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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Northampton, MA
Posts: 956
Bikes: Iron Monkey: a junkyard steel 26" slick-tired city bike. Grey Fox: A Trek 7x00 frame, painted, with everything built, from spokes up. Jet Jaguar: A 92 Cannondale R900 frame, powder coated matte black with red and aluminum highlights.
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The nice thing about a third hand tensioner is that it pulls the cable taught as it ratchets to hold it in place. I've never had one that was really good, but it still makes brake work much easier. Foreceps are great for the holding, but not the tensioning.
On the other hand, I usually install with the brake pads right up against the rims. I find that one or two good squeezes on the lever backs them off enough without adjusting as long as the rims are true.