cable life

  • Thread starter Crescentius Vespasianus
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Crescentius Vespasianus

Guest
I've had two shimano cable breaks in the
last year. One had 12,000 miles, the
other one 6000 miles. They both broke
at the head, in the shifter, and didn't
completely break, only partially, which
drives you nuts, because you think it's
some gatorade goop in the bottom
bracket, or the adjustment which it
rarely is for such a big malfunctioning
rd, where it shifts on it's own.
Weren't there some bad shimano cables
out there, or is this how their life
typically ends?

If you are easily offended do not read
any further.

I learned this out of desperation on one
of my boonie rides in the desert.
Typically when the rd starts to act up,
it's usually the gatorade goop, that
dries under where the bottom bracket,
making the cable stick. I only had
bottles full of gatorade, no water, and
no source of water for miles around. So
I scratched my head and came up with a
solution..... but I have pee. Turn the
bike upside down, now this takes extreme
control, it doesn't take much pee, to
melt that sugar away, and then stop, or
point the pisser away from the bike and
complete the job. Obviously you don't
want your bike covered in ****. This is
only recommended for a man, not a woman
to do. Serious injury could occur to a
woman. Of course this could all be
avoided, if they made a bottle that
didn't leak. In the desert, you are
limited to Polar bottles because of the
heat, and they all seem to leak after a
while, even the new design. Don't know
why, but they do.
 
On Oct 22, 4:49 pm, Crescentius Vespasianus <[email protected]>
wrote:
> I've had two shimano cable breaks in the
> last year. One had 12,000 miles, the
> other one 6000 miles. They both broke
> at the head, in the shifter, and didn't
> completely break, only partially, which
> drives you nuts, because you think it's
> some gatorade goop in the bottom
> bracket, or the adjustment which it
> rarely is for such a big malfunctioning
> rd, where it shifts on it's own.
> Weren't there some bad shimano cables
> out there, or is this how their life
> typically ends?
>
> If you are easily offended do not read
> any further.
>
> I learned this out of desperation on one
> of my boonie rides in the desert.
> Typically when the rd starts to act up,
> it's usually the gatorade goop, that
> dries under where the bottom bracket,
> making the cable stick. I only had
> bottles full of gatorade, no water, and
> no source of water for miles around. So
> I scratched my head and came up with a
> solution..... but I have pee. Turn the
> bike upside down, now this takes extreme
> control, it doesn't take much pee, to
> melt that sugar away, and then stop, or
> point the pisser away from the bike and
> complete the job. Obviously you don't
> want your bike covered in ****. This is
> only recommended for a man, not a woman
> to do. Serious injury could occur to a
> woman. Of course this could all be
> avoided, if they made a bottle that
> didn't leak. In the desert, you are
> limited to Polar bottles because of the
> heat, and they all seem to leak after a
> while, even the new design. Don't know
> why, but they do.


My rear shifter cable will break almost like clockwork every 4800km or
so. I've just got in the habit of replacing the inner every 3200km and
the outer every 6400km. The front cable lasts about 50% longer.
 
removing cables, cleaning, relubing the system at reasonable scheduled
periodic intervals
keeping a log.
if you find a flattend cable area, like that's it.
you go in
 
On Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:49:48 -0700, Crescentius Vespasianus
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I've had two shimano cable breaks in the
>last year. One had 12,000 miles, the
>other one 6000 miles.


Wait right there.... you put 12,000 miles on a cable and you need to
discuss it's "short life"?
 
Crescentius Vespasianus wrote:
> I've had two shimano cable breaks in the last year. One had 12,000
> miles, the other one 6000 miles. They both broke at the head, in the
> shifter, and didn't completely break, only partially, which drives you
> nuts, because you think it's some gatorade goop in the bottom bracket,
> or the adjustment which it rarely is for such a big malfunctioning rd,
> where it shifts on it's own. Weren't there some bad shimano cables out
> there, or is this how their life typically ends?


entirely typical. replace preemptively based on the above data and
you'll never have a problem again. halve the expected mileage for
cheapo no-name cable.


