# Shift Cable Frayed/Broke



## jmcg333 (Apr 17, 2015)

Shift cable to RD on a 105 11sp STI shifter frayed and broke in the shifter. 

Q1: How is that possible?

Q2: How do I find the other end the cable which I assume is still inside the shifter?

Q3: How do I thread a new cable? Wondering if I should just go the LBS on this one.


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## fast ferd (Jan 30, 2009)

With the shifter "shifted" to the smallest cog - creating the most slack - see if you can *gently *poke out the beginning part of the cable, using a wire with the same thickness. Perhaps a snipped clothes hanger. Try to align the ball end of the cable by moving the levers slightly. Sometimes a magnet may work.

Generally, you should have found gear shifting somewhat hesitant, prior to the complete failure. That's the warning sign with all shifters.


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## Finx (Oct 19, 2017)

It happens (although infrequently in my case).

The cable is threaded in from the opposite side from your picture (outside of the shifter). You should be able to shift it all the way up (smallest cog) and see the head of the cable in there. As FF said, you should be able to poke it out gently with something from the other side. Just be careful not to mangle anything in there.

If you aren't comfortable doing it, taking it to the shop might be a good idea.

BTW, YouTube is a goldmine of how-to for stuff like this. Just be aware that not everyone making videos there actually knows what they are doing (consult multiple sources  )


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Finx said:


> It happens (although infrequently in my case).
> 
> The cable is threaded in from the opposite side from your picture (outside of the shifter). You should be able to shift it all the way up (smallest cog) and see the head of the cable in there. As FF said, you should be able to poke it out gently with something from the other side. Just be careful not to mangle anything in there.
> 
> ...


That's not the right video for his shifter. OP needs to pull the hood back and look at the bottom of the shifter. There are 2 pieces of plastic that cover up the underside of the shifter body, they can be removed by taking out the small black phillips head screw. You then have access to the inside of the mechanism and can easily remove the cable head. 
To answer the OP's question: Yes, this happens all the time. The cable will fatigue w/ use and then fray. The fix: change your cables/housing sooner. If you can't figure out how to run a new cable by watching YT (find the proper video, not this one) then obviously you need to take it to a shop.


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## OldZaskar (Jul 1, 2009)

Sometimes, a failing cable will give you a bit of warning - if you have to keep adding tension via the barrel, e.g. shifts fine, 50 miles later shifting is off, a 1/2 turn cures it, 50 miles later it needs a bit of tension... You are on borrowed time.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

OldZaskar said:


> Sometimes, a failing cable will give you a bit of warning - if you have to keep adding tension via the barrel, e.g. shifts fine, 50 miles later shifting is off, a 1/2 turn cures it, 50 miles later it needs a bit of tension... You are on borrowed time.


^This^


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## TDI Hoo (Apr 1, 2012)

My 2012 Felt Z6 with Shimano Tiagra shifters breaks the shifter cable in the shifter housing every 900-1000 miles. I have tried Shimano PTFE coated cables, Jagwire cables, and the cheap ones at the local Perfomance. My favorite are the Alligator 31 strand Superior Shine cables. They last up to 1200 miles on the Shimano shifters. I get them from eBay. My 2016 Felt Z4 Disc has SRAM Rival 22 shifters. I can go 6000 miles without the cables fraying or breaking. I just replace them around 5500-6000 miles, front and rear. 

The Tiagra had a cable snap in the housing and broke the orange indicator in the housing. I had the LBS where I purchased the bike send the shifter back to Shimano. It took a month, but Shimano sent a new shifter under the 2 year warranty. The next year the Front derailleur Tiagra shifter would no longer index the front derailleur. I just bought a whole Tiagra shifter set from Nashbar for $90 delivered last year. 

The lesson is with Shimano Tiagra and 105 shifters to change the rear derailleur shifter cable at 100 to 1500 mile intervals. I keep a small set of tweezers (and a spare cable) in my seat bag to dig out the frayed end from the shifter housing if a cable breaks while riding.


