CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

Brake cable advice

(7 posts)
  • Started 10 years ago by CycleCommute.CC
  • Latest reply from Cyclops
  • This topic is not a support question

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  1. CycleCommute.CC
    Member

    One of my brakes has started to get stiff when pulling the shifter. I think the cable has just got filled up with gunk so want to try and either free it up or replace it over the holidays. I'm also going to do the bar tape so getting both done at the same time would make sense.

    Has anyone ever had success with cleaning them out and if so how do you go about this?

    There seems to be quite a difference in pricing between cable brands (just been looking the complete cable sets). E.g.

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/clarks-universal-front-and-rear-brake-cable-kit/
    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-road-brake-cable-set-with-ptfe-inner-cable/

    My bike has shimano 6700 kit on it, would there be any noticable difference between either of the two links above?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  2. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I've never noticed any difference with Clarks vs. Shimano cables or outers. I put Jagwires on all my bikes usually as they come in yellow and I usually do the whole bike in one go, but have replaced the individual cables if they've snapped or damaged with Clarks and there's never been any issues.

    Don't push old cables down new outers as generally they'll get a bit stuck or tear the liner in the outer.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  3. twq
    Member

    I didn't know it was possible to change cables without taking the bar tape off until recently. You should try to clean & oil the cables first. If it's still pulling then replace them.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  4. Coxy
    Member

    Done this recently - including the bar tape.

    It's not expensive if you already have access to the tools. Why risk getting it jammed up again soon for the sake of a tenner plus the bar tape? You can get the outer cable from your local bike shop pretty cheaply. Please note that brake outers are completely different from gear cable outers, so don't mix them up!

    If you are cutting the outer cable yourself, make sure you use some very good cutters. Park tools do a pretty heavy duty set, but I'm sure you can get something cheaper from a good tool shop. Also, once you have cut the cable, use a sharp pencil tip to open up the internal casing atthe end before you put the end caps on.

    If you don't want to go to the trouble of measuring and cutting yourself, just remove all the outer cables (making sure you note which one goes where) and take them to the local bike shop and get them to cut the outer cable for you.

    TWQ- how can you change the outers without removing the bar tape?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  5. twq
    Member

    @Coxy - magic. The trick is to mis-read the post, and put forward one's uninformed opinion. Oops. My mistake.
    This is the internet after all, right?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  6. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    Jagwires come with more ferrules and things to stop frame rub and so on.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  7. Cyclops
    Member

    The penultimate thing you should do is cut the cable to the right length (sticking the cable end caps on should be the last). Make sure everything's working and you're happy with the routing, etc. before you cut the cable as you can't stick it back together again if it's too short. Most uncut cables also have the ends dipped in solder to stop fraying and unwinding when you're working with them.

    Posted 10 years ago #

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