Bicycle Mechanics - What should I expect to pay for new cables and housing?

Im thinking my schwinn voyager needs new cables and housing for the brakes and gearing. It looks like the original stuff (early 80's). Its my commuter, which works great, but the brakes are getting weak, and the gearing is a touch off. What should I expect to pay for this? thanks

Sounds more like you need adjustments but if you want them, cables are $2.95 for stainless and spiral wound housing(brake and non indexed) is $1.00 per foot. Housing for index shifters is $2.00 per foot. Prices do vary from place to place.

Yeah, it could be an adjustment issue, but the bike has been very good to me. So Ill address the adjustment issue with the shop, they will be straight with me if replacement is needed. Just wanted to get a price range first.

Try cleaning them.

Remove the cables from the housing. Run them through a rag to get the gunk off and then put them back in.

If they are really bad you can slightly lube them, but this eventually attracks more dirt.

Well for basic cables and housing $1.75 per brake or der. Lined housing $1 a foot "slick cables", $1.75

The Voyager originally had simple cable/housing brake lines, so you should be able to get by with the basics.

As mentioned above, you can clean and grease the cables and housings. However, the Schwinn cable housings were notorious for cracking. If your cables and housings are in good shape, you can probably use them. The Schwinn cables were pretty robust.

If you need to replace, you can get reasonably good cable/housing combo packs from your LBS for under $6.00 per line. Stay away from the $1.99 cable/housing lines by BELL and others which are sold at the X-Marts. The cables are too thin. They stretch and need constant re-adjusting.

I've found that cable and housing vary you can get real expensive stuff or real cheap stuff and both will pobably work just fine?

Chio,get the stainless cables and lined housings. if you have indexed shifting get the straight wire housings. They have less give and give more accurate shifting. The spiral wound is better for braking because while it compresses slightly it is much stronger in compression.