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## crit_boy (Aug 6, 2013)

TDI Hoo said:


> The lesson is with Shimano Tiagra and 105 shifters to change the rear derailleur shifter cable at 100 to 1500 mile intervals.


100 miles? Either BS or something else is very wrong. I would have to change cables more than twice a week - maybe even during a ride.

1500 miles also is absurdly short intervals.

I replace both housing and cables about every 9 months to a year. I ride about 9000 miles per year. Plenty of shifting in my rolling terrain world.

If tiagra is that crappy, buy 105 or ultegra shifters.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

Make sure you look very closely for left-over small pieces of cable.


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## QuiQuaeQuod (Jan 24, 2003)

jmcg333 said:


> Shift cable to RD on a 105 11sp STI shifter frayed and broke in the shifter.
> 
> Q1: How is that possible?


Why it happened I have no idea. How is it possible? Here's 5 options:

Defective cable, likely where the cable attached to the stop. So over time, the cable "pulled out" of the stop. If you find no cable attached to the stop, this would be my guess. 

Damaged cable before install. A small nick could lead to a strand breaking, which then causes friction, leading to more and more strands breaking. It would be rare, but it really doesn't take much to damage a strand or two on a cable if Murphy comes into play. I once saw an idiot (friend, but idiot) use needle nose pliers to "guide" a cable during install.

A burr somewhere in the shifter, causing wear and eventual failure. The length of the cable remaining in the shifter might give a clue to location, but remember that as the cable gives up strands, it will stretch before breaking. So start with the shortest broken strand when trying to locate any burrs in the shifter mech.

Sabotage by your enemies.

Gremlins.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

jmcg333 said:


> Q1: How is that possible?


It's a poor design on Shimano's part. The bend radius inside the shifter is very tight. The constant moving over this tight radius starts to weaken and break the wires. (Think folding a soda can over and over until it breaks in half). It's a very very common and known problem to anyone with Shimano shifters. It was worse on 10sp.
SRAM doesn't have the problem. Their cable routes differently. I've got over 10k miles on SRAM using the same shift cables that would fray in 3k on Shimano.



> Q2: How do I find the other end the cable which I assume is still inside the shifter?


Magnifying glass, bright light, tweezers. Make sure you get out all the pieces.


Do yourself a favor. Learn how to replace your cables. It's not that hard and a good skill to have. Always keep spare shift cables on hand (they're cheap) and replace your cables every 2-3k miles. It's cheap insurance. Once you learn how, it only takes 5-10min.

In the past few years I can think of at least 8-10 times on group rides where someone had a Shimano shift cable break (or fray and jam) in the middle of a ride. Some of us will carry a spare cable just because of it. I can't think of someone using SRAM ever having it happen on a ride.

A friend recently had her bike to the shop for tune up / inspection. They said the cables were ok. And the very next ride one frayed and jammed up. It's not something you can inspect. You really have to remove the cable to look at it, and once you've done that, you might as well just replace it.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

OldZaskar said:


> Sometimes, a failing cable will give you a bit of warning - if you have to keep adding tension via the barrel, e.g. shifts fine, 50 miles later shifting is off, a 1/2 turn cures it, 50 miles later it needs a bit of tension... You are on borrowed time.


Yep. Early warning signs are poor shifting or as Old Zaskar said, you need to add tension to make the shift points correct. This is your only warning. Remember, CABLES DO NOT STRETCH NORMALLY. If this symptom happens, look under the hood immediately. You will see strands fraying. CHANGE THAT CABLE NOW.

Is it common? Yes! It appears ever since Shimano went to under-the-bar-tape design in their 5700/6700 generation, this has been a problem. My current 6800 rear shifter eats a cable about every 2000 miles. It's a design problem.


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## OldZaskar (Jul 1, 2009)

tlg said:


> It's a poor design on Shimano's part... ... It's a very very common and known problem to anyone with Shimano shifters. ...at least 8-10 times on group rides where someone had a Shimano shift cable break (or fray and jam) in the middle of a ride.


