SethL

I just purchased new brake hoods for my cannondale road bike. I saw the youtubes to remove the old ones and put in the new ones and its pretty straight forward. The only problem is my gear cables are on the top part of he shifters/breaks and the brake hoods have to pass through the cables to be installed. So to install I would have to remove the gear cables from the shifters which I don't know how to do or cut the brake hoods slip them over the cables and glue back together.

I think not but is removing the gear shifter cables and putting them back easy to do? If so, is there a video or instructions on how to do it. I can't find it online.

Are there any other suggestions?

Litespud

there are stacks of YouTubes on installing mechanical group sets, including installing cables and setting up the shifting. GCN has several, and I imagine Park tools has some. If you’re doing it, I would consider getting a couple of new cables rather than reusing the old ones - easier to thread new cable through the housing. New OEM shifter cables are maybe $6-7 each. Double benefit of learning to do stuff with your bike, and not having to cut up new brake hoods

cb400bill

curbtender

I'm not seeing a good video on the hoods, but look up replacing cables on your model. You don't want to cut them.

cxwrench

This video is virtually useless to the OP.

tkamd73 

Remove the cables, remove the tape from the bars, remove the brake levers from the bars. Then install the hoods onto the brake levers. reinstall the brake levers onto the bars, cables, then tape.
Do Not Cut The Hoods!
Tim

blamester

Before you do anything spend a few minutes looking at the the way the cable runs and how it works.
Does it shift and work properly now?
Put it in the lowest gear.
Pluck the cable inner so you can to get an idea of how much tension the cable has now.
Do not move any barrell adjusters now.
Once you have watched and noted what way it goes you can start to disassemble.
Make sure the cable ends are good so they can easily be reinstalled.Any fraying of the ends get a new cable before you start
You can loosen the pinch bolt from the derailleur and thread the cable out of the outer.
You can get slack by pulling on the outer cable at the lever or the derailleur and then pulling the inner cable out from there. It should pull out easily.
Assembly is reverse. There should only be a tweak of the barrel adjusters when you are finished.
​

SethL

Thanks everyone for these great ideas. This forum is really amazing. I am not mechanically inclined so I am very hesitant to unscrew or pull any cables from my bike. I am most likely going to go with cutting the new hoods (the only cost $12) and gluing them or taking it to a mechanic.

If I do the gluing, I can just order a new set and have my mechanic install them when I take it the next time when it does actually need cables or something bigger

cxwrench

Do NOT cut the hoods.

curbtender

Ha, ok, cut them...you can paste them back together with shoe-goo. We had a guy that would shave off the brazen-on's named Andrew and the process is still known as being 'drewed. If you post a picture, we can archive it as the "seth"...

70sSanO

The only hoods I know of where brake cables are routed through the hoods are for vintage non-aero brakes. There are no shift/brake levers routed through the hoods, in fact I can’t recall any shift cables routed through the hoods.

You will have to remove the brake cables from the brakes and re-install them. Something even a non-mechanical person, (who can magically identify and track down vintage brake hoods but seemingly cannot loosen a brake cable) is able to accomplish.

John

Litespud

I imagine the OP is using old Shimano STI with the "flying" shifter cables - he mentioned "brake hoods", but he's not talking about brake cables.

alcjphil

Read the first post again. OP is talking about the gear cables being the problem, not the brake cables

70sSanO

Yep. External routing of shift cables on older “and” lower end STI’s.

My brain was thinking through the hoods.

John

curbtender

Should be older and* some low end shifters. You don't want to get the 7700 crowd going...

icemilkcoffee

The brifters with externally routed shifter cables do NOT have cables going through the hood. This is a 105 5600 shifter:


You do NOT have to take off the derailleur cables to change hoods. You just have to take off the brake cables, and then remove the levers from the handlebars, and then pull the hood off the back of the lever body. The secret to changing hoods, is to squirt some armor all into the inside of the hood. That will make removal and installation way, way easier.

cxwrench

Only if you want them to slip around for a week or 2. Isopropyl is the hood lubricant of choice.

alcjphil

If you reread post #8 you will see that the OP does not feel comfortable with that method either