Mountain / BMX cables - same or different
 

Are BMX and mountain bike brake cables one and the same?
Just picked up a pair of JagWire cables for the Flatbar, which uses Tektro's mini-V (bmx) levers, and immediately noticed that the anchors (the round barrel-like aluminum things that fits into the levers) are notably loose-fitting.

What's the deal???


Thanks

Those round things are ferrules. I am not aware of any difference in cable between mountain and BMX. Shifter cable tends to come in a few different diameters such as 4mm, 4.5mm, 5.0mm. Perhaps brake cable does too.

I wouldn't worry about the loose fit. Those ferrules aren't meant to be a tight fit anyway. The cable tension should keep everything in place.

Edit: I am not an expect on BMX bikes. I have worked on a few though, and I've always just used whatever brake cable I had on hand.

Something doesn`t sound right to me. BMX is a dicipline of mountain biking and some of those use the same levers and V-brakes found on other mtb`s.

There are BMX cable set-ups that use a split cable configuration because they use a rotor setup for the rear brake, but thats not something that you`d be asking this kind of question about.

Suggest you post the brand and model of the levers and the model of Jagwire cable that you bought.

The levers are Tektro Mini-V's. They are considered universal BMX levers, which come standard with many flatbars. http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ducts_id=55801

The cables are regular Jagwire mountain cables.

I tossed the original cables, upon removal, then ordered the new set. I definately remember the old cable anchors fittting waaaay-more snugley within the lever's keeper, though. Maybe Tektro sold those brake levers WITH cables, does that sound possible?
Seems strange that mountain cable anchors would fit that loosely; you can actually triwl the anchor while its inside the levers keeper.

Maybe the industry has changed the mountain cable anchors standard-size; slightly smaller? The levers are 5+ years.

Hi GMM - looks like in a roundabout way you answered your own question. If you check your link and follow the product description and specs to the last line - it reads: Cable - Mountain.

But last week I did assemble a stack of BMX`s for the showroom and depending on the brake lever - the fit varied. The ones with a steel retainer tended to be loose and yup - the lead lug could almost rotate within it. On a couple of the other moders with cast alloy retainers fit was much more precise and I actually hD to file the casting residue off a couple lugs just to be able to insrt them.

But once assembled and adjusted - functionally they both performed excellently.

I am still a little confused... are we talking about the ferrule, which is the rigid metal barrel into which the cable housing fits, or are we talking about the anchor or head that is attached to the mechanism of the brake lever?

So I did! Thanks Burton - looks like they use mountain cables afterall.

Correction for Smalliebiggs:
We are talking about the little disc-shaped aluminum thing on the end of the cable, that resides inside the brake levers cable-keeper. I always thought they were called anchors also, until someone mentioned they were actually ferrules. Let's call them cable-anchors, though, to make things easier.

I'd stick with ferrules, because it's the correct term.

Glad you got things sorted out though.

I have never heard the cable anchor referred to as a 'ferrule.' That term is much more commonly used to describe cable-housing end caps...
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_e-f.html#ferrule

And from a non-bicycle-specific source (mentions bicycles in the third-from-last bullet in the list)...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrule

@smallie, my understanding is in line w/Sheldon. I must not be correctly understanding what exactly the OP is talking about then.

No matter though, as he seems to have solved his problem.

I am still not exactly sure what he is talking about, either. Is the item in question the cap on the cable housing or the end part of the inner cable?