>
> If you are easily offended do not read any further.
>
> I learned this out of desperation on one of my boonie rides in the
> desert. Typically when the rd starts to act up, it's usually the
> gatorade goop, that dries under where the bottom bracket, making the
> cable stick. I only had bottles full of gatorade, no water, and no
> source of water for miles around. So I scratched my head and came up
> with a solution..... but I have pee. Turn the bike upside down, now
> this takes extreme control, it doesn't take much pee, to melt that sugar
> away, and then stop, or point the pisser away from the bike and complete
> the job. Obviously you don't want your bike covered in ****. This is
> only recommended for a man, not a woman to do. Serious injury could
> occur to a woman. Of course this could all be avoided, if they made a
> bottle that didn't leak. In the desert, you are limited to Polar
> bottles because of the heat, and they all seem to leak after a while,
> even the new design. Don't know why, but they do.
 
On Oct 22, 2:49 am, Crescentius Vespasianus <[email protected]>
wrote:
> I've had two shimano cable breaks in the
> last year. One had 12,000 miles, the
> other one 6000 miles. They both broke
> at the head, in the shifter, and didn't
> completely break, only partially, which
> drives you nuts, because you think it's
> some gatorade goop in the bottom
> bracket, or the adjustment which it
> rarely is for such a big malfunctioning
> rd, where it shifts on it's own.
> Weren't there some bad shimano cables
> out there, or is this how their life
> typically ends?


Welcome to yet another chapter in "The Wonderful World of STI Road
Shifters": Chapter *** - "Short Cable Life". :(
 
Ozark Bicycle wrote:
> On Oct 22, 2:49 am, Crescentius Vespasianus <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>> I've had two shimano cable breaks in the
>> last year. One had 12,000 miles, the
>> other one 6000 miles. They both broke
>> at the head, in the shifter, and didn't
>> completely break, only partially, which
>> drives you nuts, because you think it's
>> some gatorade goop in the bottom
>> bracket, or the adjustment which it
>> rarely is for such a big malfunctioning
>> rd, where it shifts on it's own.
>> Weren't there some bad shimano cables
>> out there, or is this how their life
>> typically ends?

>
> Welcome to yet another chapter in "The Wonderful World of STI Road
> Shifters": Chapter *** - "Short Cable Life". :(


and yet they last longer than cables in campy shifters. or is this
where we're all supposed to retro-grumble about friction shifters and 5
speeds?
 
On Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:49:48 -0700, Crescentius Vespasianus
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Typically when the rd starts to act up,
>it's usually the gatorade goop, that
>dries under where the bottom bracket,
>making the cable stick.


I agree. I squirt WD40 on the cable guide and cables occasionally.
Works better than water. Spray furniture wax works ok too.

I wouldn't view a sticking cable as something that requires emergency
repair.
 
On 22 Oct 2007 20:16:28 -0700, Ozark Bicycle
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Welcome to yet another chapter in "The Wonderful World of STI Road
>Shifters": Chapter *** - "Short Cable Life". :(


In my opinion, my Ergo stuff wins the cable wear award.
 

>> Typically when the rd starts to act up,
>> it's usually the gatorade goop, that
>> dries under where the bottom bracket,
>> making the cable stick.

>
> I agree. I squirt WD40 on the cable guide and cables occasionally.
> Works better than water. Spray furniture wax works ok too.
>
> I wouldn't view a sticking cable as something that requires emergency
> repair.

--------------
It depends, if it's really sticking you
can break the innards of an STI shifter
like I did once. By being lazy, I paid
$100 for a new shifter.
 
On Oct 25, 4:18 pm, Crescentius Vespasianus <[email protected]>
wrote:
> >> Typically when the rd starts to act up,
> >> it's usually the gatorade goop, that
> >> dries under where the bottom bracket,
> >> making the cable stick.

>
> > I agree. I squirt WD40 on the cable guide and cables occasionally.
> > Works better than water. Spray furniture wax works ok too.

>
> > I wouldn't view a sticking cable as something that requires emergency
> > repair.

>
> --------------
> It depends, if it's really sticking you
> can break the innards of an STI shifter
> like I did once. By being lazy, I paid
> $100 for a new shifter.


Broke my shifter too...twice:(
Are there any indexed shifters made with decent steel innards?
 
On Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:46:48 -0700, tiborg <[email protected]> wrote:

>Broke my shifter too...twice:(
>Are there any indexed shifters made with decent steel innards?


Friction wins again!
 
On Oct 25, 3:14 pm, still me <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:46:48 -0700, tiborg <[email protected]> wrote:
> >Broke my shifter too...twice:(
> >Are there any indexed shifters made with decent steel innards?

>
> Friction wins again!


Indexed DT levers and indexed barends do not craok cables, either, IME.
 
On Oct 22, 10:37 pm, jim beam <[email protected]> wrote:
> Ozark Bicycle wrote:
> > On Oct 22, 2:49 am, Crescentius Vespasianus <[email protected]>
> > wrote:
> >> I've had two shimano cable breaks in the
> >> last year. One had 12,000 miles, the
> >> other one 6000 miles. They both broke
> >> at the head, in the shifter, and didn't
> >> completely break, only partially, which
> >> drives you nuts, because you think it's
> >> some gatorade goop in the bottom
> >> bracket, or the adjustment which it
> >> rarely is for such a big malfunctioning
> >> rd, where it shifts on it's own.
> >> Weren't there some bad shimano cables
> >> out there, or is this how their life
> >> typically ends?

>
> > Welcome to yet another chapter in "The Wonderful World of STI Road
> > Shifters": Chapter *** - "Short Cable Life". :(

>
> and yet they last longer than cables in campy shifters.



My recollection was that the OP had STI. Or should I have said, "your
shifters have short cable life, but it could be worse"?


> or is this
> where we're all supposed to retro-grumble about friction shifters and 5
> speeds?


We could point out that the non-brifter alternatives (indexed DT
shifters, indexed barends, etc.,) do not have this problem.
 
On Oct 24, 4:01 pm, Paul Kopit <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 22 Oct 2007 20:16:28 -0700, Ozark Bicycle
>
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> >Welcome to yet another chapter in "The Wonderful World of STI Road
> >Shifters": Chapter *** - "Short Cable Life". :(

>
> In my opinion, my Ergo stuff wins the cable wear award.


Perhaps, but the OP has STI.....
 
>> > Welcome to yet another chapter in "The Wonderful World of STI Road
>> > Shifters": Chapter *** - "Short Cable Life". :(

>>
>> and yet they last longer than cables in campy shifters.

>
>
> My recollection was that the OP had STI. Or should I have said, "your
> shifters have short cable life, but it could be worse"?
>
>
>> or is this
>> where we're all supposed to retro-grumble about friction shifters and 5
>> speeds?

>
> We could point out that the non-brifter alternatives (indexed DT
> shifters, indexed barends, etc.,) do not have this problem.


I wonder if that's because we shift more often with STI levers? The radius
of the bend should be the same, shouldn't it? Or are you thinking the
tighter curves in the cable run (where it follows the curve of the
handlebar) create enough increased friction to cause the cables to break
more readily?

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
 
On Oct 27, 1:45 am, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> > Welcome to yet another chapter in "The Wonderful World of STI Road
> >> > Shifters": Chapter *** - "Short Cable Life". :(

>
> >> and yet they last longer than cables in campy shifters.

>
> > My recollection was that the OP had STI. Or should I have said, "your
> > shifters have short cable life, but it could be worse"?

>
> >> or is this
> >> where we're all supposed to retro-grumble about friction shifters and 5
> >> speeds?

>
> > We could point out that the non-brifter alternatives (indexed DT
> > shifters, indexed barends, etc.,) do not have this problem.

>
> I wonder if that's because we shift more often with STI levers?


That might be part of it. Some riders using brifters do shift more
than I would have ever imagined (click!click!click!click!).

> The radius
> of the bend should be the same, shouldn't it?


The cable pull is the same. Of course, there are far fewer 9 or 10sp
indexed DT or barends in service v. 9/10sp brifters. Most of my "data"
is based on brifters v. 7/8sp. Maybe that's a factor(?).


Or are you thinking the
> tighter curves in the cable run (where it follows the curve of the
> handlebar) create enough increased friction to cause the cables to break
> more readily?


My guess is that it's the increased shifting in concert with something
peculiar to the brifter inards.
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReactionBicycles.com