Originally Posted by
Nerull
You're trying to feed the cable through the wrong way.
If you don't have the tools, I would really recommend letting a LBS do it. If they're not busy, see if they'll let you watch. It's very easy for the cable to fray into an unusable mess when cut improperly.
This is good advice. The cable manufacturers have done you a favor in that they have provided you with two possible ends. You just have to cut off the one you don't need. If you cut the cable with the wrong tool or badly you will end up with a frazzle you can't thread through. On the spot you want to cut the cable you can dab it with super glue or heat it with a small torch and solder the wire together, then cut through the glue or solder.
This is a really easy job when you know how, but it is worth while letting somebody who knows how show you the technique.