Do i need to replace cables or more

andy83
andy83 Posts: 1,558
edited March 2010 in The workshop
last few weeks been havign a bit of trouble shifting my front mech. Ive got a compact and sora mech

I have tried playing round with the screws to no avail, a couple of times I have managed to get it shifting fine, only for it then to go all stiff again after around 30 miles.

I can shift into big ring but most time have to push the lever a little more than the central position so then it sits in and i can get it to drop to the small ring about once in every 30 goes, it has got to the stage where I have to unclip and nock the mech back across.

Do I need to replace the cabling? the mech seems to move freely but just not when lever moved.

Is it feesable for cables needing replacing after nearly 3000 miles. I have no mud guards and have rode all through winter, having two weeks on mtb in the snow

Comments

  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    I replaced my rear brake cable last weekend - the cable was pulling, but not releasing completely. I squirted some lube in the cable outer and replaced the cable, and works fine now.

    Might be worth lubing the mech, too.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • andy83
    andy83 Posts: 1,558
    cheers

    have lubed the mech but to no avail, think its a case of new cable all round then

    Ive been good with keeping up the maintenance side of things however never actually cleaned the cables apart from a quick rub
  • Norky
    Norky Posts: 276
    You should probably replace the cable outer. Apparently (according to a mechanic in my LBS) the outer cable sheaths tend to wear more quickly than the cables themselves. I did some similar fettling a couple of weeks ago and this weekend, un-threading the cable, squirting GT85 through the sheath and replacing, which helped a very stiff gear shift for a bit. You can also trim 5-10mm off either end of the outer (and they're usually sufficiently over long to do this) as apparently they often get mangled more than the inner bit.

    The above all helped a bit but in the end I just replaced the outer sheaths (one long piece cut into three lengths to match the old ones) all round and the cables (the cables simply because in removing and replacing a couple of times I trimmed the ends too much and they cost bugger all, they were otherwise clean and undamaged)
    The above is a post in a forum on the Intertubes, and should be taken with the appropriate amount of seriousness.
  • RJHazell
    RJHazell Posts: 25
    Personally, whether it's gears or brakes - I change outters and inners all in one go...

    You can buy complete gear or brake cable sets quite cheaply and changing the gear cable doesn't mean you have to spend ages setting up the mech..

    there are some good tutorials here...

    http://bicycletutor.com/inner-shift-cable/

    hope this helps..... RJH
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    The Keble combos on Wiggle are a good deal.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • neiltb
    neiltb Posts: 332
    3000 miles and never lubed the cables, I'm surprised they lasted this long.

    When winter commuting I do brakes one weekend, gears the next, with all the salt and cold it's required.

    Also, the screws are the last thing you should be messing with, all they set are the limits of motion, bad shifting can get terrible real fast if you don't know what you're doing.

    At this point replace cables and liners, learn to maintain them.
    FCN 12
  • andy83
    andy83 Posts: 1,558
    well believe it or not it was my front mech that was covered in rubbish, paint brush type bit on muc off brush, some muc off and water and a good scrub and its shifting like a gooden :)

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