Gear cable stuck inside derailleur cage

[DittonBayesian]

Not sure how this happened but the gear cable on my son’s bike (which he’s happily been riding for a couple of years) is stuck inside the derailleur cage.

I can’t for the life of me see a) how it got inside b) how to get it out.

Any ideas welcome!

 

[Paulus]

Presumably the cable has come out from the lugs on the chain stay.
Use the changer to put the gear into the top gear, 8th, 9th or what ever. That will slacken the cable right off, and it should the be able to reposition the outer cable, and the thin inner from the cage back into position on the chain stay.
There will be a small gap in the cage to slip the inner out of it.

 

[DittonBayesian]

Presumably the cable has come out from the lugs on the chain stay.
Use the changer to put the gear into the top gear, 8th, 9th or what ever. That will slacken the cable right off, and it should the be able to reposition the outer cable, and the thin inner from the cage back into position on the chain stay.
There will be a small gap in the cage to slip the inner out of it.

I removed it from there myself (to put slack in the cable to un-jam it from the jockey wheel). The issue is more how I get it out of the derailleur cage.

 

[Gunk]

Undo the two jockey wheels and the cage will come apart.

 

[Cycleops]

That’s a weird one. As above undo the screw’s holding the two jockey wheels and bob’s yer uncle.

 

[Gunk]

I’m guessing that the bottom jockey wheel has grabbed the cable and forced it into the cage

 

[DittonBayesian]

Thanks all, will give it a go.

And yes, I guess the only way for it to get in there is if it got past the side of both jockey wheels by sheer pedalling force—no way I could pull it past them now.

 

[wafter]

Isn't the tab in the cage that the cable outer is "behind" open on the rear side? If the chain has a quick link you could whip it off (or at least separate it at the RD) to give better access. Shouldn't be too difficult..

I'm in awe of the bizarre impromptu cable routing and even more amazed that it continues to work

 

[Cycleops]

Just noticed that this tab appears to be displaced so this needs to revert to its original position.

 

[presta]

There's a gap between the end of this tab and the rear side of the cage, if you slide the cable outer out of the way the inner should pass through it. If not, slacken the screw holding the tensioning pulley a bit.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Yep push cable in towards wheel and it should release

 

[qigong chimp]

I'd buy a new bike.

 

[DittonBayesian]

Isn't the tab in the cage that the cable outer is "behind" open on the rear side? If the chain has a quick link you could whip it off (or at least separate it at the RD) to give better access. Shouldn't be too difficult..

I'm in awe of the bizarre impromptu cable routing and even more amazed that it continues to work

There's a gap between the end of this tab and the rear side of the cage, if you slide the cable outer out of the way the inner should pass through it. If not, slacken the screw holding the tensioning pulley a bit.
View attachment 680400

Ding ding ding! This was it, thanks both. I hadn’t noticed there was a thin gap in tab across the bottom of the cage.

Cable is out now with no need to break the chain or dismantle the cage.

 

[wafter]

Ding ding ding! This was it, thanks both. I hadn’t noticed there was a thin gap in tab across the bottom of the cage.

Cable is out now with no need to break the chain or dismantle the cage.

Nice work, glad to help

 

[Ajax Bay]

Can that chain go on large chainring and large sprocket?