Best pliers/tool for gear cable?

[Milzy]

Have you sorted the front mech cable adjuster yet @Milzy

Front mech is fine, I’ve got new cables coming and ordered some new pliers even though I could have brought a pair from work. All is working well but making sure I’m stocked up with spares as Spring is about to be sprung.

 

[mickle]

... it’s to create tension ... Good tension creates better snappier shifting.

I refer the Right Honourable Member to the answer i gave a few hours ago re: manuf's instructs.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Hand tight: I clamp the pliers on the cable and pull it tight with my hand.
You must have wonderfully capable fingers and hope your technique gives you pleasure.

 

[MontyVeda]

For gripping the cable i use a tiny 5" mawl grip. Its ideal for when i want to slacken the cable by a few short millimetres. For cutting... I've gone up the scale from bog standard pliers to £10 wire cutters . I think I'm just gonna have to get the Park tool. I'll soon forget about the price tag (NOT).

 

[Punkawallah]

For gripping the cable i use a tiny 5" mawl grip. Its ideal for when i want to slacken the cable by a few short millimetres. For cutting... I've gone up the scale from bog standard pliers to £10 wire cutters . I think I'm just gonna have to get the Park tool. I'll soon forget about the price tag (NOT).

For home use I’d go for any of the wire cutters with a lock at the pivot point, no need to pay Park Tool prices. I’ve had my ‘X-Tools’ pair for years - the proper tool is a game changer.

 

[Drago]

Hammer and chisel?

 

[mickle]

Hammer and chisel?

There speaks the voice of reason.

 

[mickle]

Hand tight: I clamp the pliers on the cable and pull it tight with my hand.
You must have wonderfully capable fingers and hope your technique gives you pleasure.

Your pliers are not just superfluous to the task. You're likely putting too much tension on the cable and probably damaging it.

The barrel adjuster is the mechanism for setting the correct cable tension.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Friction shifters for the win

 

[mickle]

Friction shifters for the win

Yeah but what size vice grips do you use to pull your bailing twine through?

 

[Punkawallah]

Friction shifters for the win

Down tube friction shifters, surely?

 

[Punkawallah]

Yeah but what size vice grips do you use to pull your bailing twine through?

Please. 160 strand wound steel wire cabling.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Down tube friction shifters, surely?

On a recumbent?

 

[Punkawallah]

On a recumbent?

Pick a tube - any tube.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Pick a tube - any tube.

Like the handlebar tube for instance 🤔