2026-09-25 23:16 UTC
Replies (5)
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@Brownian_motion@mastodon.scot 2026-09-26 01:16
@ascentale@sfba.social @jdarais@sfba.social @bikenite@fedigroups.social I didn't break or wear any cables but one of my old bikes was very hard to shift (index shifting). The LBS upgrade to a much better cable with much less friction than the original (think they used Jagwire) and many shifting problems went away. #bikenite
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@markn@mastodonapp.uk 2026-09-26 07:02
@ascentale@sfba.social @jdarais@sfba.social @bikenite@fedigroups.social A3. Maybe the shop's right, maybe not. Some Shimano shifters (e.g. Shimano road 10 speed) are just prone to fraying cables. Just a poor design. Also dirty cables or poorly adjusted limit stops can mean there's just unnecessary force needed to shift. Which obviously doesn't do wonders for lifetime. But, cables aren't gonna last forever - I swap mine (post winter) every year. It's really quick to do and cheap if you don't change the outers every time. I've (touches wood) never broken a shift cable in a lot of cycling. But, I do carry a spare and the avoidance of front derailleurs altogether also helps!
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@jfparis@rouge.eu.org 2026-09-26 11:16
@ascentale@sfba.social A3: I knew if this happening, although never heard of the SRAM Vs Shimano difference. Anyway, I do most of my maintenance myself but every 18 months I take my bike to the LBS for new cables (for that precise reason) and a deeper clean. @jdarais@sfba.social @bikenite@fedigroups.social #BikeNite
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@voiceofunreason@xoxo.zone 2026-09-25 23:22
@ascentale@sfba.social @jdarais@sfba.social @bikenite@fedigroups.social I did see this pretty frequently when I worked in shops. A way you can likely get more life out of a cable is to use a very slick stainless steel shift cable, ensure your housing is trimmed/prepped well and the ferrules are properly secured.
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@ericm@infosec.exchange 2026-09-25 23:27
@ascentale@sfba.social @jdarais@sfba.social @bikenite@fedigroups.social A3: it's a problem with Shimano shifters, especially the older ones that had cables that exit the side of the shifter which are the ones I am familiar with. The drum the cable goes over is too small. Sram shifters do not have this problem. I put a lot of miles of Sram shifters and did not have to replace cables like I did on Shimano. But you also need to change the derailleur and possibly the brakes as well. It's a lot easier to just change cables every year before they fray and get difficult to change. it's pretty easy on the side cable shifters, I have not done the hidden cable ones. Sram shifts different. They're clunkier and take more effort but they have a more positive feel than Shimano 9sp and 10sp. If you're breaking shift cables, you're riding enough to justify going to electronic, if you're ok spending that much.