Bicycle Front Derailleur Hard Shift Up

You've done everything.

Clean and lube the shifter.

Reduced the tension on the detent.

Cleaned and lubed the derailleur pivot points.

Aligned the front derailleur horizontal and vertical.

Changed the cable and housing.

Still a challenge to shift up.

Down is a breeze.

Did you perchance neglect to clean the crud from between the windings of the flat wire tension spring?

AARGH!

Yes, the spring collapses as tension increases and travel is impossible when the windings are packed tight with crud.

We'll try everything possible before we pull the spring out,

because reinstalling the spring is a 'Miserable Bitch"

I did date a "Miserable Bitch" for a time.

Margaret.

Nothing sexist here.

Germaine Greer called her a "Miserable Bitch"

Her Grandkids called her "Grandma Moody Bitch '.

Not to her face!

I don't know, I must have been fulfilling some inherent need to punish myself

for every injustice I committed up to the point we bonded

Perhaps she was atoning for past offences by hanging with me.

She dumped me.

Said I was a "Miserable Bitch"

See!

See!

But I digress

Scrub it out.

Blow it out.

Brush it out.

You need to clean and lube the shifter anyway, but you might try this before moving the derailleur or changing cables when faced with stiff up shifting.