Bob, I'm not arguing any of those points you made because they're all valid points. The point I was trying to make, perhaps failed, is that chains, cassettes, and since this was about cables, do not necessarily need to be changed every year as the LBS and on other forums mantra goes concerning cables, or every 2,000 miles for chains and cassettes which I also hear that mantra from LBS's and on forums. If a person knows how to check those items for wear then in a lot of cases, if not most cases, those time periods can be lengthened, assuming the rider is taking care of their stuff of course. These forums consist of a lot average riders, riders who average 14 mph and 2500 miles a year on pretty much level ground riding paths, it's these sort of people that may be changing stuff a lot sooner than necessary. And the watts stuff you mention while would effect chains and gears has little bearing on cables, if you're living in a mountainous area doing a lot shifting and braking then that would affect cables but again if inspected frequently a person may not have to replace every season. When I use to race in mountains I still got 3 years on cables.
I was self financed when I use to race, I had to make things last longer to save money, but I wasn't letting things go to the unsafe level either because of fast mountain riding, but I wasn't going to change cables or chains every season if they weren't needing replacement.
While my touring bike is a vintage bike those cables are no longer original of course, they've been replaced with modern low friction Jagwire cables, I chose Jagwire for an odd reason, not because I thought they were the best that seems subjective across the internet, but because of the color I was looking for! Besides, I measured the cables with a micrometer of my newest bike (due to this conversation), and my only vintage bike with the original cables still on them (measuring just the wire not the housing) on the vintage cables are exactly the same diameter as my Shimano DA 9000's and the Jagwires, the smaller diameter shifter cables are the same as is the thicker brake cables, so they haven't changed the wire thickness since the 80's unless there are some brands who use thinner wire today that I'm unaware of. The vintage chains are indeed thicker which I know those will last longer because I usually get 13,000 to 15,000 on a chain and 3 times that on a gear cluster with the vintage chains even when I use to race in So Calif mountains except when I tried using wax lubes than the mileages on chains and gears dropped by two thirds. I've heard arguments from chain manufactures that the new thin chains will last just as long as the older wider vintage chains because they improved the technology, so far I haven't found that to be the case from personal accounts of friends nor as evidenced on forums.
By the way the 6,800 miles on the main bike is not the only miles I do on a bike, I commute to work on a different bike, and I sometimes do weekend tours on another bike, and sometimes I take the vintage bikes out. So the miles are spread out over several bikes, but this year has been miserable for me to find time to ride, had to go places and leave the bike behind more this year, and locally the weather has been raining almost all the time or it was below freezing further into when the season usually starts. So much for global warming. If my wife dies before me I would probably move to a milder climate so I can ride more, if I die first I can ride in heaven as long as I want without getting fatigued, so eventually it'll be a win win situation.!
I was self financed when I use to race, I had to make things last longer to save money, but I wasn't letting things go to the unsafe level either because of fast mountain riding, but I wasn't going to change cables or chains every season if they weren't needing replacement.
While my touring bike is a vintage bike those cables are no longer original of course, they've been replaced with modern low friction Jagwire cables, I chose Jagwire for an odd reason, not because I thought they were the best that seems subjective across the internet, but because of the color I was looking for! Besides, I measured the cables with a micrometer of my newest bike (due to this conversation), and my only vintage bike with the original cables still on them (measuring just the wire not the housing) on the vintage cables are exactly the same diameter as my Shimano DA 9000's and the Jagwires, the smaller diameter shifter cables are the same as is the thicker brake cables, so they haven't changed the wire thickness since the 80's unless there are some brands who use thinner wire today that I'm unaware of. The vintage chains are indeed thicker which I know those will last longer because I usually get 13,000 to 15,000 on a chain and 3 times that on a gear cluster with the vintage chains even when I use to race in So Calif mountains except when I tried using wax lubes than the mileages on chains and gears dropped by two thirds. I've heard arguments from chain manufactures that the new thin chains will last just as long as the older wider vintage chains because they improved the technology, so far I haven't found that to be the case from personal accounts of friends nor as evidenced on forums.
By the way the 6,800 miles on the main bike is not the only miles I do on a bike, I commute to work on a different bike, and I sometimes do weekend tours on another bike, and sometimes I take the vintage bikes out. So the miles are spread out over several bikes, but this year has been miserable for me to find time to ride, had to go places and leave the bike behind more this year, and locally the weather has been raining almost all the time or it was below freezing further into when the season usually starts. So much for global warming. If my wife dies before me I would probably move to a milder climate so I can ride more, if I die first I can ride in heaven as long as I want without getting fatigued, so eventually it'll be a win win situation.!
