Bicycle Mechanics - Can you unkink a shifter cable?

After a recent derailleur-hanger-snapping incident, I've replaced the hanger and remounted the derailleur. Now I see the cable is kinked, at the point it enters the housing at the derailleur end.

Can the cable be unkinked? Do I just proceed, and expect dodgy shifting? I have a spare cable, but I've never replaced one before, so this is all educational for me... Tiagra shifter, LX derailleur fwiw.

After a recent derailleur-hanger-snapping incident, I've replaced the hanger and remounted the derailleur. Now I see the cable is kinked, at the point it enters the housing at the derailleur end.

Can the cable be unkinked? Do I just proceed, and expect dodgy shifting? I have a spare cable, but I've never replaced one before, so this is all educational for me... Tiagra shifter, LX derailleur fwiw.

Replace the cable. Single strand wire can be straightened, multi strand wire can't.

Brad

You'll never get the kink out 100%. If it's someplace that never enters the housing, you can try to unkink it by bending it back against your thumb nails, and live with it a while. If it's someplace that enters the housing as you run through the gears, it'll cause added friction or binding and poor shifting, unless you replace it.

Since the hardest part of replacing is connecting it to the derailleur and setting trim, and that's something you already know how to do, you might as well replace it. The process for pushing the head out of the shifter varies with the type of shifter, so search the internet for a cable replacement tutorial for your shifters.

Cables can only be unkinked to a point, it will never be perfect again. Replace the cable, then cut the end off your old one and save it for when you need to replace your front derailer cable as it is shorter than the rear.

Ok, thanks all for the very helpful replies.

A kinked cable is very likely to fail (break) at the kink, especially if you straighten it out.

Definitely replace the cable. All of the instructions you need can be found at www.parktool.com.

Thanks. I replaced the cable. :)

Sometimes, if the cable if the cable is long enought and the kink is at the guid you can cut off the kiknked section and re-use