Questions tagged [cable]

Bicycle brakes and shifters use Bowden cables to transmit braking/shifting forces from the hand controls to the appropriate place.

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5 votes
3 answers
477 views

What is the best tool to crimp cable end caps?

What is the best tool to crimp cable end caps - especially those where access is limited, such as dropper post remotes? I have got a crimp area on my cable cutters, but it is a bit fiddly to use, is ...
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1 vote
2 answers
104 views

Re-insert Gear Cable Plug / Fitting

My front derailleur wouldn't let me shift to the small chain ring, and after some investigation I located the issue to this plastic plug/fitting/thingy that seems to have popped out of the little hole ...
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5 votes
1 answer
382 views

Shifter cable broke in the shifter and now the end is stuck in the shifter

So The end of my rear derailleur shifter cable is stuck in the shifter. Is it even possible to get out? See the picture below. Shifting up and down doesn't really do anything to its position. Edit: I ...
4 votes
2 answers
129 views

What do you call this brake cable? (MTB but 8mm depth)

I'm looking for the name of the cable marked "H", so that I can track down some replacements. In the photos, the one marked S1 is a Jagwire MTB brake cable, with a standard 6mm deep nipple. ...
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15 votes
4 answers
2k views

What are strong methods of linking two shifter cables together?

Before you answer with "Don't." I would like to preface things by saying that I just really need a slightly longer shifter (and brake) cable but I can't find any on my local area and I don't ...
12 votes
6 answers
2k views

Ultegra RD-R8000 derailleur chewing up shifter cable - WTH?

I have an Ultegra RD-R8000 (GS cage) that has chewed up multiple shifter cables (Dura Ace and Jagwire) at the cable bolt. Seems that when in a high gear (11t chainring) the cable bends over the clamp ...
  • 121
4 votes
1 answer
449 views

Replacing internally routed cable with no access holes

I have this 2013(ish?) Vellum Uno on which I'm trying to replace my front derailleur cable. I was unable to do the yarn trick where you tie a piece of string to the cable before pulling it out (the ...
2 votes
1 answer
65 views

Are these devices cable quick-disconnects or adjusters?

Are the devices in the photo cable quick-disconnects or adjusters?
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13 votes
2 answers
2k views

Bike mechanic told me: Gear cable too "springy"

I bought a new groupset and I tried installing it all myself. Somewhere I must have messed up, because I could not get it to shift precisely. I took the bike to my local bike mechanic. He told me, he ...
4 votes
1 answer
376 views

Front derailleur cable touching frame?

Installing gears on my bike on my own for the first time. I pulled the front derailleur gear cable through an intended hole in the frame like so: So everything should be fine. However, looking under ...
5 votes
1 answer
435 views

Sturmey Archer AW shifter cable replacement with generic cable?

I want to replace the cable of a late 1980s AW IGH. I can buy new cable housing from just about anywhere, and cut it to size -- the end caps on the original housing are removable and I intend to re-...
13 votes
6 answers
2k views

Best drivechain for beach, seaside, coastal, winter, generally salty environment?

I live by the beach. Although I guess this is a similar problem to those who ride on salt-laden winter roads... It does take a while but, as evidenced by the endless bikes abandoned around the ...
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3 votes
4 answers
2k views

How to run full length cable housing to front mech on a frame without cable stops?

I have an All-City Space Horse frame that has cable guides for full length housing where you use zip ties to secure the housing. But there are no traditional cable stops. The housing runs from the ...
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5 votes
1 answer
246 views

Brake cable reach

On my 2016 Giant Defy with Shimano 105 shifters I am finding it very difficult to reduce the reach on my brake levers and they need pulling almost to the handlebar to brake. Is it possible to reduce ...
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5 votes
3 answers
2k views

Cable end crimps?

I always see professional bike builds have crimped ends on the cables. I've never been able to find any tools or ends to do that, so I just wrap the ends in electrical tape to keep them from fraying. ...
1 vote
1 answer
168 views

How can I add cable tension to a Shimano 600 sidepull caliper brake on a 80s vintage road bike?

