I think that's part of the appeal, surely something that ugly must be good, it has nothing else going for it.  Despite a lot of negative comments when they first appeared, I haven't seen a bad review and the only person I've met using them was very enthusiastic, to the point I with I'd never asked (Only joking if they're a member here)

[Brucey]

FWIW Microshift do a model of bar end shifter called BS-A10B  which is designed to operate a tiagra 4700 (or 11s 'road') RD and a 10s cassette.   The 'B' in BS-A10B is important; they also do a model called BS-A10 which is for other shimano 10s road RDs.

There is also a 'transferable' model BS-T10B which allows the RH shifter to be operated in friction or index mode. I don't think changing  is as easy as turning a 'D' ring though; it may require an allen key.

Check the microshift catalogue for details but IIRC there is also SL-A10B which is a thumbshifter model for fitting to a 22.2mm diameter.  I have seen bikes with dropped bars use thumbshifters mounted on 22.2mm  accessory mounts.

In all cases the matching LH (micro ratchet) shifter has enough cable pull to manage a 2x or 3x system.

There is also a STI type device from microshift called SB-R502B which is claimed to be compatible with tiagra 4700 2x10.

BTW several of the comments above appear to neglect the fact that 4700 RDs use a different shift ratio than other 10s RDs.

cheers