Uhhh... bull s***. Seriously tig. Come on. I have tens of thousands of miles on Shimano drivetrains and have had one cable fail - because I hadn't changed it close to 3 years. If Shimano ate cables at 1/100th of the rate you're claiming, they'd have been put out of business years ago. 

Not liking Shimano? I get it. I really (!) don't like SRAM's road shifters (have them on one of my road bikes; love them on my mtn bike). But come on.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

OldZaskar said:


> Uhhh... bull s***. Seriously tig. Come on. I have tens of thousands of miles on Shimano drivetrains and have had one cable fail - because I hadn't changed it close to 3 years. If Shimano ate cables at 1/100th of the rate you're claiming, they'd have been put out of business years ago.
> 
> Not liking Shimano? I get it. I really (!) don't like SRAM's road shifters (have them on one of my road bikes; love them on my mtn bike). But come on.


I won't get into Shimano vs. SRAM. That's more religion than anything. Personally, for road groups, I'm a Shimano guy. But let's face it, this is one area Shimano hasn't gotten quite right yet. If you know the warning signs, you can attend to the problem before it leaves you with a 2-speed with some steep hills ahead or worse yet, wrecks your shifter. It's pretty common and cables are cheap.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

OldZaskar said:


> Uhhh... bull s***. Seriously tig. Come on. I have tens of thousands of miles on Shimano drivetrains and have had one cable fail - because I hadn't changed it close to 3 years. If Shimano ate cables at 1/100th of the rate you're claiming, they'd have been put out of business years ago.


Uh no, 100% true. Read the other posts here. Google it. It's very common.
Are you using under the tape routed cables?



> Not liking Shimano? I get it.


Actually... NO you don't get it. I just got rid of my SRAM bike and now ALL my bikes are Shimano. :thumbsup:


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

QuiQuaeQuod said:


> Why it happened I have no idea. How is it possible? Here's 5 options:
> 
> Defective cable, likely where the cable attached to the stop. So over time, the cable "pulled out" of the stop. If you find no cable attached to the stop, this would be my guess.
> 
> ...


While all of your options are possible, none are likely. It happens for one reason: the cable is wrapped and unwrapped around a small circular piece inside the shifter repeatedly over it's life. We all know what happens to any metal that has a fatigue life, it weakens. In the case of a twisted steel cable it frays. Then it breaks. There is nothing mysterious about this, it's been happening inside both Shimano and Campy shifters for as long as they've had integrated shift/brake levers...including before Shimano went 'under the bar tape' with theirs. At least w/ the first versions where the housing came out the side you could undo the housing from external stops on the frame and push it out of the shifter a bit to check.


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## QuiQuaeQuod (Jan 24, 2003)

cxwrench said:


> While all of your options are possible, none are likely. It happens for one reason: the cable is wrapped and unwrapped around a small circular piece inside the shifter repeatedly over it's life.


I understand the unlikely nature of my options. Since I ride Campy on the road, I have never had any reason to pay attention to this specific issue, and was unaware of the design issue. Which is obviously going to be the most likely cause.

Now I know, which is a good thing. Not really useful to me, but good to know.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

OldZaskar said:


> Uhhh... bull s***. Seriously tig. Come on. I have tens of thousands of miles on Shimano drivetrains and have had one cable fail - because I hadn't changed it close to 3 years. If Shimano ate cables at 1/100th of the rate you're claiming, they'd have been put out of business years ago.
> 
> Not liking Shimano? I get it. I really (!) don't like SRAM's road shifters (have them on one of my road bikes; love them on my mtn bike). But come on.


It's definitely an issue w/ Shimano shifters, as well as Campy. I couldn't even begin to guess at how many frayed/broken cables I've had to remove from Shimano shifters. Campy integrated shifters from the very beginning have frayed cables, w/ the 8/9/10 speed ones as soon as the cable frayed it would poke your thumb. I've seen this literally hundreds if not over a thousand times.