So I wanted to add cable tension to my rim brakes because I want to reduce the travel. I have small hands and don't have too much leverage on the hoods so if they actuated more easily then I would ...
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1 vote
1 answer
39 views

front gear shifter cable sleeve, shifter to frame needs replacing, the old wire rusted inside

bought this bike 2nd hand from charity shop, front gear shifter was sticky and wouldn't shift to 3 [3+8 setup] as was already at 3. [streached?] ''bloke who brought it in said it just needs oiling'', ...
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2 votes
0 answers
69 views

Road bike shifter cable breaks too often: Shimano ultegra 10 [duplicate]

My rear derailleur shifter cable just broke for the third time in two years 5000 miles/ 8000km. I was lucky this time. It broke a mile from the end of a long ride. What am I doing wrong? Are there ...
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7 votes
1 answer
578 views

Gear shifting is good enough after 6 years. Does that mean I don't need to replace my cables?

My road bike gear cables have never been replaced, they are 6 years old now. The shifting at the back needs at tune up now and then, more and more frequently as time goes. But once it's done the ...
2 votes
2 answers
400 views

Shifting cable maintenance/swap with internal cabling on Cube nuroad

I need some guidance on how to replace the shifting cable on a Cube nuroad with its internal cable routing. I prefer not to replace the outer cables nor to remove the hydraulic hose. The hydraulic ...
5 votes
3 answers
1k views

Shifter cable ruptured near the inner end in ST-R7020 - usual defect?

Is is a shifter cable ruptured/torn near the inner end a usual defect with the ST-R7020 shifter or alike? Some words on the symptoms when this defect happened (might help others with diagnoses): ...
12 votes
3 answers
3k views

Why do I constantly have to re-index gears?

I've got a road bike with a high end 11 speed groupset that is about 3 years / 30,000 km old. Chain and cassette have both been replaced recently (i.e. 500 km ago). What I'm experiencing is a constant ...
2 votes
1 answer
810 views

Shimano RD-R7000 cable cut into thread?

That gap/cut in the hollow screw of the cable mount is not supposed to be there, right? If so, is this a typical defect? The hollow screw is pressed into the derailleur body and not replaceable, so ...
2 votes
3 answers
425 views

"Non-Aero" cable routing with "Aero" brake levers

Modern "Aero" brake levers, with their long bases and big hoods have some pretty significant ergonomic advantages over traditional levers. Personally though, I hate having to tear off my bar ...
3 votes
1 answer
96 views

Sourcing cable guide clamps - for multiple cables

I'm looking for a cable guide clamp (for loss of a better word), but struggling to find any suitable ones online (similar style to below). It is the component which you use to hold a brake/shift ...
4 votes
1 answer
259 views

How should exactly the brake cable be fixed to V-brake caliper?

Regarding the V-brake calipers, where the cable is tightened with a screw: Should the cable go between the head of the screw and the washer (1), or should it go between the screw head and the body of ...
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2 votes
0 answers
91 views

Left shifter is not catching/gets stuck when there is cable tension

I need help with my left shifter. When I have the cable attached to the derailleur and have even the slightest tension applied, the shifter won't shift to the largest cog (I have double front ...
0 votes
1 answer
228 views

Cable head is too small

when I came to change the shifting (gear) cable on my claude butler bike I found that the original cable has a slightly bigger head(nipple) than the replacement cables I have-3.9mm compared to 3.5mm ...
5 votes
1 answer
232 views

Shifter cable cut deep groove into the rear derailleur casing

I have an old Shimano RD-M760 DEORE XT Rear Derailleur, where shifter cable cut a deep groove into the guiding steel tube. Here is a picture: Is that tube replaceable? I think that groove is a ...
-1 votes
1 answer
339 views

Is it illegal to cycle with one brake? [closed]

After refurbishing my mountain bicycle I have discovered I need a new cable for my rear brake. My front brake works perfectly fine and that is the only one I use. I will be getting the rear brake ...
6 votes
1 answer
413 views

How much can bike shift cables spool, and over what radius?

Some shifter designs have become known for causing broken cables, anecedotally because they're causing too much repeat spooling and unspooling over too tight a radius. For example, broken cable heads ...
2 votes
3 answers
1k views

Why does the rear brake bowden have no housing below the frame of the bike?

I observed that the bowden of the rear brake calipers runs "naked" below the bike frame. (Also the gear shifting cables, but let's focus on brake cables for this question.) (I.e. the section ...
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6 votes
3 answers
1k views

What is MTB/roadbike specific in brake cables?

Basically as the title says. Why won't a "roadbike" bike cable fit into an MTB, or vice-versa? Consider this one. What would happen if this was mounted in an MTB (or any other kind of bike)?
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2 votes
1 answer
545 views

Anyone seen a hollow crank spindle cut through by an internally-routed derailleur cable?

