the need to replace gear cable outers

oldredpinarello
oldredpinarello Posts: 101
edited August 2013 in Workshop
Apologies if this is obvious! I have some long rides the next few weekends so am doing some maintenence. I'm replacing my gear cables but prefer the outers I already have to the ones that my lbs stock. Do I need to replace them? Or can I just replace the cables themselves?

Comments

  • Yossie
    Yossie Posts: 2,600
    Its best practise to replace inners and outers as the outers will become worn inside and frayed around the edges (especially if you are changing cables) possibly resulting in snagging shifts and cack messing up your indexing.

    I'd suggest get some new ones or, if you must keep the old ones, then flush through with WD/GT 85 to clear any cack out, get some cable oil down there (use a syringe) and then carefully de-burr any edges and make double sure that when you put the new inners all moves smoothly.

    Keep the old ones for this weekend but get onto someone like Evans or CRC today, order some new outers today and they will be down for Monday night fitting, fettling and beer drinking.

    HTH

    Y
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    I just replace stuff that breaks or wears out. Rear shifter cable frayed inside the shifter so I just replaced the inner. Front shifter cable replaced when I transferred kit over to a new frame because the end was too frayed to go through the tiny hole through the BB shell. Same brake cables and all the outers as when the bike was built 6 years ago.

    I am a bit of a cheapskate though...
  • oldredpinarello
    oldredpinarello Posts: 101
    Yossie wrote:
    Its best practise to replace inners and outers as the outers will become worn inside and frayed around the edges (especially if you are changing cables) possibly resulting in snagging shifts and cack messing up your indexing.

    I'd suggest get some new ones or, if you must keep the old ones, then flush through with WD/GT 85 to clear any cack out, get some cable oil down there (use a syringe) and then carefully de-burr any edges and make double sure that when you put the new inners all moves smoothly.

    Keep the old ones for this weekend but get onto someone like Evans or CRC today, order some new outers today and they will be down for Monday night fitting, fettling and beer drinking.

    HTH

    Y


    Thanks for the advice, appreciate it. Unfortunately im a recent emigrant now living in Norway so CRC or Evans arent really the option due to import tax, its Bike Brothers or Spinn (and they both stock ONE, yes ONE type of cable). I miss online retailers and price matching, we have it so good in the UK!!

    Im going to try and keep the outers but will take your advice about flushing them out. :)

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