Cable Stretch??

kitten2010

I have just found that I can't change gear on the rear cassette. I am thinking that it may be caused by...... Yesterday I dropped my bike in the garage the shifter caught on another bike really heavily, it seemed to push the lever really hard. Now I can barely change gear and there seems very little tension in the lever, have I stretched the cable beyond repair or does anyone have a better idea of what I might have done??

Thank you

cooldad

Bent the hanger. Or if it's the shifter, maybe pushed the cable out.
Or busted the shifter.
It won't be a stretched cable.

kitten2010

The hanger didn't get touched so I would have thought this was alright, the shifter took the full force of me dropping it, when I went to ride the bike today there was barely any tension when shifting. The shifter still moves through the full range but I can't get the chain on the 2 smallest or 2 biggest sprockets. I will have to have another look at it. There is certainly no easily visible damage from what I could see today.

butcher of bakersfield

As Cooldad says, it seems unlikely it would be the cable suddenly stretched. That's something that happens gradually over a long period of time..

First thing I would do is make sure the cable's seated correctly. In the shifter, then follow it back to the derailleur, paying special attention to any cable mounting points - it does sound like the cable could have popped out somewhere. And check the derailleur is straight.

If it's none of the above, then it could entail taking things to bits. When it comes to the shifter, pay special attention to how it was put together before you took it apart. It took me ages to get mine back together

The Rookie

It could be you've pulled the cable through the rear clamp bolt, that would at least explain not getting the 2 largest sprockets.

As for not getting the 2 smallest, IF the cable is slack (as it should be) then that has nothing to do with the shifter.
What make/model of shifter and mech?

Simon

benpinnick

Have you checked the cable still routes into the shifter right? Sounds like the outer has caught somewhere. Oh, and you cant stretch a cable beyond repair. In fact, you cant stretch a cable.

cooldad

This is true. It's the ends of the outer that compress a fraction that causes the need to tweek the indexing after fitting a new cable.