# Ultegra 8000 cable replacement preventive maintenance



## Wheelspeed (Nov 3, 2006)

Hi everyone,

I just read an article in which the author said Shimano shifters wear out cables pretty quickly, apparently at some sharp angle inside the shifter. So he thought they should be changed every year (I suppose he rode thousands of miles per year).

My bike with Ultegra 8000 will be about 18 months old this winter, with about 1500 miles on it. Should I order new cables already?

-John


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## frdfandc (Nov 27, 2007)

The newer shifters like 6800 and 8000 don't eat cables like their predecessors did. But preventative maintenance will keep you going without worry. 

You probably could go another 1500 miles with them, but 2 years is a good time frame to replace them.

I have 4 years on mine (6800 Ultegra)but my miles are lower than yours. But I am going to replace them this winter.

Make sure to get the Shimano cables for optimal shifting.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

Wheelspeed said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I just read an article in which the author said Shimano shifters wear out cables pretty quickly, apparently at some sharp angle inside the shifter.


The author is correct. It's a known issue with all Shimano shifters that route under the bar tape that requires a tight bend on the cable. The newer models are "better" but they're still poorly designed. 
Saying they should be changed every year is bad advice. Different people ride vastly different amounts of miles, and different terrain vastly changes how much someone shifts. 
2,000-3,000 miles is a safe replacement frequency. Once you get beyond that, you're playing with fire. When the cables break, they fray and jam up inside your shifter, making them extremely difficult if not impossible to remove.

Always keep a few cables on hand and replace them regularly.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

As noted the passage of time means nothing. Miles is a better guess but still will vary greatly from person to person and bike to bike (depending on friction from cable routing).

Agree 2-3K is a good safe approach for the rear inner. I don't track miles anymore so replace the inner every time I replace a chain. Which is probably over cautious but needing a new chain is a convenient easy to remember reminder for me.
I replace the front once a year when I'm also replacing housing which would be at about 10K miles. Unless you have some crazy shifting habits you should be able to let the front go a lot longer.

Make sure you get stainless steel cables.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

tlg said:


> Saying they should be changed every year is bad advice. Different people ride vastly different amounts of miles, and different terrain vastly changes how much someone shifts. 2,000-3,000 miles is a safe replacement frequency. Once you get beyond that, you're playing with fire.


I have no experience w/Shimano stuff and my Campy cables last well over 20K miles, but it can't be emphasized enough how much this depends on local terrain and rider style. Someone who rides flat roads and rarely has to stop might only shift a few times per ride. Someone in hills or lots of cross roads might be shifting all the time.

The key question is whether it is relatively easy to inspect the cables for wear. If you can peel back the hoods and see the sharp cable bend where the failures take place, doing that every 500 miles would seem to make the most sense. If you can't inspect the cables, then you can curse Shimano's poor design and learn from experience how often to replace your cables.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

Kerry Irons said:


> I have no experience w/Shimano stuff and my Campy cables last well over 20K miles, but it can't be emphasized enough how much this depends on local terrain and rider style.


My previous Sram was somewhere around 10k when I replaced them. But they still looked pretty good.
Definitely a Shimano issue. I can easily count 10x it's occurred on group rides over the last 5 years. Always Shimano shifters. 



> The key question is whether it is relatively easy to inspect the cables for wear. If you can peel back the hoods and see the sharp cable bend where the failures take place, doing that every 500 miles would seem to make the most sense. If you can't inspect the cables, then you can curse Shimano's poor design and learn from experience how often to replace your cables.


Nope, you can't inspect them without pulling out the cable. So if you're gonna do that, might as well just put new ones on.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

As others have posted the 'age' of the cable doesn't matter. The important thing is how many shifts it endures over time. 2-3k miles is when the majority of them fray and break. With the newer 11 speed shifters it's much easier to get them out if they do actually break. You can remove the bottom cover and take a look at the entire mechanism pretty easily. You'll know it's fraying when it becomes very hard to adjust properly. 

When you replace the cables you'll want to replace the housing as well...don't just replace the cables.


