Bicycle Mechanics - Are gear cables all the same?

I need to replace my cables on my Shimano indexed shifters.

Are there special cables for indexed shifters, or is a gear cable a gear cable regardless of shifter type?

unless you're working with a sturmey, gear cables are all the same

unless you're working with a sturmey, gear cables are all the sameWell actually they aren't. Besides quality differences mtb and road use different heads,and campy and shimano heads are slightly different.

Besides quality differences mtb and road use different heads

Really? We're talking about shifters here...

Really? We're talking about shifters here...Really!

well, perhaps so at the rarefied aeries of super-fancy stuff. but the gentleman who asked the question above, unless he has some super-fancy stuff, will probably be best served by getting a standard shifter cable, with the little cylinder on the end, not the big cylinder or the stepped cylinder.

Nope - nothing too exotic. Just your middle-of-the-road Shimano Alivio shifters.

Nope - nothing too exotic. Just your middle-of-the-road Shimano Alivio shifters.Then ya need the mtb cable head or cables with a road head on one end and mtb cable on the other,and cut off the one ya don't need.

Two differences in cables is the type of steel used and the surface treatment of the cable itself. The better cables are machined to make the surface smooth, denoted as "slick" cables. Better cables are made of stainless steel as well. Cheap cables are often plated carbon steel and will tend to rust with time as the plating wears. The marketing folks sometimes tout "teflon coated cables" but these tend to be cheaper carbon steel wire with a teflon coating instead of the regular plating. Again, these tend to rust as soon as the coating wears.

My suggestion is to use a "slick" stainless cable of some sort. Most come with both ends so as someone else suggested you just cut off the end you don't need.

Good luck.

Ed

Funny, in terms of knives and razors, carbon steel is usually (not always) considered better, as it holds its edge better. But it's also known for requiring much greater care, because it begins to oxidize almost immediately after getting wet/being exposed to air. I'm surprised they'd actually make cables from it. Good argument for using lots of grease, I guess...

One more question....


I know that companies like Nervz sell just the inner wire without the housing. ( http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=669785&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=335579&bmUID=1113923030382 )

Is it typical to simply replace just the inner wire? I suppose you wouldn't have to worry about cutting the housing to correct lengths and adding the ferrules again.

One more question....


I know that companies like Nervz sell just the inner wire without the housing. ( http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=669785&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=335579&bmUID=1113923030382 )

Is it typical to simply replace just the inner wire? I suppose you wouldn't have to worry about cutting the housing to correct lengths and adding the ferrules again.

If the housing is fine you don't need to replace it....

Really? We're talking about shifters here...

I usually agree with sydney but not this time. Brake cable ends are different for road and mountain bikes, but shift cable ends are the same. I use the generic slick stainless cables that come from QBP.

I Have in my hand a NERVZ "shifter" inner wire still in the package! It has two different ends,as Sydney suggested. One is round and flat like a brake end but much smaller and the other is a cylinder shape that works in my ****no and Sram shifters, I don't know what shifters use the round flat ends but I am sure Nervz doesn't put it there because it's cheaper to produce it that way :D

I thought that cables for index shifting were different than for friction? I know the housings are different.

The better cables are machined to make the surface smooth, denoted as "slick" cables. Better cables are made of stainless steel as well.

Not really machined but they are drawn through a die. Hold a Dura-Ace (or similar quality) cable in your hand and a generic, now run it through your fingers... the difference is obvious and worth the price premium IMO.

Not really machined but they are drawn through a die. Hold a Dura-Ace (or similar quality) cable in your hand and a generic, now run it through your fingers... the difference is obvious and worth the price premium IMO.

Hmm... let's see 2 bucks vs... 20 bucks for cables.. nope.

I usually agree with sydney but not this time. Brake cable ends are different for road and mountain bikes, but shift cable ends are the same. I use the generic slick stainless cables that come from QBP.

There's a barrel end type and also a circular button end type.

I usually agree with sydney but not this time. Brake cable ends are different for road and mountain bikes, but shift cable ends are the same. I use the generic slick stainless cables that come from QBP.Actually they aren't.See what Nick Burns has to say. Quality BP cables are listed as zinc slick or stainless slick in mtb or road Shimano are listed as mtb/road,meaning two ends. and DA or XTR, again road and mtb specific.

