# Frayed Rear Derailleur Cable



## JasonB176 (Aug 18, 2011)

I noticed that one strand had broken off from my rear derailleur cable after today's ride. Would I be okay snipping this one strand off and then just watching it for a while or is this indicative of an immediate need to replace the cable? This is on my beater bike so it takes more abuse than my other bikes. 

Thanks for any advice!


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

If it's after the pinch bolt it should be fine. Keep an eye on it.


----------



## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

cxwrench said:


> If it's after the pinch bolt it should be fine. Keep an eye on it.


Right, but if it's in the shifter the cable should be replaced immediately. After the pinch bolt and the cable could go for years without replacement.


----------



## JasonB176 (Aug 18, 2011)

Thanks guys. It frayed down near the bottom of the frame opposite the chain rings so I think it's okay. I'm honestly not sure sure what or where the pinch bolt is.


----------



## viciouscycle (Aug 22, 2009)

Cables are cheap, replace and never worry about it.


----------



## JimP (Dec 18, 2001)

If you are saying that the broken strand is near the crank, then replace it. The pinch bolt is the cable's attachment point on the rear derailleur.


----------



## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

JasonB176 said:


> Thanks guys. It frayed down near the bottom of the frame opposite the chain rings so I think it's okay. I'm honestly not sure sure what or where the pinch bolt is.


The pinch bolt is on the derailleur, and secures the very end of the cable. Fraying of the end beyond that has no functional impact. That's what people were saying.

What you have, however, is a broken strand in the cable under the bottom bracket, where it handles plenty of stress. you have a weakened cable, and it will get worse, and possibly fail suddenly. You should replace it as soon as possible.

So, no, it's not okay.


----------



## ibericb (Oct 28, 2014)

Pinch bolt = _cable anchor bolt _in this picture.









Anything foreword, meaning toward the shifter, from there is a problem. Replace the cable.


----------



## JasonB176 (Aug 18, 2011)

JCavilia said:


> The pinch bolt is on the derailleur, and secures the very end of the cable. Fraying of the end beyond that has no functional impact. That's what people were saying.
> 
> What you have, however, is a broken strand in the cable under the bottom bracket, where it handles plenty of stress. you have a weakened cable, and it will get worse, and possibly fail suddenly. You should replace it as soon as possible.
> 
> So, no, it's not okay.


It's not under the bottom bracket but maybe 3 inches higher than that as it goes along the down-tube (I don't know what that part of the frame is called).

I guess I need to go to the shop then (again). Thanks for the additional information.


----------



## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

JasonB176 said:


> It's not under the bottom bracket but maybe 3 inches higher than that as it goes along the down-tube (I don't know what that part of the frame is called)..


Doesn't matter exactly where it is. It's in a part of the cable that is doing work, and it's breaking, and you need a new one.

And you do know -- it is called the "downtube."


----------



## Sanders (May 13, 2013)

Might also be time for a check up on the other cables aswell.

Depending on the direction of the fray you might want to cut the cable in stead of pulling it out through the shifter.
But if you let the LBS do it, they will handle it properly I suppose


----------



## junior1210 (May 2, 2013)

JasonB176 said:


> It's not under the bottom bracket but maybe 3 inches higher than that as it goes along the down-tube (I don't know what that part of the frame is called).
> 
> I guess I need to go to the shop then (again). Thanks for the additional information.


Might want to buy a copy of Zinn's Art of Road Cycle Repair. Even if you don't do your own wrenching, it'll allow you to understand what is truly a problem and what isn't.


----------



## Mr645 (Jun 14, 2013)

Just change out the cables. I broke a rear shifter cable 1/2 way into a 200 mile/300k ride. I had to ride the second 100 miles with a 36 front, 12 rear the whole way.


----------



## JasonB176 (Aug 18, 2011)

*That Was Close!*

I decided to go a few more rides with it but I noticed it shifting funny on the last ride and the bike wouldn't stay in the largest cog in back. So, I brought it in to my LBS. 

It turns out it wasn't just fraying by the down tube but was frayed in the shifting mechanism itself on the handle bar. The mechanic estimated I might have one more ride before it snapped there. 

If I had known there was a problem there, I would have brought it in sooner. I guess if you see fraying anywhere, it could mean deterioration even in places you can't readily see.


----------



## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

JasonB176 said:


> I guess if you see fraying anywhere, it could mean deterioration even in places you can't readily see.


Exactly. That's why we all told you to fix it. Next time, listen ;-)

Glad you avoided the much bigger hassle of having it break in the shifter.


----------



## JasonB176 (Aug 18, 2011)

JCavilia said:


> Exactly. That's why we all told you to fix it. Next time, listen ;-)
> 
> Glad you avoided the much bigger hassle of having it break in the shifter.


Yes, he also said that it could have ruined the shifter if it had snapped there. Haha, you guys were right!


----------



## Doug B (Sep 11, 2009)

It is difficult to get a broken cable end out of a brifter. I've had to do it once. 

New cables cost only a few dollars and can be changed in several minutes. I install new cables every 2000 miles, or if my shifting suddenly begins to feel strange. Cables stretch and fray, and that effects shifting a bit.

Change cables early, as prevention. Change cables after they break....lots of no-fun there.


----------



## Pirx (Aug 9, 2009)

Doug B said:


> I install new cables every 2000 miles, or if my shifting suddenly begins to feel strange.


What the...? Every 2k miles (or less, if the shifting begins to feel "funny)??? 

