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When Do You Replace Shifter Cables?

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When Do You Replace Shifter Cables?

Old 05-15-22, 07:58 PM
  #76  
Chuck M 
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I found the time to change my RD cable tonight. There didn't seem to be any fraying of the cable in the STI body. However I found that the plastic ferrule in the barrel adjuster was broken off. This may explain some intermittent shifting noise I've been noticing. I have not removed the FD cable yet, but I don't expect to find anything odd in there as I rarely leave the big ring on this bike. Nevertheless, I'm glad I'm getting this done as I'm riding my first century next month and this simple maintenance item won't be something I'll regret not doing.


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Old 05-15-22, 08:22 PM
  #77  
Kai Winters
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Where did the cable break?
In the shifter? At the "pinch bolt" where it is secured to the front derailleur?
Where it breaks may tell the tale of what may have happened.
I see some bikes that come into the shop for service that the pinch bolt was far too tight and has crushed the wires. Over time and movement...shifting and braking...the wires continue to break and the cable fail. It doesn't happen often but possibly with a harder than normal shift and fraying wires a break will occur.
I ride around 10K plus a year and was on 105 11 speed for a bit, now Ultegra R8000 and have never broken a cable.
I had my last bike, Merlin/Campy Record, for 22 years and never broke a cable.
It may be possible that you are applying more force than you think. You do state you are a relatively new rider and often newer riders make mistakes that more seasoned riders do not. Learning how to shift is often not as easy as it may appear especially shifting under load...shifting under high pressure applied while pedaling. That can cause all sorts of interesting things to happen to a bike's drive train.
Just a couple of things to think about.
I usually change my cables every couple of years during the winter months...now with Zwift there is no such thing as winter time off lol.

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Old 05-16-22, 12:56 PM
  #78  
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I run Dura Ace 7700 downtube shifters. Never had a shifter or brake cable break. Glad I never went STI.
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Old 05-16-22, 04:17 PM
  #79  
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
You're right - an annual $3 shifter cable, for a groupset that otherwise performs exceptionally well, is just a bridge too far. I'll start researching alternatives. Thank you for the insight and perspective.
$3? What kinda cheap-ass cables you run? Galvanized?
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Old 05-16-22, 04:33 PM
  #80  
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Originally Posted by genejockey
$3? What kinda cheap-ass cables you run? Galvanized?
Whatever kind the service department at my LBS pulls out of the huge bulk cable box when I ask for a shift cable.
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Old 05-16-22, 05:19 PM
  #81  
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Originally Posted by smd4
I run Dura Ace 7700 downtube shifters. Never had a shifter or brake cable break. Glad I never went STI.
Really? Cuz replacing a cable every now and then is such a traumatic experience? I'm sure you've heard the term 'luddite'...
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Old 05-16-22, 06:27 PM
  #82  
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Originally Posted by cxwrench
Really? Cuz replacing a cable every now and then is such a traumatic experience? I'm sure you've heard the term 'luddite'...
I repeat: I’ve never snapped a brake or shift cable. I also ride a steel frame, use clips and straps, a quill stem, a leather saddle, tires with inner tubes and have quick release hubs. Sure, I’ve heard the term Luddite.

I’m equally sure you’ve heard the term ‘a-hole...’
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Old 05-16-22, 07:57 PM
  #83  
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Originally Posted by smd4
I repeat: I’ve never snapped a brake or shift cable. I also ride a steel frame, use clips and straps, a quill stem, a leather saddle, tires with inner tubes and have quick release hubs. Sure, I’ve heard the term Luddite.

I’m equally sure you’ve heard the term ‘a-hole...’
Hey bud, referring to you as a luddite is not necessarily a bad thing...calling me an a-hole? C'mon, lighten up.
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Old 05-16-22, 07:59 PM
  #84  
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Originally Posted by cxwrench
Hey bud, referring to you as a luddite is not necessarily a bad thing...calling me an a-hole? C'mon, lighten up.
I didn’t call you anything, “bud.”
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Old 05-21-22, 09:59 AM
  #85  
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Originally Posted by 50PlusCycling
I’ve never had a shifter cable break in hundreds of thousands of miles of riding. I’ve broken a couple derailleurs, and had brake cables pull loose, but never broken any.
I've not ridden hundreds of thousands of miles riding, but over the last 15 years of cycling I had never had a cable break ... until earlier this year when my FD cable snapped just as I was about to begin an ascent. I clean my bike religiously, inspect it before each ride, swap out consumables like cables at the first hint of a problem, and thought 'it won't happen to me' but then it did. Luckily just a short 10km to limp (well, spin) home.

It was a good opportunity to invest in fancy new cables (but not too badly priced, at least compared to the Canadian prices) that I'd likely not have bought if I were just replacing worn-out cables. With worn-out cables, I'd have just replaced them with my normal ones, but the failure made me experiment a bit and I've never braked or shifted so smoothly.

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Old 05-22-22, 02:35 AM
  #86  
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3 different liv's ( gravel bikes ) around 2k cables broke ( have 3 friends that all bought the same gravel bike )
giant revolt adv 2 ( gravel bike ) around 3k cable broke
topstone alloy shimano 105 ( gravel bike ) shifter cable broke around 2k

system six road bike sold with almost 4k miles on it. still shifted like new. zero issues. road like new


Seems like my road bike could have easily gone to 10k miles with no issues. I barely had to touch it. The gravel bikes require constant tweaking. I ride them on a lot of mtb bike trails.
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Old 05-22-22, 10:00 PM
  #87  
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I have Campagnolo shifters and cables on my four bikes. I’ve had a cable come loose (once), but have never broken a cable. I do change them, but not often — maybe around 10,000 miles.
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Old 05-23-22, 05:37 AM
  #88  
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I just replaced the Shimano Altus rear derailleur shifter cable on my 4 year old Trek Marlin 7 which has about 2000 miles on it and has been my all-weather, all terrain bike so things have been wearing more quickly. I noticed that the housing was fraying and showing rust at the upper insertion point in the downtube. When I pulled the cable I didn't see any fraying but decided to put in a new cable just to be safe.
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Old 05-23-22, 09:27 AM
  #89  
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I'm riding DA and have to replace the RD cable around every 9 months. The cable eventually starts fraying at the shifter.
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Old 05-25-22, 01:50 PM
  #90  
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I do it once a year, usually just before winter starts and snow is everywhere :-) makes a good winter project
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Old 05-25-22, 02:02 PM
  #91  
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Originally Posted by cxwrench
Really? Cuz replacing a cable every now and then is such a traumatic experience? I'm sure you've heard the term 'luddite'...
Well, replacing cables in some brifters and twist shifters can be much more of a chore than replacing the cable on a downtube shifter.
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