Folding Bikes - Getting over the fear - Bike Tech - On the road

Took the Dahon Speed TR out this morning for a training ride for a tour I'm planning. I didn't get 1/2 mile when I went to shift the SRAM dual drive from normal to downhill (2nd to 3rd position). Something went horribly wrong. Got real tight then let go.

Pulled over and sure enough the cable pulled out of click box mounted to the rear wheel.

So I walked the bike back and grabbed another bike. Went to the LBS and talked to the guy and he said bring it by, 2 or 3 days and roughly $20.

So it's the weekend and I want this bike to train. So I figure I can tackle this one.

I've no clue how to mess with a click box really but I read the SRAM Dual Drive manual and it really seemed like "install cable, pull tight, tighten.

Bought a couple shifter cables and hit a couple web sites and gathered some general info and went to work. Took about 10 whole minutes and got it dialed in like I've been doing it all my life. The old cable was a train wreck. It was screwed up on the trigger shifter end and throughout the whole length of the cable really.

Best thing I ever did was to buy a Park Took set. I'm slowly figuring out how to take care of these things myself. Changing a shifter cable is probably old hat to a lot of you guys but I'm tickled to death. The cable cost me $4 and I didn't lose the bike for any amount of time.

Got a couple spare cables to throw in my rack bags and I'll throw a pair of dollar store side cutting pliers in the bags as well.

John

Best thing I ever did was to buy a Park Took set.
Got a couple spare cables to throw in my rack bags and I'll throw a pair of dollar store side cutting pliers in the bags as well.

I'm basically where you are in terms of bike repair, but I have no specialized tools apart from a minitool. What tools did you need to get this job done?

Theoretically I should have only needed a screwdriver and something to cut the cable and a multii tool. However the shifter is a kind of sealed box but it has this little threaded insert that you should be able to push the cable out of and then feed a new one in.

When I went to push the cable up and out it didn't move at all. So I went in the SRAM trigger shifter and the cable was spaghetti. I had to cut it just outside the box (so I could lay the box down somewhere and carefully work on it.) Took a sec, but I got it.

The whole cable had messed up strands all the way down. I'm not really sure how that happens. If it happened when I applied the shifting force and it let go or if the cable was just hosed to begin with explaining why it wouldn't shift.

So, I needed multiple allen wrenches, and needle nose pliers and the like. Still could have done it without specialized tools.

I have this set of tools and if nothing else it's half the battle knowing you have the stuff you might need.

http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=6&item=AK%2D37