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

I've found using the Shimano Cable Lube significantly extends the life of the shifter cables too. Just add it to the bends under the hood cover, not the entire cable.

Inspecting them isn't that hard - put the rear in the highest gear (smallest cog) and release the pinch bolt - pull the hood cover back and pull some of the cable out of the shifter to see what it looks like. Of course this only works if the installer left enough of a tail on the cable at the DR to push enough cable out to see the area that bends back to the rear of the bike in the shifter.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

Srode said:


> I've found using the Shimano Cable Lube significantly extends the life of the shifter cables too.


You mean "just about any grease"?


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

cxwrench said:


> As others have posted the 'age' of the cable doesn't matter. The important thing is how many shifts it endures over time. 2-3k miles is when the majority of them fray and break. With the newer 11 speed shifters it's much easier to get them out if they do actually break. You can remove the bottom cover and take a look at the entire mechanism pretty easily. You'll know it's fraying when it becomes very hard to adjust properly.
> 
> When you replace the cables you'll want to replace the housing as well...don't just replace the cables.


wasn't it you or someone on here who said that when you have to keep raising the tension of the cable to make a shift, that's when it's time to replace the cable and housing.

Interestingly, here's something I've found out regarding the Shimano 7900 DA 10 speed shifter series. If you use these shifters with their 10speed Shadown mtb derailleur, then the force required to shift is like HALF compared to when using these shifters with their original DA 7900 rear derailleur. This is due to the design of their Shadow tech. It's actually quite an amazing feeling as shifting requires litterally 1-finger for me. So, this means that the force imparted on the cable is also less. I've run the same cable on my climbing road bike with their Shawdown mtb derailleur for at least 3 years now and the cable still looks like it's going strong.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

aclinjury said:


> wasn't it you or someone on here who said that when you have to keep raising the tension of the cable to make a shift, that's when it's time to replace the cable and housing.
> 
> Interestingly, here's something I've found out regarding the Shimano 7900 DA 10 speed shifter series. If you use these shifters with their 10speed Shadown mtb derailleur, then the force required to shift is like HALF compared to when using these shifters with their original DA 7900 rear derailleur. This is due to the design of their Shadow tech. It's actually quite an amazing feeling as shifting requires litterally 1-finger for me. So, this means that the force imparted on the cable is also less. I've run the same cable on my climbing road bike with their Shawdown mtb derailleur for at least 3 years now and the cable still looks like it's going strong.


I think it's more that the cable gets wrapped around a small diameter shift drum (or whatever they call it) inside the shifter and the repeated wrapping/unwrapping fatigues the cable, just like bending a paper clip back and forth.


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## OldZaskar (Jul 1, 2009)

aclinjury - I made a comment a while back that a sign you're about to break a cable is having to add tension... and add tension... and SNAP!


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

Kerry Irons said:


> You mean "just about any grease"?


Well, I haven't tried other greases - as long as they are compatible with the coating on the cable and don't gum up over time they would have to improve the life I would guess. The Shimano stuff feels slicker than most lubes, not a scientific assessment to be sure. One little tub of the Shimano stuff will last a lifetime probably as long as it doesn't separate.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Srode said:


> Well, I haven't tried other greases - as long as they are compatible with the coating on the cable and don't gum up over time they would have to improve the life I would guess. The Shimano stuff feels slicker than most lubes, not a scientific assessment to be sure. One little tub of the Shimano stuff will last a lifetime probably as long as it doesn't separate.


It does feel more 'slippery' and doesn't gum up over time. Even at the shop a tub seems to last for a couple years.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

OldZaskar said:


> aclinjury - I made a comment a while back that a sign you're about to break a cable is having to add tension... and add tension... and SNAP!


ah, I knew it was somebody. Great tip!


