Hey All,
I decided to wash and lube the bike/chain today and when I went to put the rear wheel back on, I noticed that the indexing was way off (e.g., I put it in the smallest cog before removing the wheel, and when I put the wheel back on, I couldn't shift to within 3 gears of the smallest cog).
So I checked the indexing and sure enough, it had gotten way off track (it was indexed prior to me removing the wheel)... I've also noticed this happened last time I removed the wheel.
So I took a closer look at the cabling and noticed this:
The cable had been pulled back and there was a gap between the cable housing and the housing that sits just on top of the barrel adjuster screw.
Basically it looks like the curve of the cable (from when it exits the frame and enters the RD) is too severe.
I gently pulled on the cable housing and re-inserted it into the housing that sits just on top of the barrel adjuster screw.
I then proceeded to index the gears (and it took an uncomfortable number of turns until I could even get all the gears to engage).
The cable now looks like this with the housing slightly split and frayed.
In addition, there is an additional piece of plastic housing where the cable enters the frame and it is split:
Basically what I think I did was pull too hard on the RD spring when I took the wheel off and it probably compressed/bent the cable housing enough to tear the additional housing around the BA and the one by the frame. (I don't know if this a common thing with guys who don't know what they're doing)
Have I screwed things up? Do I need to take it in to the LBS and have them work on/replace the cables?
From watching YouTube videos, I understand that cables can stretch over time, but how often do they need to be replaced?
Do I need to unscrew the cable completely from the RD and reset it somehow?
The limit screws seem fine (I didn't touch them). Anyway, any advice is appreciated; I'd like to avoid being stranded somewhere due to a broken/snapped shifter cable.
Sorry for all the questions.
Thanks in advance!