Originally Posted by
John E
I could have posted in the mechanics' (Bicycle Repairman, for Monty Python fans) forum, but this is a C&V-specific issue.
For the second time, I have snapped a derailleur cable on my 1981/2 Bianchi (OEM Campag. NR downtube levers). I was able to replace the left one easily, but the end of the right one was tightly jammed into the shift lever. I finally resorted to putting the lever in a vise and carefully and slowly drilled into the head of the cable. I was able to loosen it enough to be able to drive it out from the other side with a nail.
It is frustrating when what should have been a 5-minute repair takes more than a half hour.
Also interesting was the under BB guide, where the cable broke. Both left and right guides have two cable eyes in them, even though the right side needs / should have only the front one. Curious, or maybe just cheap and easy stocking of braze-on bits at the factory?
Couple of thoughts - is there room through the BB cable guides to put a sleeve of nylon?
If you get a broken cable at any point in the furure, cut it off around 25 mm / 1" from the lever, dismount the lever, strip off all the plastic parts, warm up with a blowlamp or even over a gas ring (and I mean warm up - 150 C will be enough) and holding the lever with a pair of pliers, push on the free end of the gear cable with a pair of fine-nose pliers and it'll come out easily - the lever will expand to a greater extent than the head of the cable and it'll release it.
Done (literally) scores of ergo internals this way.
Then use a Campag cable to avoid the same issue again ... or file the head of any other ...