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

cxwrench said:


> I think it's more that the cable gets wrapped around a small diameter shift drum (or whatever they call it) inside the shifter and the repeated wrapping/unwrapping fatigues the cable, just like bending a paper clip back and forth.


does stainless steel cable last longer then the el cheapo steel cable? Now why don't they make these cables out of kevlar or carbon fiber? I wouldn't mind paying a little more for an indestructible cable


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

aclinjury said:


> does stainless steel cable last longer then the el cheapo steel cable? Now why don't they make these cables out of kevlar or carbon fiber? I wouldn't mind paying a little more for an indestructible cable


I would guess it does last longer, but I can't remember the last time I installed anything other than stainless so I have to compare it with. I'll bet kevlar cables would cover all needs pretty well. Might have to do something fancy at the end where you clamp it to the derailleur, but I don't even think they'd be that expensive...hell, Shimano have some pretty expen$ive steel cables w/ coatings that come right off.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

frdfandc said:


> The newer shifters like *6800* and 8000 don't eat cables like their predecessors did.


Wrong! My 6800 right shifter chewed a cable to death in 2000 miles. As one poster said, it's a problem with all Shimano shifters that run the cables under the bars.

The first symptom is when shifting degrades and increasing cable tension temporarily solves the problem. When that happens, shift to the smallest cog, peel back the hood and check for broken strands. It will be visible. You don't need to loosen the derailleur clamp. And it's probably a good idea to do this check periodically anyway - especially if you are planning a lengthy event.


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

Lombard said:


> Wrong! My 6800 right shifter chewed a cable to death in 2000 miles.


Wow, Seriously? That's just crazy - I'd be checking for something wrong with the shifter or the install. What cables are you using? The last rear DR I changed had over 8000 miles on it, Shimano Dura Ace cables. Admittedly 8000 is longer than most would last, but surely 3500 minimum unless you are continuously shifting in which case Di2 would be a much better choice.


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## Z'mer (Oct 28, 2013)

Srode said:


> I've found using the Shimano Cable Lube significantly extends the life of the shifter cables too. Just add it to the bends under the hood cover, not the entire cable.


I agree and also use the Shimano lube on cables. Higher cable friction translates directly into higher shift lever force. Higher shift force appears to lead to shorter cable life. 

The main friction points are usually at the sharp bends - the rear loop, under the BB, and the front shifter area.


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## Z'mer (Oct 28, 2013)

Srode said:


> Well, I haven't tried other greases - as long as they are compatible with the coating on the cable and don't gum up over time they would have to improve the life I would guess.


The grease needs to be compatible with the housing, which usually has a plastic liner. 
You need to be careful as some greases may degrade or soften some plastics.


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## twinkles (Apr 23, 2007)

I put the bike in the stand & shift it into the easiest (biggest # of teeth) rear cog, then, without pedaling, push the shifter paddle into what would be the hardest gear ( smallest # of teeth). This releases the tension on the cable. Next pull the cable & housing from the rear split cable stop on the chainstay, this will completely detension the cable. Then pull the brake lever and push the "sinker" through the outer side of the shifter and inspect the first few cm of the cable. 

This way you don't have to touch the pinch bolt and mess with rear derailleur adjustment. This method won't work on a cable routed internally through the chainstay & I'm not smart enough to figure out if it will work on one of those reverse sprung dyslexic mtb derailleurs.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

twinkles said:


> I put the bike in the stand & shift it into the easiest (biggest # of teeth) rear cog, then, without pedaling, push the shifter paddle into what would be the hardest gear ( smallest # of teeth). This releases the tension on the cable. Next pull the cable & housing from the rear split cable stop on the chainstay, this will completely detension the cable. Then pull the brake lever and push the "sinker" through the outer side of the shifter and inspect the first few cm of the cable.
> 
> This way you don't have to touch the pinch bolt and mess with rear derailleur adjustment. This method won't work on a cable routed internally through the chainstay & I'm not smart enough to figure out if it will work on one of those reverse sprung dyslexic mtb derailleurs.


This really only works on older 9 & 10 speed systems w/ the shift housing NOT under the bar tape. With so many bikes having internal routing now it's not as good of a solution.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

Z'mer said:


> You need to be careful as some greases may degrade or soften some plastics.