I just use the cable I get at my LBS. 105" of shifting cable is 2.99 i think. They sell itw ith housing or without, its 2.99 without. I know the brand name is Inline.

Hmm... let's see 2 bucks vs... 20 bucks for cables.. nope.

It's not quite $20 for a pair of DA cables where I shop. On-line pricing for DA 10-sp cables + housing is US$18.

For a part that lasts over 10,000 km and makes every shift smoother I think I can stretch the budget. That's a better return on investment than many other upgrade/replacement parts on the bike.

Actually they aren't.See what Nick Burns has to say. Quality BP cables are listed as zinc slick or stainless slick in mtb or road Shimano are listed as mtb/road,meaning two ends. and DA or XTR, again road and mtb specific.

Actually they are. Try buying one of the cables you have listed above that you think has two ends and post me back.

The only QBP shift cable that has two ends is their very cheapest generic cable. The others don't say they have two ends, they say that they will fit either road or mountain bikes. Shimano does market different cables labeled Dura Ace and XTR, but the ends pictured in the QBP catalogue sure look the same to me. Anyway, I've used up several file boxes of shift cables. They all have only the button end and I can't remember EVER needing a shift cable with a barrel end.

unless you're working with a sturmey, gear cables are all the same

No they are not... I just ran into this working on my old vintage Sannino. The lead end can be of different diameters... commonly known as Campy size and Shimano size. I found this out by buying a "gear cable" at my local Performace shop... oops wrong diameter end.

"...just file it down... " said the wrench.

Royal PITA to hold onto something that small and file it round and smaller.

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=405154887760&d=single&c=Repair%20Parts&sc=Cable%20and%20Housing&tc=Cables-Derailleur&item_id=JW-SCUSS

Follow the above link and you will see the differences and markings.

Follow the below link for a whole selection of cables.

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=405154887760&c=Repair%20Parts&sc=Cable%20and%20Housing&tc=Cables-Derailleur

Actually they are. Try buying one of the cables you have listed above that you think has two ends and post me back.

The only QBP shift cable that has two ends is their very cheapest generic cable. The others don't say they have two ends, they say that they will fit either road or mountain bikes. Shimano does market different cables labeled Dura Ace and XTR, but the ends pictured in the QBP catalogue sure look the same to me. Anyway, I've used up several file boxes of shift cables. They all have only the button end and I can't remember EVER needing a shift cable with a barrel end.

There are most definitely two types. Just because you haven't run across both doesn't mean they don't exist.
I believe you have it backwards. Most new shifters use the barrel type cable end. Older thumb shifters sometimes used the button end type. Probably other shifters I haven't seen use the buttons too. Cable manufacturers wouldn't make them if there were no shifters to accept them.

There are most definitely two types. Just because you haven't run across both doesn't mean they don't exist.
I believe you have it backwards. Most new shifters use the barrel type cable end. Older thumb shifters sometimes used the button end type. Probably other shifters I haven't seen use the buttons too. Cable manufacturers wouldn't make them if there were no shifters to accept them.I have a about 2 dozen of the double ended type in a box in the basement, and remember using the button type on something,that wasn't too antique.

Actually they are. Try buying one of the cables you have listed above that you think has two ends and post me back.

The only QBP shift cable that has two ends is their very cheapest generic cable. The others don't say they have two ends, they say that they will fit either road or mountain bikes. Shimano does market different cables labeled Dura Ace and XTR, but the ends pictured in the QBP catalogue sure look the same to me. Anyway, I've used up several file boxes of shift cables. They all have only the button end and I can't remember EVER needing a shift cable with a barrel end.I have about 2 dozen of the double ended type and have used the 'non typical' end on something. I misread the listing for brake cables in the qbp, and nearly all relatively recent mtb shifters also use the typical road style head.

I misread the listing for brake cables in the qbp, and nearly all relatively recent mtb shifters also use the typical road style head.

I can't get over how funny it is that a guy that is a real donkey about correcting people (even when they're right) doesn't know this basic fact about derailleur cables v. brake cables. Knowledge>trying to guess at an answer based on a catalog.
No excuses either, Sydney; I've seen you shoot people down when they try to claim an honest mistake.

On a somewhat related note, anyone ever tried the old scotch tape just aft of the cable head trick for Suntour index shifters?

We use Torelli stainless cables. If you want to truly judge cable quality, just get a tandem. When you need a 3000mm cable, you'll notice a difference between cheap and quality cables.