Wow - rear shifter cable broke after two seasons

[Pierre]

Just a word of warning. I replaced my 10spd DA rear shifter cable two seasons ago (say 10,000-12,000 miles ago) and it broke at the end right inside the shifter during a ride yesterday. Luckily there was a bike store nearby. I had previously read threads that suggested replacing the cable and housing every second season but I didn't really buy into it...I do now!!!

[AngryScientist]

7800 or 7900?

i think 12k miles is pretty good for a shift cable personally.

[Pierre]

7800

[Ralph]

I do all that stuff every year. Or at least put the rear derailleur cable on the front, and put a new rear on every year. Lots of grease around cable end in shifter. Cost.....maybe $3-4. Cables cheap.

[oldpotatoe]

7800

7800/6600 known to eat cables. Head broken inside lever often. Most times you cn fish it out. Chek often.

[mktng]

I tend to change cables once a year. It's quite premature of me to swap, but I've had shifter cables snap before. Removing pieces and riding stuck on one gear home sucks.

[kgreene10]

Yup, happens a lot with 7800 and, I've heard, with other Shimano STI. I rode home over 30 miles of hills in the big ring once. Oh, and another time, a cable broke ;)

[mktng]

I don't mind replacing often on my 7800 set up, as shifter cable removal and installation is simple with the housing being where they are.

[bobswire]

7800 or 7900?

i think 12k miles is pretty good for a shift cable personally.

This and knowing he lives in Toronto I assume he rides in wet weather which further erodes cables. 10-12 thousands miles sounds more than fair.

[regularguy412]

I do all that stuff every year. Or at least put the rear derailleur cable on the front, and put a new rear on every year. Lots of grease around cable end in shifter. Cost.....maybe $3-4. Cables cheap.

^^^ This

Don't wait 2 years. I'm lucky to get one year out of my cables. But.... I sweat a LOT!

Mike in AR:beer:

[Black Dog]

Are the latest gen of shimano shifters cable eaters too? If so at 20 bucks a pop it may get some hackles up to have to replace the every year.

[fogrider]

Are the latest gen of shimano shifters cable eaters too? If so at 20 bucks a pop it may get some hackles up to have to replace the every year.

are the new cables that much more? I must say, I wish I could get that kind of milage in!

[fogrider]

Yup, happens a lot with 7800 and, I've heard, with other Shimano STI. I rode home over 30 miles of hills in the big ring once. Oh, and another time, a cable broke ;)

the front derailleur cable typically pulls the derailleur and to shift into the big ring, if the cable is broken, the spring in the derailleur should drop the chain into the small ring. besides, how big are the hills in Texas?

[Louis]

Yet another reason to appreciate DT shifters - frayed cable strands poke your fingers and give you plenty of warning before the whole thing fails!

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4119/4753876590_757f1ec79c_z.jpg

[Ozrider]

Major service once a year with new cables and housing and new bartape. I do a full strip down once a year and lube BB, Headset, Wheelbearings, derailleur pulley bearings.
New cables aren't that expensive and so far I have not had a cable break mid ride. The small cost is with the peace of mind.


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[weisan]

I do all that stuff every year. Or at least put the rear derailleur cable on the front, and put a new rear on every year. Lots of grease around cable end in shifter. Cost.....maybe $3-4. Cables cheap.

where do you get your cables? I get mine from Walmart. They have raised their prices over the years from $4 to now $7 for a complete set of cables plus housings (Bell branded). Yeah, it's no Jagwire but cables are cables...for my kind of riding and application, it has never given me any problems. At that price, I can probably replace them once every month :p but the longest I have left them on was 3 years+ when we were overseas and there's no walmart there, no issue whatsoever.

[Saint Vitus]

where do you get your cables? I get mine from Walmart. They have raised their prices over the years from $4 to now $7 for a complete set of cables plus housings (Bell branded). Yeah, it's no Jagwire but cables are cables...for my kind of riding and application, it has never given me any problems. At that price, I can probably replace them once every month :p but the longest I have left them on was 3 years+ when we were overseas and there's no walmart there, no issue whatsoever.

How wrong you are, Campy cables are lovingly made by loverly Italian maidens high in the alps where the low oxygen imparts a sweeter feel when shifting and the cables are pre-stressed by the higher altitude for intense Col ascents and descents.

[Louis]

I use Jagwire stainless for my DT shifters and compared to "whatever the LBS has in the generic parts bin" they're way better at resisting the sweat and body oil that inevitably gets over them. Well worth the price IMO.

[palincss]

Just a word of warning. I replaced my 10spd DA rear shifter cable two seasons ago (say 10,000-12,000 miles ago) and it broke at the end right inside the shifter during a ride yesterday. Luckily there was a bike store nearby. I had previously read threads that suggested replacing the cable and housing every second season but I didn't really buy into it...I do now!!!

Some bike shops have recommended changing STI rear shifter cables every 1,000 miles, and I've heard some racing teams change them every week. If you went 12,000 miles and then didn't end up having to trash your shifter because of debris caught inside it when the cable broke, you should count yourself very lucky indeed.

[palincss]

I tend to change cables once a year. It's quite premature of me to swap, but I've had shifter cables snap before. Removing pieces and riding stuck on one gear home sucks.

If the cable breaks, you can make the ride home a bit easier by manually moving the rear derailleur over to a reasonable gear level terrain gear on the big and holding it in place by cinching what's left of the shift cable under the edge of a water bottle cage (loosening the screw, catching the cable under the edge of the cage, then retightening the screw). Now, instead of "Way High" on the small ring and "Too Damned High" on the big ring, you have a cruising gear on the big ring and a climbing gear on the small ring.

Or, you can change the cable before it breaks.