Author Topic: Left-handed, shifting  (Read 506 times)

mickeg

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Re: Left-handed, shifting
« Reply #15 on: November 10, 2024, 06:12:58 PM »
Good idea to make a spare. Every year I examine the cables in the ex-box to look for fraying. Perhaps every other year I also back out the cable ends from the twist shifter to check for fraying. Fraying seems to happen more often in the ex-box compared with the shifter; the latter I've not observed. Perhaps owing to the smaller radius of the cable bend in the ex-box. In contrast, shimano drop bar shifters fray more often in the shifter, which can be a nightmare to fix on the road, even if you have a spare.

I have had very good luck with long cable life, except in bar end derailleur shifters which I have on three bikes.  I think hand sweat can get into the cables on those shifters and accelerate corrosion.  The cable in the first two photos broke after four years.  I thought I was only using stainless cables, but this cable looks like it is galvanized.

The above was the second time I had a shifter cable go bad in a bar end shifter.  First time, third photo, I could feel the sharp broken ends so I had warning to change this cable when I got home.  I still had three strands remaining when I got home.