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## stevoo (Oct 26, 2011)

The timing of this thread is kind of funny and appropriate for me.

Lost a couple of cable strands on my Shimano shifter bike last week. Weirder still my riding buddy had his Campy bike loose a shift cable this week. Both our main rides inside about 7 days time. Just funny timing.

Just a simple maintenance item we both overlooked, got behind on as we both have way too many bikes.

I will say my older non-under bar tape shifters go way longer than the new under bar routing ones before cable failure. 

The old design also has much smoother pull as well. Less bends on the cable is noticeable. You certainly can tell the difference when switching bikes.

Under bar tape routing certainly looks nice but I like the less 90 bends in the older Shimano design. I also prefer external cable routing on frames too.

Wow, think I am getting old.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

stevoo said:


> I will say my older non-under bar tape shifters go way longer than the new under bar routing ones before cable failure.


I would have to say I've never had this happen with my 5600 shifters. I've had it happen with both 5700 shifters and 6800 shifters.



stevoo said:


> The old design also has much smoother pull as well. Less bends on the cable is noticeable. You certainly can tell the difference when switching bikes.


This I haven't noticed.



stevoo said:


> I also prefer external cable routing on frames too.


Definitely.



stevoo said:


> Wow, think I am getting old.


Hey, I resemble that remark.


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## OldZaskar (Jul 1, 2009)

tig, I stand corrected. I had no idea the frayed cable in the shifter was such a thing with Shimano. I've seen it once on one of my bikes and (maybe) one other - a friend's bike. 

cxwrench, are you seeing the issue with cables that are changed inside of the 1-year/5k mile range? Or, is this how the cables fail when they're not changed with enough frequency?


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

OldZaskar said:


> tig, I stand corrected. I had no idea the frayed cable in the shifter was such a thing with Shimano. I've seen it once on one of my bikes and (maybe) one other - a friend's bike.
> 
> cxwrench, are you seeing the issue with cables that are changed inside of the 1-year/5k mile range? Or, is this how the cables fail when they're not changed with enough frequency?


I don't know anyone that get's 5k miles from them.

It could have to do with terrain/shift frequency. We live in a hilly area, rolling hills with steep sections, not long grades. So you're shifting a lot.
I suppose if you live in a flat area, or area with long grades where you shift less, it would make a difference.


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## OldZaskar (Jul 1, 2009)

Hmmm... that's exactly how'd I'd describe Atlanta - rolling, moderately hilly. Aprox 1,000 of elevation gain per 20 miles.


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## jetdog9 (Jul 12, 2007)

crit_boy said:


> 100 miles? Either BS or something else is very wrong. I would have to change cables more than twice a week - maybe even during a ride.
> 
> 1500 miles also is absurdly short intervals.
> 
> ...


I'm going to assume that was a typo and he meant 1000-1500, but even that is pretty extreme on the short side IMO. If a cable is snapping every 1000 miles something is wrong somewhere, be it mechanically, in setup, or usage...


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

crit_boy said:


> If tiagra is that crappy, buy 105 or ultegra shifters.


This problem has nothing to do with whether shifters are Tiagra, 105, Ultegra, etc. I had it happen with my Ultegra at a little over 1500 miles.

BTW, I'm pretty sure TDI Hoo meant 1000-1500.


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## robc in wi (Sep 8, 2011)

This is a very common Shimano issue that is all over the web if you bother to Google it. I have 4 riding friends (all with Ultegra 6800) who had this happen on group rides last season. One guy had it happen at 1500 miles (factory cables) and again 1000 miles later. All were using the ptfe coated cables and sp41 housing. The 5800 shifters I got from Ribble last year came with Shimano optislick cables and looked brand new at 2300 miles. My new r8000 group came with coated cables and I will be changing them at 2000 miles. The terrain here requires frequent gear changes, the theory on the web is that the coating gunks up over time causing the cables to fray and break.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

robc in wi said:


