U da man!
that's the best explanation I have heard yet, LOL
"Darsh" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:iPE_9.107928$rM2.50122@rwcrnsc53...
>
> "Simon" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
>
news:[email protected]...
> >
> > "Darsh" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:hiy_9.103878$rM2.49949@rwcrnsc53... <snip>
> >
> > | > Cable stretch, then returning while you are riding the bike. BS!
Cable
> > | > stretch occurs, but somewhat slowly over the first few
> days/weeks/months
> > | > (depends on how much you ride) of the life of new cables.
> > |
> > | Cable stretch happens IMMEDIATELY. It is not unlike a guitar string.
> > When
> > | initially installed, I like to give it an immediate heavy stretch, otherwise, you are tuning
> > | every 5 minutes for a bit.
> > |
> > | Bike cable are not very different. The first shifts in a cables life stretches it more than at
> > | any point in it's usable life. If the
cables
> were
> > | installed, and given only a few shifts, the cables were never
stretched
> > | initially. (as I find is the case in most LBS builds)
> > |
> > | One simple test ride in enough to put rear shifting out of wack.
> > |
> > | darsh
> > |
> > Darsh your comments got me wondering for a minute there as I always
> thought
> > cables stretched over time. So I done some searching, reading and noting
> and
> > found........they do stretch over time. I cant find any references to
back
> > up that cables stretch immediately "only".
>
> They do stretch over time. Don't know why you put 'only' in quotes. I never said only, but I
> understand your interpretation of what I wrote.
>
> Of course all through the life of a wound cable, it will stretch. It is obvious that most of this
> stretching happens when the cable is new. The stretching of the cable is not consistent throughout
> it's life though.
>
> >
> > I have found through personal experience that prestretched cables do
> stretch
> > slightly upon first installation and then remain constant, was it this
you
> > were referring to?
>
> Prestretched or not, the stretching will occur on initial use, and taper
off
> as the steel settles in to it's prime elasticity point. Being one of the most elastic substances
> on the planet, steel naturally finds it's point of elasticity and holds it for quite some time. It
> does not hold it forever, and eventually begins to stretch itself to death.
>
> Take a new rubber band and measure it's circumference. Stretch it nice
and
> tight and release. You will notice the rubber band has a larger circumference than it did before
> the test. It did not retain a lot of
it's
> original elasticity. Now stretch the rubber band again. Now note the change in circumference. The
> circumference is larger, but the change is
not
> as considerable as the first test pull.
>
> This will continue until the rubberband breaks. Sure the rubber looses
some
> of the elasticity as you test it over and over, but the difference should start to look like a
> common logarithmic graph.
>
> The cable or rubberband will never remain constant, it will always stretch when stressed, but the
> original lose of elasticity is never matched
through
> the life of the cable. The life of the cable is determined by it's
ability
> to hold it's elastic properties, or when it breaks, whatever happens
first.
> >
> > Would be interested to know which it is.
>
> Don't know if this clarifies something. I am no professor. I only have experience and opinion to
> base my findings upon.
>
> I install a new cable and ride about 50 feet down the road shifting like mad, stressing the cable.
> It does not take much to stretch the perfectly adjusted, pre-stretched cable to the point of out
> of adjustment shifting.
>
> Sometimes I repeat the shifting procedure twice. I then adjust, and the shifting stays where I
> want it.
>
> Taking a bike off the rack, riding it on a test and experiencing shifting problems, seems to me a
> very common experience.
>
> "So, how did you like it?"
>
> "Well if felt OK, but it didn't shift very well."
>
> "Yea, that is just cable stretch, it happens with new cables. We'll set
you
> up with a free 30-day tune-up to correct that after the cables settle in."
>
> What bike mechanic/salesman has not had a similar conversation?
>
> darsh
>
> >
> > Simon.
> >
>