Cable end frayed: tip?
#1
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Cable end frayed: tip?
I'm re-routing my front derailleur cable to behind the bars instead of the front, but my front derailleur cable is rather frayed on the end, and I'm having trouble threading it through the cable stop.
Would anyone have any brilliant tips for this kind of situation? I don't want to dip into my new cable and housing set just yet, as the roads are still kinda wintery, so I'd like to use this cable. I tried taking a short piece of electrical tape and taping it as tight and small as I could, but it still wasn't small enough to get through the cable stop.
What else should I try?
Would anyone have any brilliant tips for this kind of situation? I don't want to dip into my new cable and housing set just yet, as the roads are still kinda wintery, so I'd like to use this cable. I tried taking a short piece of electrical tape and taping it as tight and small as I could, but it still wasn't small enough to get through the cable stop.
What else should I try?
#3
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partially unwrap the bars, unscrew the lever and swing the cable over to the other side?
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Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
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Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
https://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/arti...ger-photos.htm
#4
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Too late, I already loosened the cable and pulled it through the cable stop.
I don't wanna give up on this cable. Me and this cable have been through a lot.
I don't wanna give up on this cable. Me and this cable have been through a lot.
#5
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Do you have an old RD cable hanging around? When you eventually change them, I'd keep one. Also, if you're not concerned with shifting the FD. You can adjust the bottom limit screw on the FD to keep the chain on the chainring that you desire. On a Shimano trip crankset, the bottom limit screw went far enough to select the middle chainring.
#6
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you are screwed
I'm re-routing my front derailleur cable to behind the bars instead of the front, but my front derailleur cable is rather frayed on the end, and I'm having trouble threading it through the cable stop.
Would anyone have any brilliant tips for this kind of situation? I don't want to dip into my new cable and housing set just yet, as the roads are still kinda wintery, so I'd like to use this cable. I tried taking a short piece of electrical tape and taping it as tight and small as I could, but it still wasn't small enough to get through the cable stop.
What else should I try?
Would anyone have any brilliant tips for this kind of situation? I don't want to dip into my new cable and housing set just yet, as the roads are still kinda wintery, so I'd like to use this cable. I tried taking a short piece of electrical tape and taping it as tight and small as I could, but it still wasn't small enough to get through the cable stop.
What else should I try?
You can do like I did which was fight this for a couple three hours before I went out and bought a new cable or you can just assume you will be fighting it for a couple hours and go buy it now. Either way, I think you will end up on the sales side of a bike shop before this is all sorted. If it's a rear cable, save it and you can use it for a front (if it's in good shape)
#7
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the cables are in a double spiral, the inner threads are in the opposite direction the outer threads are in. use some tweezers?
__________________
Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
https://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/arti...ger-photos.htm
Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
https://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/arti...ger-photos.htm
#8
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Thread Starter
Bike shop's closed. I have all night. I'm gonna fight this thing. It'll be wa-a-ay more entertaining than anything on TV.
I'll let you know tomorrow if I eventually gave up and went to the shop to buy a new cable. And thanks for the tip about turning rear derailleur cables into front derailleur cables.
I'll let you know tomorrow if I eventually gave up and went to the shop to buy a new cable. And thanks for the tip about turning rear derailleur cables into front derailleur cables.
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Do you have a bit of spare length ? Can you afford to trim a bit ? If so, you might try soldering, or crazy glue the cable just above the fray, and make a fresh cut at that point.
#10
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Do what I do to all my cable ends...solder them. That is I guess if you have the means to solder. Failing that, perhaps super glue to hold the strands together. Gotta be grease-free obviously.
#11
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Hang your 'Sentimental Cable' on your wall. Buy a new stainless-steel cable at the LBS. Ask for some end-caps and crimp one on the end when done. Or solder it, super-glue...
#12
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I've got a $3 soldering gun. For that $3 I could have bought a hot dog from the old guy with the barbecue under that canopy in front of Crappy Tire. And my soldering skills are pretty much a good match for my soldering gun. So that's a no go.
However, I got the blasted cable through the cable stop. Know how? I took the cable stop off, thereby increasing the dexterity quotient of the operation. I twisted it through in no time, returned the stop to its rightful position, and got my drivetrain set up all good, like. I now have my derailleur cables running the way Ma'at intended: along the back of the bars. With the brake cables in front, securing both sets of cables on the bars with a dash of electrical tape is a snap.
I don't know why I've always squished both sets of cables to the front of the bars up until now. My bars have always had those grooves, front and back. What's wrong with me?
However, I got the blasted cable through the cable stop. Know how? I took the cable stop off, thereby increasing the dexterity quotient of the operation. I twisted it through in no time, returned the stop to its rightful position, and got my drivetrain set up all good, like. I now have my derailleur cables running the way Ma'at intended: along the back of the bars. With the brake cables in front, securing both sets of cables on the bars with a dash of electrical tape is a snap.
I don't know why I've always squished both sets of cables to the front of the bars up until now. My bars have always had those grooves, front and back. What's wrong with me?
#13
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I've never had luck with this, but I can say that I've spent many hours trying to reuse the unraveled cable. Now I wish I had those hours back. Put on a new $2 cable, and spend the rest of the time riding!
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Remove the cable, trilm it, super glue the end, and you have a spare front der cable. Get a new one for the back. And' "this cable and me have been through a lot" is over. bk
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Can you solder stainless steel derailleur cables? I used to do this with the old ones, the ones that eventually corroded and broke on the shifter drum, but I haven't been able to get acid-core solder with acid flux to adhere to the newer cables in the last several years. So I'm now an end-tip crimper.
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Sometimes, if you're really patient and dexterous, you can re-braid the frayed end well enough to thread it. Most people aren't. Or you can try nipping off just enough housing to match the length of frayed cable that you want to cut off. Of course, if you blow it you now have to buy new housing. $3 a foot.
Or buy a $3 cable. Our shop sells them for 2.99.
Or buy a $3 cable. Our shop sells them for 2.99.
#18
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I put a couple cm's of heat shrink over the end. I can get it off if I need to and it prevents unraveling.
#19
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I'm re-routing my front derailleur cable to behind the bars instead of the front, but my front derailleur cable is rather frayed on the end, and I'm having trouble threading it through the cable stop.
Would anyone have any brilliant tips for this kind of situation? I don't want to dip into my new cable and housing set just yet, as the roads are still kinda wintery, so I'd like to use this cable. I tried taking a short piece of electrical tape and taping it as tight and small as I could, but it still wasn't small enough to get through the cable stop.
What else should I try?
Would anyone have any brilliant tips for this kind of situation? I don't want to dip into my new cable and housing set just yet, as the roads are still kinda wintery, so I'd like to use this cable. I tried taking a short piece of electrical tape and taping it as tight and small as I could, but it still wasn't small enough to get through the cable stop.
What else should I try?
More recently, I've favored the solution of cursing and then getting a new cable.
#20
Senior Member
Trim the housing, trim the cable. Can't do that? Try twisting it back to form. Can't to that? Buy a new cable and keep moving.