Replaced a front brake cable but....

[Welsh wheels]

I successfully replaced the front brake cable on my road bike last night. However when I rode it this morning, I discovered that the gears weren't changing very well. The gears took a while to change after the lever was pulled and they were jumping a bit as well. The gear change lever was also soft, if that makes sense, as opposed to its normal stiff clicking motion when you move it. I suspect it probably has something to do with the fact that I took the cap off the end of the shifter to change the brake cable, only to discover that wasn't neccessary. The cap didn't fit back on all that well, and doesn't go as far back on now as the cap on the other side. I could try tightening the screw even tighter, but the screw has already been slightly damaged, so I'm loathe to do that. Any suggestions as to how to get the gears changing normally again? Apologies for the garbled post but I'm not very 'techy'.

 

[Cycleops]

Really need a bit more info. Assume you're using brifters.

 

[Welsh wheels]

Really need a bit more info. Assume you're using brifters.

Yes that right

 

[Tim Hall]

Really need a bit more info. Assume you're using brifters.

Yes that right

It's divine punishment for using a horrid portmanteau word.

 

[winjim]

It's divine punishment for using a horrid portmanteau word.

Divunishment.

 

[User33236]

Check the 'cap' (hood?) is not dragging on the underside of the shifter mechanism.

 

[Welsh wheels]

Well the hood doesn't quite sit as far on as it did before, which probably led the gears to not change well. I have compensated for this by using the fine tune adjustments by the back derailleur. The gear change fine now, so all is well for now.

 

[User33236]

Can you post a photo?

 

[Welsh wheels]

Can you post a photo?

Here you can see the cap is quite far forward

 

[User33236]

If you have a look at the back of it you will see a raised ridge on each side and round the front of the rubber which fits into channels on the shifter. Get that positioned right and it'll sit as it should.

 

[Welsh wheels]

If you have a look at the back of it you will see a raised ridge on each side and round the front of the rubber which fits into channels on the shifter. Get that positioned right and it'll sit as it should.

Ok thanks

 

[Globalti]

I successfully replaced the front brake cable on my road bike last night. However when I rode it this morning, I discovered that the gears weren't changing very well. The gears took a while to change after the lever was pulled and they were jumping a bit as well. The gear change lever was also soft, if that makes sense, as opposed to its normal stiff clicking motion when you move it. I suspect it probably has something to do with the fact that I took the cap off the end of the shifter to change the brake cable, only to discover that wasn't neccessary. The cap didn't fit back on all that well, and doesn't go as far back on now as the cap on the other side. I could try tightening the screw even tighter, but the screw has already been slightly damaged, so I'm loathe to do that. Any suggestions as to how to get the gears changing normally again? Apologies for the garbled post but I'm not very 'techy'.

The displaced cap and the sluggish gears are two separate problems and you are mixing them up.

The hood fits on a "mushroom" and if you study the underneath of it you'll see how it should sit on top of the brake body. Hook it at the front, stretch it back and pull it down and it should re-seat.

Sluggish shifting is a separate problem. Those shifters pull the cable directly outwards by winding it around a drum so they are usually pleasingly efficient and work well. Are you sure the tiny nipple is fully home in its hole? Did you displace one of the cable outers and are they in their places and not frayed or crushed?