i have a mechanical speedometer/odometer that i picked up at my local co-op. don't know the manufacturer other than it says "cycle" with a little biker above it. anyway, it's started to make a noise that sounds like the cable rubbing inside the housing (the cable from the gear on the hub to the "computer." it definitely changes speed with the speed of the bike. is it okay to just drop some tri-flow or other lubricant down the housing? is there a better way to do this? am i misdiagnosing the problem? thanks!

The cable inside is broken. It'll need to be replaced. Try a motorcycle shop for a replacement cable. They're pretty universal.

define "broken" the speedo and odometer still work...

It's OK to put some lube into the cable housing and it might make the noise go away. In any case it won't hurt.

Ever get it up to 60?

I have pulled the inner cables from Schwinn Speedometers to grease them before with no problems, it likely unscrews from the base. You may want to check the wheel at the bottom too and make sure it doesn't have crud jammed in it.

i get asked that a lot... frankly i don't know why they make them go up to 60, as professional sprinters top out in the 40's...

Oh, I know. I used to get that same question all the time. It is kind of dumb.

They usually don't break perfectly smoothly, so most of the time it'll catch and work fine. A great indicator though is noise, and if the needle "bounces" when you first get going.

I could be wrong.