Gear Cable failure - on the road

[TheDoctor]

What are cables three and four used for, please?

I was thinking of a front brake, rear brake, front gear and rear gear cable, all cut to length.
Possibly overkill, but it would mean not carrying a heavy pair of cutters about.

 

[Ajax Bay]

The only way to prevent this [the hex] from happening will be for us to carry spares

I shall be following the normal slamming after bolting routine and reinstating the spare cable to my spares/tools pack for long rides from now on. And putting a note on my 'rides log' to check the cables regularly and replace prophyllactically in another 7500km. But I still wonder whether there's a set of snips out there light enough to carry. Last weekend, the guy running the bike shop at Rhayader Clive Powell Bikes (?Clive?) was kind enough to include a cable end with the cable and loan me a pair of snips. Job done and continued on my way north (eventually to Anglesey) in less than 15 minutes. I'm sure there are pros on here for whom that is tardy indeed, but I'd done 5 hours by then so the rest was beneficial, to an extent.

 

[andrew_s]

I was thinking of a front brake, rear brake, front gear and rear gear cable, all cut to length.
Possibly overkill, but it would mean not carrying a heavy pair of cutters about.

I'd recommend just carrying single ended rear gear and brake cables, and coiling any excess if you use them on the front.

New cables have the strands melted together at the end, and will remain neat and tidy more or less indefinitely, but I'd expect a cut cable to start unraveling before you actually need to use it. It is possible to solder a cut cable, but it's not as tidy as a new cable, and you've got to get the right solder and flux - the ordinary stuff doesn't work on stainless.

If you do coil a replacement front cable, trim it and tidy up when you get home - the weight of the coil bouncing up and down will eventually fatigue and break the cable where it comes out of the clamp bolt (DAMHIKT).

But I still wonder whether there's a set of snips out there light enough to carry.

The only light and effective cable cutter I ever saw was home made - nesting hardened steel slotted cylinders with cable-size slots, the inner cylinder being screw driven until the slot ends passed each other.

Leatherman-type tools generally don't cut cleanly, and can make quite a mess of the cable end.

 

[andrew_s]

When I've had a cable failure on the road and haven't had a spare cable, I've wedged a suitably sized stone into the mech parallelogram.
It's never seemed to me that the limit adjuster screws are long enough to move the mech over far enough to be useful.

 

[boydj]

Given the very low risk of a cable break on the road, I don't bother carrying spares (I don't do 300k audaxes, though). You can always bodge a gear mech to get you home, or ride without a back brake, moving brake cable if necessary. Cable wear is very obvious at mechs and brakes - just check regularly inside the brifters, because that's where gear cables are likely to go, though usually you'll get some warning when fraying cables affect the shifting.

 

[Mr Celine]

I had the rear gear cable break last weekend in the middle of nowhere. Adjusting the limit screw as far as it would go got me on to the 17T sprocket. I have a 50 39 30 triple which gives three usable gears and it seemed to get easier once I remembered when I were a lad I used to ride everywhere on a three speed.

This is the third time I've broken a gear cable on a ride, one front and two rear, in 12500 miles. They always break inside the shifter. I've always got home no bother without carrying a spare.

 

[toffee]

Never mind inner gear cables, the outer went on my bike on the CTC last year. Luckily bi was close to a half odds and just bought another. Also lucky in that the b&b owner owned a pair of cable cutters.

 

[Ian H]

I feel that my suggestion of last Wednesday holds water: fit the spare before the event. Saves time and weight.

 

[mjr]

I feel that my suggestion of last Wednesday holds water: fit the spare before the event. Saves time and weight.

Don't use cables to hold water. They don't hold much and it does them no good.

 

[Bodhbh]

Suggest you (both) try to cut a(n old) gear cable with them next time you have an opportunity. I used to carry a small pair of pliers, till I realised that they would not 'cut it' (a cable).

As it happened I was replacing some cables tonight so gave it a go. I was expecting to be coming here agreeing with you but...

Tried cutting some brake cable with 3 different pliers - 2 cut it easily (one very cleanly too), 1 took some force and frayed the cable, but they got thru. Sods law, they were the pair I carry about, which I suppose is natural as they're the smallest. All 3 pliers cut gear cable without much fuss or fraying. I've got a knock-off Leatherman too, but I didn't think to try that.

ofc not everyone wants to carry a pair of pliers about either...

 

[ufkacbln]

On longer 300k+ audaxes I'll carry a spare gear and brake cable. I also tend to carry one brake pad. Some electrical tape can be used to stick the extra cable bit together.

I always used to carry a spare gear and brake cable, especially as on the long wheelbase recumbents you needed a tandem cable in some cases

I always used to either zip tie, or tape the excess in a neat coil so that it was out of the way.

When I bought the replacement, the shop was always happy to trim and cap the cable

 

[Will Spin]

I've only ever broken one gear cable. The rear derailleur cable went. I managed to wedge something into the rear derailleur so it was permanently in 4th gear. My way back home was about 20 miles and fairly hilly, seemed to manage the hills OK by standing up, whereas I would have been in the saddle, so no real problem. Since then I change the gear cables about every two years. The failed gear cable was fitted by the bike shop (R!bble) when I bought the bike, I think they had over tightened the clamp screw and the cable frayed...I had spotted this beforehand but had decided to leave it....never trust a bike shop!!!

 

[Globalti]

Yes, gear cables don't just break. They have to have been abused, neglected or bent and re-bent too many times in order to break. A good quality bike will have equipment that takes the tension from the cable without subjecting it to bending. If a cable frays at a fitting, the fitting has been over-tightened crushing the cable. Your regular safety check of tyres, brakes etc. should enable you to spot damaged cables and replace them before they break in use.

 

[Dogtrousers]

A couple of months ago I spotted my RD cable fraying in the bit where it goes under the BB, and I replaced it.

Do I get a prize?

(Actually I replaced all four cables because as it meant un-taping and re-taping the bars I thought I may as well).

 

[mjr]

Actually, I think I've broken more brake levers than brake cables. I'm still not carrying a spare brake lever