While this is true in an absolute sense, it bears little relevance to the issue at hand. Any standard grease will work and will not degrade the plastics used in cable liners or cable coatings.


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## MerlinAma (Oct 11, 2005)

I’ve had two occasions where an 11 speed shifter ate the cable. One Dura Ace and one Ultegra. 
As an overreaction, I’m likely getting Sram eTap before the end of the year on my best bike. Then I’ll decide about bike #2.


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## Z'mer (Oct 28, 2013)

Kerry Irons said:


> While this is true in an absolute sense, it bears little relevance to the issue at hand. Any standard grease will work and will not degrade the plastics used in cable liners or cable coatings.


Do you know which plastics are used in cable coatings and housing liners? What is a "standard grease" 
Folks may want to peek at this document below if they want a more definitive explanation on grease compatibility with plastics. Also beware of "typical grease" and many rubber compounds. 

There are some very bad combinations, and many safe ones. Without knowing exactly what plastic and what grease is involved, I could not tell anyone "it's safe". 

What is safe, for me, is to use what the manufacturer of the cable system recommends. 

https://www.ecllube.com/resources-for-engineers/tutorials/ECL_Tips on Lubricating Plastics.pdf


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## thisisthebeave (Aug 30, 2015)

I usually do my Dura Ace cables every 2-2.5k. Only ever seen one strand frayed but I ride mostly flat terrain and might not shift as much as you. Even though I don’t see fray, shift performance degrades by this point.


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## Z'mer (Oct 28, 2013)

Here's another 2 page overview that discusses "Lubricants for control cables"
and talks about that applications special requirements. Almost all their recommended lubes use PTFE
https://www.nyelubricants.com/stuff...5461b63de3d5a7/en/lubenote_control_cables.pdf


> Nye’s fluorocarbon gels, for example, incorporate PTFE which creates a surface with a very low coefficient of friction and aids in supporting medium and heavily loaded cables to reduce wear.
> 
> We also offer greases for push-pull cables. They feature a unique combination of silicone oils and PTFE gelling agents which provide excellent cable wetting, very low friction, and load-carrying capabilities.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

thisisthebeave said:


> I usually do my Dura Ace cables every 2-2.5k. Only ever seen one strand frayed but I ride mostly flat terrain and might not shift as much as you. Even though I don’t see fray, shift performance degrades by this point.


2-2.5k??? That's not even half a year for me. Not feeling it.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

Z'mer said:


> Do you know which plastics are used in cable coatings and housing liners? What is a "standard grease"
> Folks may want to peek at this document below if they want a more definitive explanation on grease compatibility with plastics. Also beware of "typical grease" and many rubber compounds.
> 
> There are some very bad combinations, and many safe ones. Without knowing exactly what plastic and what grease is involved, I could not tell anyone "it's safe".
> ...


I just use white silicone (the kind they use for machines in the food industry). Safe and nontoxic, no odorless, and very decent lubrication. I stay away from these "automotive" grease because of their smell and toxicity.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

aclinjury said:


> 2-2.5k??? That's not even half a year for me. Not feeling it.


You'll get a feeling for how long yours will last after they do start to fray, then replace them based on that mileage.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

cxwrench said:


> You'll get a feeling for how long yours will last after they do start to fray, then replace them based on that mileage.


I put in around 10k-12k/yr spread out between 3 bikes primarily (fourth bike is a little bit of a trainer queen so no count). So what I do is buy a roll of "generic" Jagwire shift housing and a boatload of stainless steel shift cables. For grease, I use food-grade silicone. Honestly, I cannot tell the difference between the Dura Ace slickity-slick cables the generic stainless steel cable with silicone. Because i bought these stainless cables in bulk on ebay for cheap (like $1 per cable), I usually change them out yearly, not because they start to fray, but more like I just want to tinker with my bike. This approach saves me the worry of having to examine the cables, because when in doubt, throw in a new cable for $1 bux.


