Mountain Biking - Cable life

Hey everyone,

Now I know this is a rather shallow question, but how long do your cables generally last? Or how long are they supposed to last? I'm guessing brake cables, change once per riding season/year and shifter cables, every 2 years?

Thanks,
hooligan

PS I bought some teflon coated cables since the lbs employee suggested them, as did the mechanic, and paid 5 bucks each for them as opposed to 2 bucks. They don't feel much different...waste of 6 bucks (2 cables...).

Can't honestly say, drepends on how much you ride the bike. Changing the cables should be on the yearly tuneup list and every time in between check to see if they are stretched out, and if you see any fraying anywhere before between the levers/shifter and the pinch bolts, if you see fraying in those areas, promptly switch out those cables. Also once the first retightening comes into play, the teflon coated cables will come into their own.

I didn't understand the "come into their own" part. Anyways, also my old cables started fraying so I wonder if a little solder at the part which the pinch bolt clamps the cable will help reinforce the area before it starts breaking?

change them once the performance starts to fall, when braking feels mushy and shifting is done with out you touching the shifter

change them once the performance starts to fall, when braking feels mushy and shifting is done with out you touching the shifter

It's called cable stretch, cables can be retensioned.

My brakes always feel a bit mushy. Maybe it's because it's a shimano disc break??

they could be part of it, they may also not be positioned properly, and the cables may have stretched.

My brakes always feel a bit mushy. Maybe it's because it's a shimano disc break??

Cables are mushy period.

I dont know when the last time i have replaced a cable was, except when I got new equipment and it called for a longer cable. If they stretch, retension them.

PS I bought some teflon coated cables since the lbs employee suggested them, as did the mechanic, and paid 5 bucks each for them as opposed to 2 bucks. They don't feel much different...waste of 6 bucks (2 cables...).

Did you change your cable housing too, or at least flushed the old ones out with WD40? Either that, or you had a nice, clean, proper set-up before, so there really wouldn't be any difference.

I didn't flush my housing out....>_<. I don't want to, the cables run smoothly, it's just the brakes still feel mushy (but sort of hard mushy). If I flush, then I have to take out the cable right? And if I do, my pinch bolt has to be undone. My shimano disk brakes are very bad with adjustment (even with barrel shifter and the 1 side pad adjustment) so I have to undo and redo the pinch bolt, carefully through the adjustment processes, meaning I pinch my cable 3-4 times, just very lightly until I get it right. My old cables frayed because my lbs mech had to undo and redo the pinch bolt numerous times for good braking performance.

Did you change your cable housing too, or at least flushed the old ones out with WD40? Either that, or you had a nice, clean, proper set-up before, so there really wouldn't be any difference.
WD40 is NOT a good lubricant. If you're going to spray anything into your housings you'd be better off with some Boeshield or Finish Line Teflon Plus spray.

Teflon cables work best with teflon lined housing. I run generic teflon cables with bulk roll Jagwire teflon lined housing on my commuter bike WITHOUT added lubricant for over a year now and they feel as slick as the day I put them in. Same goes for my teflon coated derailieur cables in standard SIS housing. Teflon is a GOOD THING