Uses for excess brake cable
12-22-07, 03:16 PM
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Uses for excess brake cable
Anyone have any? In the last 3 weeks i built up 2 new bikes and, consequently, have a bunch of excess brake cable. With the front brake I end up with 3 feet of good quality steel cable and I can't think of anything to do with it, but I feel wasteful throwing it away.
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12-22-07, 03:27 PM
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Cheese Wire?
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i jam my thumbs up and back into the tubes. this way i can point my fingers straight out in front to split the wind and attain an even more aero profile, and the usual fixed gear - zen - connectedness feeling through the drivetrain is multiplied ten fold because my thumbs become one with the tubing.
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12-22-07, 05:32 PM
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This is probably self-evident to everyone, but I realized the last time I used a generic brake cable with stoppers at both ends (one mtn, one road), I could pretty much get two cables out of it; one mtn., one road. I was in the habit of just cutting off the stopper I didn't need; now I measure reasonably close and trim from there, leaving another cable for the next time.
12-22-07, 07:16 PM
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I sure hope there's some good advice in this thread, because I feel exactly the same. Perfectly good calbe, such a waste to throw away. If only there was a way to put a new tin cylinder on one end. (at least I think it's tin).
12-22-07, 07:45 PM
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picture hanging wire, hanging gardens, use shorter lengths for kids bikes, wire a couple small wrenches together to keep with you in case of any problems, wire yard/garden implements together so they dont fall over, add hanging loops to things, cheapskate key-chain, make a sculpture, make hanging candle whatsits for romantical evenings, secret ninja-ish-weapon-thingy...
12-22-07, 09:30 PM
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I usually throw a used back brake/deraileur cable in my bag - in case the front breaks I have something to get me somewhere. Was thinking the other day if your knot tying skills are up to snuff you could *probably* use the extra and tie it to part of a cable that snapped. Last resort but doesn't weigh anything to keep around.
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12-22-07, 09:39 PM
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Get night vision goggles and then use the cable to strangle someone Sam Fisher Style.
12-23-07, 07:06 AM
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Too thick. And anyway, one wants a single strand for this. Or so one hears.
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12-23-07, 07:36 AM
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Could use it as fishing leader for the toothy fishes such as shark, king mackrel etc. Crimp sleves are avaialable at the salt water tackle stores.
12-23-07, 07:49 AM
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They make the best key rings around...people actually sell them!!!
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12-23-07, 10:34 AM
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Use it to make wind chimes out of old cogs & chainrings.
12-23-07, 12:50 PM
#18
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I throw mine away too, but if the cables were only on a short time I save them for other projects. Like going from non aero to aero on older bikes, Sometimes they will be long enough for other bikes. If they're
old or rusted, they're trash.,,,,BD
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12-23-07, 01:28 PM
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I was thinking the same thing as the other poster- get the generic double-ended ones that have one road end and one MTB end. Only a help if you have both types of bikes to work on. Also, when you change out cable, they are not necessarily unusable. I often use the longer take-offs on the shorter brake and derailleur runs.
wroomwroomoops- Yeah, not sure what the ends are made of. Tin, zinc, pot metal? Whatever metal that can be hot-molded there without having to use a blast furnace!
Also, +1 on using the crimp sleeves for other projects. But, how many key rings do you need?
wroomwroomoops- Yeah, not sure what the ends are made of. Tin, zinc, pot metal? Whatever metal that can be hot-molded there without having to use a blast furnace!
Also, +1 on using the crimp sleeves for other projects. But, how many key rings do you need?
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12-23-07, 09:47 PM
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Fray the cable out at the end, bunch it back together loosely, and use it as steel wool?
