Originally Posted by
merlinextraligh
When is the last time anyone broke a cable? I rarely replace mine, and have bikes that must have 20,000 miles on the cables.
I don't recall breaking a cable since I was a kid. Modern, high quality, stainless steel cables will last awhile.
Modern indexed shifting systems put a lot of strain on your cables. Several people in my club have broken cables in the last couple of years (both Shimano and Campy). Inspecting your cables is difficult since they usually break at the end inside the shift lever.
Cables are cheap and easy to replace. I change mine every time I replace my chain.