> This is a very common Shimano issue that is all over the web if you bother to Google it. I have 4 riding friends (all with Ultegra 6800) who had this happen on group rides last season. One guy had it happen at 1500 miles (factory cables) and again 1000 miles later. All were using the ptfe coated cables and sp41 housing. The 5800 shifters I got from Ribble last year came with Shimano optislick cables and looked brand new at 2300 miles. My new r8000 group came with coated cables and I will be changing them at 2000 miles. The terrain here requires frequent gear changes, *the theory on the web is that the coating gunks up over time causing the cables to fray and break.*


Definitely has nothing to do w/ the coated cables, it's been happening since loooong before those cables existed. 



OldZaskar said:


> tig, I stand corrected. I had no idea the frayed cable in the shifter was such a thing with Shimano. I've seen it once on one of my bikes and (maybe) one other - a friend's bike.
> 
> cxwrench, are you seeing the issue with cables that are changed inside of the 1-year/5k mile range? Or, is this how the cables fail when they're not changed with enough frequency?


I'd say it happens between 1k and 3k as an average. Some riders will go longer, but not much.


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## robc in wi (Sep 8, 2011)

I will take your word on this based on your experience. I havent ever seen any break (inside the shifter) in our group until last season.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

robc in wi said:


> This is a very common Shimano issue that is all over the web if you bother to Google it. I have 4 riding friends (all with Ultegra 6800) who had this happen on group rides last season. One guy had it happen at 1500 miles (factory cables) and again 1000 miles later. All were using the ptfe coated cables and sp41 housing. The 5800 shifters I got from Ribble last year came with Shimano optislick cables and looked brand new at 2300 miles. My new r8000 group came with coated cables and I will be changing them at 2000 miles. The terrain here requires frequent gear changes, the theory on the web is that the coating gunks up over time causing the cables to fray and break.





OldZaskar said:


> tig, I stand corrected. I had no idea the frayed cable in the shifter was such a thing with Shimano. I've seen it once on one of my bikes and (maybe) one other - a friend's bike.
> 
> cxwrench, are you seeing the issue with cables that are changed inside of the 1-year/5k mile range? Or, is this how the cables fail when they're not changed with enough frequency?





robc in wi said:


> I will take your word on this based on your experience. I havent ever seen any break (inside the shifter) in our group until last season.


On what? You haven't quoted a post so I'm guessing you're talking about the older Shimano shifters having the same problem. You can trust me...this is nothing new.


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

The better early warning I've seen is slow shifts into the small end of the cassette. When the cable starts to fray, the little splinters drag enough to slow those last couple of shifts or prevent them probably because there's less spring tension on the DR at that end.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

Srode said:


> *The better early warning I've seen is slow shifts into the small end of the cassette.* When the cable starts to fray, the little splinters drag enough to slow those last couple of shifts or prevent them probably because there's less spring tension on the DR at that end.


Yep, exactly!


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

cxwrench said:


> I'd say it happens between 1k and 3k as an average. Some riders will go longer, but not much.


My experience has been that age of shifters is a factor. The first time it ever happened with me was about 6500 miles on a new bike. The next, about 5700 miles, 4500 then I finally got a clue and started replacing them around 3k as a matter or routine. There have been times I'd seen it starting when I yank the around 3.
I don't think my shifting habit could have changed that much so in my case anyway it gets worse over time.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

robc in wi said:


> I will take your word on this based on your experience. I havent ever seen any break (inside the shifter) in our group until last season.


He's definitely correct. That gunk from new Shimano cables is a whole other rant but it didn't start the fraying issue. The whole purpose of that stuff is to reduce friction. It's slick to definitely doesn't create more friction.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Jay Strongbow said:


> My experience has been that age of shifters is a factor. The first time it ever happened with me was about 6500 miles on a new bike. The next, about 5700 miles, 4500 then I finally got a clue and started replacing them around 3k as a matter or routine. There have been times I'd seen it starting when I yank the around 3.
> I don't think my shifting habit could have changed that much so in my case anyway it gets worse over time.


