Replacing Campag Ergo gear cable.

[onlyhuman]

The front derailleur cable snapped at the handlbar end. Do I need to take the bar tape off to fit a new one? If so, am I better fitting a new outer cable at the same time? All advice welcome.

 

[Tollers]

The front derailleur cable snapped at the handlbar end. Do I need to take the bar tape off to fit a new one? If so, am I better fitting a new outer cable at the same time? All advice welcome.

You don't "HAVE" to.....but it is recommended to replace the outer if its old. If its relatively new, then fold back the hoods (over the mouse ears) and hopefully you will see the cable inner in one of two little yellowish plastic channels. When you replace the inner, you will need to use something like a matchstick to help guide the new inner through one of these channels and push through to the outer. It can be a bit fiddly, but a 5 minute job to get the new inner in. If you can't see the entire little yellow channel as its partly entirely hidden by bar-tape, then you will have to remove the tape!

When removing/putting new cable into the shifter, ensure that in lowerst gear. i.e push mouse's ears down as much as poss. Once fitted, pull cable tight before trying to operate the shifter. If the nipple isnt fully seated in the shifter, you can cause damage.

Hope that helps.

Tollers

 

[accountantpete]

I think you have to - unless you are lucky that the cable has stayed in position next to the ergo housing. It's only a 5 min job and you can twist the outer cable when threading so as as not to fray the ends of the inner cable.

Campag cabling has a lubricant to aid smoothness of shifting so if the cable is reasonably old and you have some gear shifting cabling I would replace it.

 

[Tynan]

I did a new cable last month and read that I had to detape and loosen the whole brake lever housing

rubbish, peeled back the sleeve and wiggled the head of the cable into place with a bit of time and effort, thatwas with Xenon

 

[onlyhuman]

Thanks Lads,

It took me half an hour to get the old nipple out of the housing, because of the way the cable had snapped, and then about half a minute to fit the new one. Didn't see any yellow channel, didn't need a matchstick.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Make sure you lube the first couple of inches of cable by the nipple really well. This is the part of the cable that does the most flexing as it turns round 'the drum' on the gear shifter. Well lubed, they rarely snap (10 years plus) as the strands move can move slightly against each other instead of straining.

 

[Tollers]

Thanks Lads,

It took me half an hour to get the old nipple out of the housing, because of the way the cable had snapped, and then about half a minute to fit the new one. Didn't see any yellow channel, didn't need a matchstick.

Well done. Sounds simpler than mine were

 

[Ian H]

My experience when a cable broke was that loose strands found their way into the mechainism. This caused a lot of trouble and I ended by having the lever serviced. So now I change them regularly. Once you've clicked the inner lever to its full extent, it's dead easy to slide the new cable through.