Bicycle Mechanics - Hello, Gear cable problems :(

Hey I'm new here but I really need help. I've looked up lots of videos and read into bike repairs but I've hit a bump in the road. Recently recovered a bike from the shed, cleaned it down, bought tools and the extras for it to get it in working condition as my beloved bike was stolen from my garden. Replaced inner tubes, fixed up the brakes which wasn't too difficult... Now, the damn damn damn gears!

I cannot shift from highest into any other gear on the back, and at the front the same. It is a twist shift on the handlebars, and the left one (being the front gear set) is very loose, the twister itself, but will not change gears. Now the problem is almost certainly in the gear cables, they both have much more than 5mm slack despite efforts to tighten them up. This includes trying the cable housing screws and unbolting the cable itself and pulling on it; nothing works, I can't get the slack out of it. I expect I need new cables, but is there anything else I can try before that? When I try to tighten the rear gear cable, it seems that the cable housing is stopping me from getting it any tighter. Also cannot turn the rear cable housing adjustment screw at all, stiff as a rock. Am I not pulling hard enough? Any help is appreciated as I am on low budget but direly want to get out nd ride again.

If you cannot pull the slack out at the derailleur, there might be rust binding it in the rear housing loop (chainstay to RD). Disconnect the cable from the derailleur, and pull it away from the frame to pull it free of the rear housing. (you'll have to cut off the crimp if there is one) and then see if you can work the shifters against tension you apply by hand to see if the shifters work and the cable moves freely and smoothly in steps as you work the lever.

If the front end and shifters work OK, you might be able to keep the cables, only needing to oil the rear loop, but most likely you'll gt the best performance by replacing both cables completely, including the housings. I emphasize the housings, because in most cases the inner wires will outlast housings, who's liners wear through. Good quality gear cables with stainless die drawn wires, and lined housings aren't that expensive and worth the small difference above the less expensive stuff.

Disconnect both cables at the derailleurs, shift both twist grips to the "slackest" positions (to the smallest cog position in the rear and the smallest chainring in the front). Then pull all the slack out of the cables and reattach them. That should be very close to what you need and can be refined with the barrel adjusters.

Reduce the time, wasted on the job,
Replace cables and housing.. die drawn cables are nice improvements xtra slick.
Index shifting housing is different than Brake housing , so get the right stuff..


Gear housing is linear wires bundled, to resist compression , brake is a coil of square wire.

Thanks for all the tips, the pain in the ass is that the bike is stuck where there is no net, so I have to save the relevant info and instructionals, then go back to where the bike is at. Will try the suggestions, but agree, might be best to just get new cables, and housing which I would not have thought to do.