Tightening gear cable - workshop retard

Wily-Quixote

yes I am a workshop retard...

I am about to attempt to change a gear cable (in fact install new shifters). I am comfortable with the process EXCEPT: last time that I tried adjusting my gears I couldn't pull the tension on the gear cable. I can pull the cable with pliers with no issue but I can't get enough leverage on the pinch bolt to tighten it; there's nothing to lever against. Do I need a helper to pull tensionwhilst i push the pinch bolt and tighten it?

kwozzymodo

You could try screwing the barrel adjuster on the derailleur right in, and any other adjuster you have between lever and derailleur. Then, once you've installed the cable, undo the adjuster(s) to add tension.

The Rookie

I always start with the barrel adjuster one turn out from full in for the occasional time I need to slacken the cable.

Pull the cable tight and 'nip' the retaining bolt up, that will be enough to hold it so you can let go of the cable and hold the mech while you then fully tighten the bolt. Make sure the chain is on the smallest cog, the low stop adjusted so the mech is underneath it and inline and the shifter in the right position before you do this!

rubez

Expert here. Just done this yesterday. This was my BIG mistake - thinking you had to pull the gears cable very tight, but in fact that was why I think I couldn't get into certain gears.

I bought a stupid extra hand tool for this, but it is 100% useless.

You can pull the wire with your hand through and tighten up the bolt... and not even particularly tight - that's all you need, too much tension is bad. Forget pliers... just keep any barrell adjusts screwed all the way in beforehand.

Very handy article. Explains it 100 times clearer than Parktools, which is unnecessarily convoluted... that has you yanking on wires and all this bullcrap, gave me a headache.

http://www.artscyclery.com/learningcenter/shimanorearderailleurs.html

Chunkers1980

rubez wrote:

Expert here. Just done this yesterday. This was my BIG mistake - thinking you had to pull the gears cable very tight, but in fact that was why I think I couldn't get into certain gears.

I bought a stupid extra hand tool for this, but it is 100% useless.

You can pull the wire with your hand through and tighten up the bolt... and not even particularly tight - that's all you need, too much tension is bad. Forget pliers... just keep any barrell adjusts screwed all the way in beforehand.

Very handy article. Explains it 100 times clearer than Parktools, which is unnecessarily convoluted... that has you yanking on wires and all this bullcrap, gave me a headache.

http://www.artscyclery.com/learningcenter/shimanorearderailleurs.html

Haha. Please ingnore this. Especially the instructions on how to do it.

rubez

Ignore if you like, but I spent an hour trying the Parktool method to no avail.

I managed to do this in less than 5 minutes - shifting through all gears smoothly with one click, no hesitation, very pleased.

I have NO idea why park tools have taken 5000% more text to cover the same subject, that is one seriously anal article.

Basically you set your outer and inner stop limit screws, shift into middle of cassette, say 4th gear - click 4 times, then adjust barrel adjuster until the nearest cog on your derailleur is dead centre above the 4th gear cog.

I think this site is affiliated with Parktools or something...

felix.london

I've never had a problem just pulling the cable through with my fingers (left hand) and tightening the bolt with my right. Easy. Like rubez says (!!) it doesn't have to be strained on with pliers - don't forget the cable has to get a whole lot tighter as it moves up through the gears

The Rookie

It depends on the cable routing and the outers, if I don't apply enough pressure on mine the outer comes a little way out the shifter and you end up with a slack cable, I can't do it with my fingers so use pliers, although I'm far from heaving on it.

Chunkers1980

rubez wrote:

I think this site is affiliated with Parktools or something...

Not so, but at least I suppose, it's better than being affiliated with Scope.

rubez

Ironically you probably look more like a retard when your out biking with your stupid helmet on, gimp!

Chunkers1980

rubez wrote:

Ironically you probably look more like a retard when your out biking with your stupid helmet on, gimp!

It's 'you're' and at least it's not a foam helmet.

rubez

Picking on my grammar

You really wear a helmet then?

What else, the skintight spandex?!

Dear god.

drlodge

Chunkers1980 wrote:

rubez wrote:

Ironically you probably look more like a retard when your out biking with your stupid helmet on, gimp!

It's 'you're' and at least it's not a foam helmet.

No rubez was correct in the use of "your". "you're" is short for "you are". [Oops I am the retard now]

And I also agree with his way of indexing the gears - align top jockey wheel to the sprockets, but you have to take the chain off to do it properly.

rubez

Two yours, one mistake.

larkim

drlodge wrote:

Chunkers1980 wrote:

rubez wrote:

Ironically you probably look more like a retard when your out biking with your stupid helmet on, gimp!

It's 'you're' and at least it's not a foam helmet.

No rubez was correct in the use of "your". "you're" is short for "you are".

Apart from the time when he wasn't (see above).

btw all - retard - not a pleasant turn of phrase. Idiot may be more appropriate. Fool. Dumbass. Jerk. Plenty of other choices available.

cooldad

drlodge wrote:

Chunkers1980 wrote:

rubez wrote:

Ironically you probably look more like a retard when your out biking with your stupid helmet on, gimp!

It's 'you're' and at least it's not a foam helmet.

No rubez was correct in the use of "your". "you're" is short for "you are".

Failed correction fail.

cooldad

rubez wrote:

Ironically you probably look more like a retard when your out biking with your stupid helmet on, gimp!

I think it finally proves the point that helmets are worth wearing - falling on your head regularly without one causes brain damage,

rubez

Probably, but then I've never fallen off my bike onto my head.

Worth wearing if you don't mind looking like a knob, or have bad balance

cooldad

So, as I'm bored, what did you fall off?

Wily-Quixote

Thanks for the on-topic replies and the grammar war.... i'll attempt the fix tomorrow.

BTW retard is not an offensive word, it just means delayed development. I have delayed development in my workshop skills.

The Rookie

rubez wrote:

Ironically you probably look more like a retard when your out biking with your stupid helmet on, gimp!

I think it was this usage of the word that caused issues

larkim

I beg to differ. When used as a noun "a retard" (as in the thread title and elsewhere in the thread) it is a word which has come to be considered as inappropriate or offensive. In my defence I offer:-
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/retard
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retard

I would be exceptionally offended if anyone, professionally or otherwise, ever referred to the member of my family which has learning disabilities as "a retard", in much the same way as I would react if they were referred to as "a mong", "a spaz", etc

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_di ... nnotations

There's a reason why the Black Eyed Peas had to change their hit "Let's get retarded" to "Let's get it started"...

Here endeth the lesson.