I just want to share a recent observation, but I have to pose it as a question. A person showed me an FSA Gossamer 30mm hollow crank spindle broken into 2 parts. The break looked almost as good as a ...
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4 votes
3 answers
1k views

Replacing a lost disc brake pinch bolt

While replacing the cable for my front disc brake, I lost the bolt and plate that attaches the cable to the calliper. In this Park Tool guide, they call it a 'pinch bolt' — labelled E in the image ...
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3 votes
2 answers
167 views

Why is this STI shifter cable corkscrewing?

I have a roadbike with an older Shimano 105 set of brifters. The left hand / front shifter has always had problems getting the chain to the big ring, to the point I often have to dismount to reset ...
  • 111k
1 vote
1 answer
192 views

Replacing an ebike's cable disc brakes with hydraulic disc

I have a Viking Gravity 250w 24v ebike. I'm just wondering if I can replace the braking system with a hydraulic type and what would happen to the wired braking safety feature? Would I have to retrace ...
-2 votes
1 answer
679 views

Apparently too much rear derailleur cable pull

I have a Deore XT RD-M761 GS medium cage derailleur on my touring bike that seems to move too much per shift. It shifts the chain on a 11-30 8-speed cassette with chainrings being 36/48 and the ...
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-1 votes
1 answer
87 views

What is this hardware inline with the brake cable?

The brake caliper is an Avid BB7_MTN, but there seems to be some kind of additional element inline with the brake cable. From what I can gather looking at the picture, there's an electric cable coming ...
1 vote
1 answer
795 views

Brompton cable & housing replacement

What type of cables & housing should I buy to replace them on my 2016 M6R Brompton? I've put a lot of tough miles since I bought my Brompton, and one of my shifting cables finally frayed and fell ...
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1 vote
1 answer
2k views

Shifter won't click and cable doesn't move

My front gear is set on the smallest gear then the shifter suddenly doesn't click. I also see no cable movement from the front derailleur. Here is the link for the vid: https://imgur.com/ZncNh70
1 vote
1 answer
119 views

What type of lever is this cable for?

I recently bought a rear brake cable for my 60s era Schwinn: I was expecting it to have a lever interface that looks like: But they are clearly different: I was browsing eBay for another cable and ...
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4 votes
1 answer
237 views

Shift Cable for 1963 Schwinn w/Sturmey Archer Shifter

This is the shifter on my 1963-64 Schwinn Racer: This is the old cable: I'd like to replace the cable and found this: It's hard to tell what the cable ends look like inside the packaging but is ...
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5 votes
3 answers
248 views

Data on cable lubricant

Chain lubrication is a popular topic. Perhaps for this reason, it is possible to find data for chain friction and chain lubrication. Some of the results of the research are quite interesting. I'm ...
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3 votes
3 answers
303 views

Shift lever tight when cable clamped in derailleur, adjustments seem futile

I have a 2020 Giant Trance 2 I purchased new at the beginning of June 2020. Recently I had to replace my shifter cable (I broke a ferrule and the cable was fraying and very short, so I figured the ...
4 votes
1 answer
284 views

What is the plastic inside this barrel adjuster, and is it okay to be worn?

I'm replacing the brake cables (inner / outer) on my ~2 year old bike, and noticed that there is a piece of hard plastic tubing (2–3mm diameter) inside the metal part of the barrel adjuster that feeds ...
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10 votes
3 answers
2k views

What's the strongest way to bond a cable stop to an steel frame?

I have a steel single speed bike and want to add a rear brake. All is good expect there is no cable stops on the top tube. I want to bond two cable stops to the under side of the top tube.
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4 votes
1 answer
3k views

How to replace hub motor cable in e-bike?

The hub motor wires are cut from near the axle and looks like I can't repair it without completely replacing it. The motor is similar to this one on Ali Express. I failed to open the motor because ...
  • 149
3 votes
1 answer
680 views

Replace vintage barrel nipple Shimano shifter cable

My West German bike has an old friction shifter. The shifting cable snapped and I discovered the nipple is barrel shaped but horizontal, much like a MTB brake cable, but smaller. I can't figure out ...
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4 votes
1 answer
104 views

Post head-on crash w/ another bike, shifters no longer shift

Hi everyone on bicycles StackExchange, I had a head-on crash with a drunk guy who rode his bike into mine and since both shifters stopped shifting. the right hand shifter clicks but does absolutely ...
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