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My cable adjusters always seem incredibly hard to turn, sometimes requiring the extra leverage of a wrench. I'm looking to replace them when I overhaul my bike and replace my current groupset. Does anyone have a particular favorite, or are they all basically the same?

Since others have asked, this is a 700C road bike, and I'm looking to replace the inline adjusters, not the ones directly on the brakes and derailleurs.

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...and this will be on a 26" wheeled or a 700c bike? – ʍǝɥʇɐɯ Jun 14 '11 at 15:17
700c. Didn't realize there was a distinction. – Stephen Touset Jun 14 '11 at 18:39
Which cable adjusters? Inline ones or the ones built into your brakes/levers/derailleurs? – Мסž Jun 15 '11 at 5:52
Inline. Sorry, had no idea my question needed more info to answer. :) – Stephen Touset Jun 15 '11 at 18:15
I dunno about the wheel size question, but the "what sort" one just affects the faults. You're unlikely to bend the threaded part of an inline adjuster but rear derailleur adjusters seem to be bent more often than not. – Мסž Jun 15 '11 at 22:40

1 Answer

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I haven't ever seen an inline adjuster gummed up that badly. What normally makes any cable adjuster hard to turn is the cable outer jamming into the adjuster so that turning the adjuster just twists the cable outer. I add a bit of my universal tool (grease-based chain lube :) to where the outer enters the adjuster and give it a couple of seconds to penetrate before having another go.

What I suggest is taking them off the bike, taking them apart and greasing them. Grease both the threaded part and the cable entry.

inline barrel adjuster

In this pic you have the turning part in a shiny silver, and almost hidden inside it is the stationary part that's a darker colour. I would unscrew those parts and grease the thread, then also put grease in the end of the rotating part - into the opening at the bottom of the left hand part above. That way the end of the cable outer that goes into there can slip easily when you turn the silver part.

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Will do, cap'n. – Stephen Touset Jun 16 '11 at 12:25

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