If you’re looking to keep your bike in good working condition, it’s important to regularly check and replace parts as needed. One part that may need replacing from time to time is the bike gear cable. While this may seem like a daunting task, it’s actually quite simple to do with the right tools and techniques.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to install bike gear cables.
- Unscrew the bike’s gear cable from its housing
- Cut the new gear cable to size, making sure to leave enough slack
- Insert the new gear cable into its housing and screw it in place
- Attach one end of the new gear cable to the bike’s shifter and the other end to the derailleur
- Adjust the tension on the new gear cable until shifting is smooth
How to Remove Gear Cable from Shifter
If you’re like most cyclists, you probably don’t give your gear cables much thought – until they need to be replaced. Then, it’s a mad scramble to figure out how to remove the old ones and install the new ones. Fortunately, it’s not that difficult, and this article will walk you through the process step by step.
First, you’ll need a few tools: an adjustable wrench, a Phillips head screwdriver, and some grease (optional). You’ll also need a new gear cable – make sure to get one that is the same length as your old one.
To begin, shift your bike into the smallest cog on the rear cassette and the largest chainring on the front crankset.
This will give you the most slack in the cable and make removal easier. Next, use your adjustable wrench to loosen (but not remove) the nut that secures the cable at the derailleur. If there is a barrel adjuster at this point, unscrew it until there is no more tension on the cable.
Now it’s time to move to the shifter end of things. On Shimano shifters (which are common), there is a small screw on top of each lever that holds down a plastic cover plate. Remove these screws with your Phillips head screwdriver and set them aside along with the cover plates.
Underneath these plates, you should see two small Allen bolts – these secure the shifter levers to their respective bases. Use your Allen wrench to remove these bolts (lefty-loosey!) and then gently pull off each lever. With both levers removed, you should now have access to two metal clamp bolts which hold down each gear cable respectively – one for upshifts and one for downshifts .
Unscrew these bolts (again, lefty-loosey) until they are loose enough that you can pull out each gear cable from its slot in each lever base . Take note of which slot corresponds with which position before removing them so that you can replace them correctly later!
With both cables now freed from their slots , gently pull them out through hole in bottom of each lever baseplate , being careful not to damage or kink either cable .
You may find it helpful at this point to lubricate your new cables with some grease before threading them through – this will help reduce friction when shifting gears later on .
Credit: www.bikeradar.com
How Do I Install a New Derailleur Cable?
If your bike’s shifting is feeling sluggish or inaccurate, it might be time to replace the derailleur cable. This is a relatively easy maintenance task that you can do at home with just a few tools. Here’s how to do it:
1. Remove the old cable. Start by shifting your bike into the smallest gear. Then, use a hex wrench to loosen the clamp bolt on the derailleur cage and pull the old cable out.
2. Cut the new cable to length. Measure the old cable to get an idea of how long your new one should be, then use a sharp pair of wire cutters to trim it down to size. Make sure to leave enough slack so that you can easily attach it to the shifter levers and derailleurs.
3. Attach the new cable end caps . Place an end cap on each end of the new cable, then use yourhex wrenchto tighten them in place. Make sure they’re tight so that they don’t come off while you’re riding!
4 . Threadthecable throughtheframeandderailleurs . Start atthe shifterlevers ,then threadthe cablesthrough alloftheroutingsloopsinthe frameuntilyoureachthederailleurs .
Ifthereisaframe protectorinplace,youmayneedtoremovit firstinordertothreadthecablethrough .
5 Attachthecabletocathedralderailleur . Onthederailleuritself ,thereisaclampboltthatholdsthecablehousinginplace(if there’s notonealready there,you’ll needto installit now) .
Loosenthisbolt ,feedtheendofthenew cablestraightinto thisclamp ,andtightenthebolt backdownagain (don’t forgettocutoff anyexcesscable onceit’s tightened !)
How Do You Put Gear Cables on a Road Bike?
Road bikes have come a long way in recent years, and gear cables are now extremely easy to put on. In fact, most new road bikes come with all the necessary hardware already installed. All you need to do is thread the cable through the appropriate housing and then tighten it down.
If your bike didn’t come with gear cables installed, don’t worry – it’s still relatively simple to do. Start by routing the cable through the frame from the front derailleur to the rear. You’ll want to take special care not to kink or damage the cable as you do this.
Once you’ve routed the cable through the frame, attach it to your shifters.
With everything attached, simply adjust your derailleurs until they’re in alignment with each other. Then, use a barrel adjuster to fine-tune your shifting.
If everything is adjusted properly, you should be able to shift smoothly and effortlessly between gears.
How Do You Thread a Gear Cable Through a Frame?
If you’re looking to thread a gear cable through your frame, there are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind. First, you’ll need to determine the path of the cable. There are two common paths for gear cables – under the bottom bracket and over the top tube.
Once you’ve determined the path, you’ll need to route the cable through the appropriate holes in the frame.
For an under-the-bottom-bracket path, start by threading the cable through one of the chainstay yokes. Then, run it under the bottom bracket and up through the other chainstay yoke.
From there, you can route it over or under the down tube and to the front derailleur.
For an over-the-top-tube path, start by routing the cable over or under the down tube (depending on your frame’s design) and then threading it through one of The headtube lugs. From there, run it over or around The stem (again, depending on frame design) before finally routing it to The front derailleur.
Once you’ve routed The cable through The frame, you can trim any excess before attaching The end caps and housingferrules.. And that’s all there is too it!
With a little bit of practice,threading a gear cable will become second nature.
How To Replace & Fit Gear Cables On A Road Bike Like A Pro | Maintenance Monday
Conclusion
If you’re a biking enthusiast, then you know that having properly functioning bike gears is essential for a good ride. Fortunately, installing bike gear cables is a relatively easy process that anyone can do with the right tools and instructions. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the steps of how to install bike gear cables so that you can get back out on the open road in no time.