You ride a bunch, right? Time to get Di2 or etap!


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

cxwrench said:


> You ride a bunch, right? Time to get Di2 or etap!


yes, I rack up the miles. You're probably right but it'll be a few years before it's even considered.
When 11 speed came out I went out and scooped up a bunch of 7900 mechanical stuff. because A. It was cheap and B. I had a bunch of good 10 speed non convertible to 11 rear wheels I didn't want to ditch. Should do me at least 5 years baring crashing out a bunch of shifters (I have two extra right ones and on left).

So you get the picture; I got my first cell phone just a couple years ago and, yes, it's a flip phone.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

Jay Strongbow said:


> So you get the picture; I got my first cell phone just a couple years ago and, yes, it's a flip phone.


Yikes! And I thought I was a Luddite because I waited until 2014 to get my firsy smartphone!


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

robc in wi said:


> This is a very common Shimano issue that is all over the web if you bother to Google it. I have 4 riding friends (all with Ultegra 6800) who had this happen on group rides last season. One guy had it happen at 1500 miles (factory cables) and again 1000 miles later. All were using the ptfe coated cables and sp41 housing. The 5800 shifters I got from Ribble last year came with Shimano optislick cables and looked brand new at 2300 miles. My new r8000 group came with coated cables and I will be changing them at 2000 miles. The terrain here requires frequent gear changes, the theory on the web is that the coating gunks up over time causing the cables to fray and break.





OldZaskar said:


> tig, I stand corrected. I had no idea the frayed cable in the shifter was such a thing with Shimano. I've seen it once on one of my bikes and (maybe) one other - a friend's bike.
> 
> cxwrench, are you seeing the issue with cables that are changed inside of the 1-year/5k mile range? Or, is this how the cables fail when they're not changed with enough frequency?





Jay Strongbow said:


> yes, I rack up the miles. You're probably right but it'll be a few years before it's even considered.
> When 11 speed came out I went out and scooped up a bunch of 7900 mechanical stuff. because A. It was cheap and B. *I had a bunch of good 10 speed non convertible to 11 rear wheels I didn't want to ditch*. Should do me at least 5 years baring crashing out a bunch of shifters (I have two extra right ones and on left).
> 
> So you get the picture; I got my first cell phone just a couple years ago and, yes, it's a flip phone.


Same here, I just switched to 11 speed a few months ago.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

cxwrench said:


> Same here, I just switched to 11 speed a few months ago.


My cross/gravel bike is 6800 11 speed. That has 135 spacing (canti though not disc) and I use a lot more spokes as compared to road so I didn't consider being able to use those 10 speed wheels when choosing.

I like it, works great ect. But owning and using 11 didn't make me regret locking myself into 10 speed on my road bike.



I like it, works great ect.


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## jmcg333 (Apr 17, 2015)

Just want to say BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped here. Was great to find out that this is a common problem. Was ten seconds away from taking it to the LBS - when I figured out that I had not shifted the thing into proper position to get the frayed end out. Pulling that sucker out was such a feel good moment. Even had an extra shift cable lying around from when I put the group on. Love having tools, love having help, love doing this stuff myself thanks to this forum.


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

My buddy just replaced the rear shifter cable on his Shimano Ultegra 10 speed.
I happened to call him while he was working on the bike. He had a horror of a time feeding the cable through the shifter and getting it to run through all the clicks correctly, even prior to threading it through the frame.

Is this a common experience?


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

robc in wi said:


> This is a very common Shimano issue that is all over the web if you bother to Google it. I have 4 riding friends (all with Ultegra 6800) who had this happen on group rides last season. One guy had it happen at 1500 miles (factory cables) and again 1000 miles later. All were using the ptfe coated cables and sp41 housing. The 5800 shifters I got from Ribble last year came with Shimano optislick cables and looked brand new at 2300 miles. My new r8000 group came with coated cables and I will be changing them at 2000 miles. The terrain here requires frequent gear changes, the theory on the web is that the coating gunks up over time causing the cables to fray and break.