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## Wheelspeed (Nov 3, 2006)

Thanks everyone. I did read this earlier, but didn't respond. I'm not seeing how to look at the cable but I'll be the first to admit I don't know anything about road bike shifters. To me, these Ultegra 8000 seem to cover up the cable pretty well. And it is all internally routed, even through the chainstay.

I was curious about trying new bars, so the shift-cable recommendation convinced me to go ahead and buy some and then I'll just take the shifter off so I can hold it in my hands and figure it out. Always nice to put on some fresh bar-tape also.

I'm sensing a couple people putting digs on Shimano about this, but I like Shimano even if I should replace a shift cable every couple thousand miles. (I'm overweight in hilly Pittsburgh, so yes I shift a LOT.) I hope after doing it once, it'll be pretty easy to replace a cable every couple years.

Thanks again!


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Wheelspeed said:


> Thanks everyone. I did read this earlier, but didn't respond. I'm not seeing how to look at the cable but I'll be the first to admit I don't know anything about road bike shifters. To me, these Ultegra 8000 seem to cover up the cable pretty well. And it is all internally routed, even through the chainstay.
> 
> I was curious about trying new bars, so the shift-cable recommendation convinced me to go ahead and buy some and then I'll just take the shifter off so I can hold it in my hands and figure it out. Always nice to put on some fresh bar-tape also.
> 
> ...


Pull the hood forward from the back (handlebar side) of the shifter. On the left side of the right shifter there is a small cover you can pop off and see the cable. Generally if it's frayed you'll be able to see it there.


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

cxwrench said:


> Pull the hood forward from the back (handlebar side) of the shifter. On the left side of the right shifter there is a small cover you can pop off and see the cable. Generally if it's frayed you'll be able to see it there.


Make sure you are in the small cog on the back when you look though, the wear that causes breaks most often happens at the end of the cable which isn't going to be as visible in the bigger cogs. When you are in the small cog you can also look inside the hole on the outboard side of the shifter and check for cable splintering. There I would shift from the small to the next smallest and back while looking at the cable.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

Wheelspeed said:


> I hope after doing it once, it'll be pretty easy to replace a cable every couple years.


Again, passage of time has nothing to do with cable wear.


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## mfdemicco (Nov 8, 2002)

aclinjury said:


> I put in around 10k-12k/yr spread out between 3 bikes primarily (fourth bike is a little bit of a trainer queen so no count). So what I do is buy a roll of "generic" Jagwire shift housing and a boatload of stainless steel shift cables. For grease, I use food-grade silicone. Honestly, I cannot tell the difference between the Dura Ace slickity-slick cables the generic stainless steel cable with silicone. Because i bought these stainless cables in bulk on ebay for cheap (like $1 per cable), I usually change them out yearly, not because they start to fray, but more like I just want to tinker with my bike. This approach saves me the worry of having to examine the cables, because when in doubt, throw in a new cable for $1 bux.


What about these polished stainless steel cables? Do they give lower friction? I'm thinking maybe not when they have silicone grease on them.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

mfdemicco said:


> What about these polished stainless steel cables? Do they give lower friction? I'm thinking maybe not when they have silicone grease on them.


Probably not. Just make sure they are stainless steel, not the cheaper galvanized cables.


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## Bremerradkurier (May 25, 2012)

Perhaps Di2 arose as a fix for cable eating shifters.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

Bremerradkurier said:


> Perhaps Di2 arose as a fix for cable eating shifters.


That would be pretty lame. Let me just say that while I dismiss most conspiracy theories, one has to wonder why Shimano hasn't been able to solve the cable eating shifter problem for 3 generations of components.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

Lombard said:


> That would be pretty lame. Let me just say that while I dismiss most conspiracy theories, one has to wonder why Shimano hasn't been able to solve the cable eating shifter problem for 3 generations of components.


It's probably my #1 reason for going Di2 on all my bikes. I don't know if it's a conspiracy but it's a great selling feature. 

18,000mi. Ride year round in all conditions. Never replaced a cable. Never made a single shift adjustment. Shifting is exactly the same as day #1


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