Bicycle Mechanics - Pull with pliers to a force of 5 - 10 kg?

Shimano rear derailleur adjustment instruction sheet says after setting the top adjustment screw (aligning to the outer line of the smallest sprocket), connect the cable by removing slack and "secure the cable by pulling it with pliers with a force of 5 - 10 kg." Anyone know what 5 – 10 kg feels like or how to measure this? Or should I just remove the slack, pull a drop more, secure cable, and then correct the tension when I adjust the index shifting? First time trying this so please be kind in responses! Thanks.

Anyone know what 5 – 10 kg feels like or how to measure this?

If you're trying to follow that spec ... here's how you can figure out the force involved: tie something that weighs between 5 and 10Kg to a rope. Slowly pull upward on the rope until the object is just lifted from the floor. Alternately, just use the pliers to grab the object (like a bag of sugar....)

There's the amount of force involved.


First time trying this so please be kind in responses! Thanks.

Oh, no. It doesn't work that way :D

Lift a 15 pound dumbell with the pliers.
That much.

You worry way too much.

Just pull the slack out of the cable and snug it down. Run through the gears, one-at-a-time, a couple of times. If you didn't apply enough tension to the shift cable it won't shift onto a larger cog smoothly. If you put too much tension on the cable, it won't shift onto a smaller cog. Either way just tweak with the barrel adjuster.

Uh - that's probably the next instruction isn't it.

See above ^^^^^