OldZaskar said:


> tig, I stand corrected. I had no idea the frayed cable in the shifter was such a thing with Shimano. I've seen it once on one of my bikes and (maybe) one other - a friend's bike.
> 
> cxwrench, are you seeing the issue with cables that are changed inside of the 1-year/5k mile range? Or, is this how the cables fail when they're not changed with enough frequency?





Peter P. said:


> My buddy just replaced the rear shifter cable on his Shimano Ultegra 10 speed.
> I happened to call him while he was working on the bike. He had a horror of a time feeding the cable through the shifter and getting it to run through all the clicks correctly, even prior to threading it through the frame.
> 
> Is this a common experience?


No, he was doing it wrong. Probably didn't have the shifter in high gear position, that would block the hole for the cable. It's dead easy, you can look right through those old shifters.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

Peter P. said:


> My buddy just replaced the rear shifter cable on his Shimano Ultegra 10 speed.
> I happened to call him while he was working on the bike. He had a horror of a time feeding the cable through the shifter and *getting it to run through all the clicks correctly, even prior to threading it through the frame.*
> 
> Is this a common experience?


It ranks up there with changing brake pads for difficulty.

He shouldn't be doing any clicking before it's all run though and anchored.

If he had trouble (but did it apparently) getting it though the shifter to start out I can't explain that. That's all or nothing. Either he's clicked the small lever all the way and it's about as easy as running line though a fishing pole or it's impossible.


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## fast ferd (Jan 30, 2009)

Jay Strongbow said:


> It ranks up there with changing brake pads for difficulty.
> 
> He shouldn't be doing any clicking before it's all run though and anchored.
> 
> If he had trouble (but did it apparently) getting it though the shifter to start out I can't explain that. That's all or nothing. Either he's clicked the small lever all the way and *it's about as easy as running line though a fishing pole *or it's impossible.


Hey, nice subliminal wisecrack about Shimano's ties with fishing gear!


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

fast ferd said:


> Hey, nice subliminal wisecrack about Shimano's ties with fishing gear!


Does Shimano make di2 fishing reels?


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## bilbo (Aug 2, 2017)

It's probably not called di2, but I know there was a baitcasting reel that used electronic braking. I think it was a Shimano product.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

bilbo said:


> It's probably not called di2, but I know there was a baitcasting reel that used electronic braking. I think it was a Shimano product.


Huh. Whataya know..

fish.shimano.com/content/fish/northamerica/us/en/homepage/Electric_Reels.html


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## bilbo (Aug 2, 2017)

I wonder if the motor is for retrieving? If so that's impressive getting enough torque and power requirements into such a small package. Maybe it's electric assist? I wonder if fishermen have debates similar to the e-bike debates cyclists have?


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

fast ferd said:


> Hey, nice subliminal wisecrack about Shimano's ties with fishing gear!


I spent all my mental energy trying to avoid more obvious puns about inability to find the hole so I totally missed that one.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Jay Strongbow said:


> I spent all my mental energy trying to avoid more obvious puns about inability to find the hole so I totally missed that one.


Rep'd :thumbsup:


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## teoblar (Feb 22, 2013)

Glad you got the spare bit of cable out. I will echo someone earlier who said to be sure that there aren't any errant bits of cable hanging around inside. Maybe blow some air through? If one tiny snip remains it can bugger your life up all over again.


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## bespoke (Mar 28, 2008)

*Try This*



jmcg333 said:


> Shift cable to RD on a 105 11sp STI shifter frayed and broke in the shifter.
> 
> Q1: How is that possible?
> 
> ...


