need advice

Whufcrule
Whufcrule Posts: 131
edited February 2013 in Road beginners
hi lads im waiting for some new handlebars to arive and my question is this with the gear/break levers do the cables need to be disconected from them or will the come off the bars as a whole unit with the cables still attached new to road bikes sorry if this is silly question

Comments

  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    In order to get the levers off, it is unlikely there will be sufficient slack in the cables to allow you to slide them round and off the bars.

    IME you need to remove the cables and re-fit, particularly if you have the type that are hidden under the tape.

    Obviously this means undoing everything at the other end and pulling them through.
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • ShutUpLegs
    ShutUpLegs Posts: 3,522
    ^WHS
    Also, you *may* need to buy new inner cables
  • wellbeloved747
    wellbeloved747 Posts: 406
    It may be possible if you remove the bars from the stem first but it is very unlikely
    Twitter-@CyclingInPhotos http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40044&t=12968905
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    Disagree. There should be enough there to slide the brake levers round to the end, and the arc of the bars doesn't add much more distance to where they are at present. You've got to unwind the tape anyway - I don't see any reason why they won't come off without taking the brake cables out.

    Who said breaks?
  • Whufcrule
    Whufcrule Posts: 131
    cheers lads i might get local bike shop to do it then no way am i gonna start taking cables off and that ill mess it up
  • MattyyP
    MattyyP Posts: 142
    CiB wrote:
    Disagree. There should be enough there to slide the brake levers round to the end, and the arc of the bars doesn't add much more distance to where they are at present. You've got to unwind the tape anyway - I don't see any reason why they won't come off without taking the brake cables out.

    Who said breaks?


    +1

    That's what I did, and it was really easyyy! :)
    Specialized Secteur Sport 2011
    B'Twin Rockrider 8 XC
    B'Twin Rockrider 9.1
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    No reason to disconnect the cables unless you need to modify the length of the outers. Use electrical tape to hold everything in place and go for a test ride once you've swapped over.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    But but but....

    They will slide off. Just stand back & look. The cables run along the bars then arc round with the curve to where the hoods are now. Yours might differ to mine but simple eyeballing it tells me they'll reach the end of the drops about the same distance the other way. At least have a go.

    And you can't seriously be claiming to be so mechanically inept that you can't thread a wire down a tube and screw the clamp up again? At least have a go, unless you're really desperate to chuck money down the drain. :)
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    If the cables are under the tape the outer is fixed to the bars and therefor stops you from sliding the levers away unless you remove the cable inner.
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    smidsy wrote:
    If the cables are under the tape the outer is fixed to the bars and therefor stops you from sliding the levers away unless you remove the cable inner.
    He's fitting new bars.
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    CiB wrote:
    smidsy wrote:
    If the cables are under the tape the outer is fixed to the bars and therefor stops you from sliding the levers away unless you remove the cable inner.
    He's fitting new bars.

    All the more reason to remove everything and start from scratch the surely :?

    IMHO The amount of time and effort required to try and unthread and rethread bars through a mirriad of cables (having taken off the tape holding the outers) is more trouble than just doing it properly.

    In fact if you are in the East Midlands I'll do it for you :wink:
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    Two cables each side, a bit of plastic tape to line them up and away you go. Piece of cake. I just measured mine whilst in there. Roughly 12" of cable from front brake assy to hood; about 6" as the crow flies from brake to bar end, and about the same for the rear to where it goes into the frame. If that ain't plenty I don't know what is. :)

    This is exactly the sort of job that newbies should be taking on - looks fiddly, might be awkward but will actually turn out to be a complete doddle and will enthuse said noob with the confidence to stride on into other simple jobs, like reindexing gears, taking the cassette off, fitting a new chain. Every part of a bike is dead simple and eaily maintained by the end user. Sloping off to pay someone to do every simple job isn't the way to cycling happiness, surely?
  • TakeTurns
    TakeTurns Posts: 1,075
    Got to be careful with those bolts on the stem. I've broken a Ti bolt inside a 3T stem before. :oops:
    Thankfully, after almost an hour, my LBS managed to get it out for £15. I wasn't too bothered though, since that was only a small fraction of the price for the stem. Taught me to use a torque wrench next time!
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    CiB wrote:
    This is exactly the sort of job that newbies should be taking on - looks fiddly, might be awkward but will actually turn out to be a complete doddle.

    Sloping off to pay someone to do every simple job isn't the way to cycling happiness, surely?

    Totally agree with that.

    If they take it all off and re-fit from scratch they will also learn how to index gears and set up brakes. :D
    Yellow is the new Black.

Categories