I had this happen a couple of years ago with an Ultegra RD shifter. In hindsight, I wished I had made a video. What I did was to take a strand of the broken cable (or any strong, fine wire) and bent it into a mini hook. I was able to hook onto a broken piece of the cable inside the brifter. Once I had the broken end hooked, I carefully shifted up while pulling gently on the cable to allow the ball end to rotate into view for removal. It may not work in every case, but I was glad I didn't have to buy a replacement. No question this is a terrible design, and it's hard to believe Shimano has not come up with a better one after all these years.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

bespoke said:


> I had this happen a couple of years ago with an Ultegra RD shifter. In hindsight, I wished I had made a video. What I did was to take a strand of the broken cable (or any strong, fine wire) and bent it into a mini hook. I was able to hook onto a broken piece of the cable inside the brifter. Once I had the broken end hooked, I carefully shifted up while pulling gently on the cable to allow the ball end to rotate into view for removal. It may not work in every case, but I was glad I didn't have to buy a replacement. No question this is a terrible design, and it's hard to believe Shimano has not come up with a better one after all these years.


Not needed. As I stated in post 4 (I think) 6 days ago...there is a screw on the bottom of the shifter body. Remove it and there is a 2 piece cover that when removed lets you get in to the innards of the shifter. You can then very easily remove what's left of the frayed/broken cable. I had yet another one in the shop today and had the old cable removed and new on installed (on an internally routed frame that required undoing the front der cable to pull the bb cable guide) in about 10 mins. While I can't understand why Shimano hasn't redesigned the internals so they don't fatigue cables so quickly at least they've made it much easier to remove the carnage.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

cxwrench said:


> Not needed. As I stated in post 4 (I think) 6 days ago...there is a screw on the bottom of the shifter body. Remove it and there is a 2 piece cover that when removed lets you get in to the innards of the shifter. You can then very easily remove what's left of the frayed/broken cable. I had yet another one in the shop today and had the old cable removed and new on installed (on an internally routed frame that required undoing the front der cable to pull the bb cable guide) in about 10 mins. While I can't understand why Shimano hasn't redesigned the internals so they don't fatigue cables so quickly at least they've made it much easier to remove the carnage.


What I'd like to know is how did SRAM design their shifters that this doesn"t happen? Doesn't it have to twist the cable inside the shifter?


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

bespoke said:


> No question this is a terrible design, and it's hard to believe Shimano has not come up with a better one after all these years.


I don't necessarily disagree but viewing cables as you would brake pads or chains (consumable) is something I can deal with in exchange for everything else being perfect.
I'd guess they could address it but don't because it would be at the expense of something else (function, ergonomics, whatever).
Obviously I'd prefer it not happen too but my only real beef with Shimano is they don't make it known that cables are a consumable item with their shifters and leave people to find out the hard way.
Though in fairness if could be addressed in some of their literature that I just haven't bothered to read.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

robc in wi said:


> This is a very common Shimano issue that is all over the web if you bother to Google it. I have 4 riding friends (all with Ultegra 6800) who had this happen on group rides last season. One guy had it happen at 1500 miles (factory cables) and again 1000 miles later. All were using the ptfe coated cables and sp41 housing. The 5800 shifters I got from Ribble last year came with Shimano optislick cables and looked brand new at 2300 miles. My new r8000 group came with coated cables and I will be changing them at 2000 miles. The terrain here requires frequent gear changes, the theory on the web is that the coating gunks up over time causing the cables to fray and break.





OldZaskar said:


> tig, I stand corrected. I had no idea the frayed cable in the shifter was such a thing with Shimano. I've seen it once on one of my bikes and (maybe) one other - a friend's bike.
> 
> cxwrench, are you seeing the issue with cables that are changed inside of the 1-year/5k mile range? Or, is this how the cables fail when they're not changed with enough frequency?





Lombard said:


> What I'd like to know is how did SRAM design their shifters that this doesn"t happen? Doesn't it have to twist the cable inside the shifter?


It indeed does in very much the same way that Shimano and Campy shifters do. The only thing that would make sense is that the SRAM part that the cable wraps around has a larger outer diameter. I've never actually checked but it would interesting to find out.


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