I'm sorry, but that's ludicrous. Sure, they don't cost much, and sure, it's not a big deal to change a cable, but that's no reason to waste the money and the time. And here I was poking fun at people who religiously replace cables once a year, and now you do it a couple of times a season! 

P.S.: For reference, I expect my cables to last 20k miles, easily. They look like new now, at 12k miles.

P.P.S.: Well, of course, that's Campy stuff.


----------



## Drew Eckhardt (Nov 11, 2009)

Pirx said:


> What the...? Every 2k miles (or less, if the shifting begins to feel "funny)???
> 
> I'm sorry, but that's ludicrous. Sure, they don't cost much, and sure, it's not a big deal to change a cable, but that's no reason to waste the money and the time. And here I was poking fun at people who religiously replace cables once a year, and now you do it a couple of times a season!
> 
> ...



I wear out genuine Campagnolo right shift cables every 2500 miles (as in 2-3 times a year) replacing them once I notice sluggish shifting indicating broken strands.

Some one more princess-and-pea like about a single frayed strand or even more ADHD about metronomic cadence might get there in 2000 miles.


----------



## Pirx (Aug 9, 2009)

Drew Eckhardt said:


> I wear out genuine Campagnolo right shift cables every 2500 miles (as in 2-3 times a year) replacing them once I notice sluggish shifting indicating broken strands.


So what are your riding conditions? Sand/dirt/mud/rain? Lots of interesting terrain/rolling hills with constant shifting? Where does your cable start to fail? In the shifter?


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Pirx said:


> What the...? Every 2k miles (or less, if the shifting begins to feel "funny)???
> 
> I'm sorry, but that's ludicrous. Sure, they don't cost much, and sure, it's not a big deal to change a cable, but that's no reason to waste the money and the time. And here I was poking fun at people who religiously replace cables once a year, and now you do it a couple of times a season!
> 
> ...


Unless you're getting frayed cables very quickly like Doug the cables don't 'wear'. The housing is another story. Most riders won't ever have a cable fray and break but their housing will get rough inside from the liner getting worn by the cable. This is why you replace cables AND housing most of the time. I'd never recommend letting them go 20k miles or even 20k km...


----------



## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

I go through a rear cable every 3500 miles - perhaps I shift more than most. I can feel it shifting funny and when that starts it has always had a fray starting in the shifter.


----------



## Pirx (Aug 9, 2009)

cxwrench said:


> Most riders won't ever have a cable fray and break but their housing will get rough inside from the liner getting worn by the cable.


Well, what can I do? Try as I might, I have perfectly crisp shifting, for 12k miles now. What am I doing wrong? Should I switch to Shimano or SRAM so I can experience all of the issues you people keep talking about? :devil:

P.S.: Of course, after bragging about my good fortune, I now expect one of my cables to break any day now. I'll let you know when that happens.


----------



## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

JasonB176 said:


> I noticed that one strand had broken off from my rear derailleur cable after today's ride. Would I be okay snipping this one strand off and then just watching it for a while or is this indicative of an immediate need to replace the cable? This is on my beater bike so it takes more abuse than my other bikes.
> 
> Thanks for any advice!





cxwrench said:


> If it's after the pinch bolt it should be fine. Keep an eye on it.


No, your bike is hosed.

Sell it to me for $300. I will pay shipping.


----------



## Drew Eckhardt (Nov 11, 2009)

Pirx said:


> So what are your riding conditions? Sand/dirt/mud/rain?


A pleasant mediterranean climate where it neither rains much (I got wet three times last year) nor is dusty like an alpine desert.



> Lots of interesting terrain/rolling hills with constant shifting?


Nearly all flat because that's what I have for two hour rides starting at my home or office which fit into the work week. By flat I mean close to sea level (San Francisco Bay) with 60' between the lowest dip and highest overpass.

I do shift like I have ADHD for metronomic cadence varying only with intensity and inertial load.



> Where does your cable start to fail? In the shifter?


With Campagnolo Ultrashift levers they fail where the cable goes around the 90 degree bend getting from housing to drum. I replaced this one after 2637 miles:









The plastic lined Campagnolo housings are good for about 4000 miles under the bar tape.

With pointy-hood levers that ran the cable directly from near vertical housing to drum they made it 4500 miles and failed closer to the head wrapping around the cable drum itself. The unlined housings lasted almost indefinitely under the bar tape, and rear loops were good for years.


----------



## Pirx (Aug 9, 2009)

Interesting. This sounds like external conditions are quite similar to mine, which leaves as the only difference our respective shifting habits. I try to keep my cadence between 90 and 100rpm mostly (except for the rare steep climbs, or sprints), but as long as I am riding around my home area (which is probably around 80% of the riding I do) this means I'll typically shift between a set of five cogs or so for more than 90% of the time. Like I said, 12k miles and counting.


----------



## Drew Eckhardt (Nov 11, 2009)

Pirx said:


> Interesting. This sounds like external conditions are quite similar to mine, which leaves as the only difference our respective shifting habits. I try to keep my cadence between 90 and 100rpm mostly (except for the rare steep climbs, or sprints), but as long as I am riding around my home area (which is probably around 80% of the riding I do) this means I'll typically shift between a set of five cogs or so for more than 90% of the time. Like I said, 12k miles and counting.


Yeah, it's shifting which I've done frequently since getting integrated brake/shift levers in 1997.

At the same intensity my cadence barely varies in spite of all the slight grades and wind changes outdoors - riding 3x10 minute intervals Monday I spent 70% of my time pedaling 98 +/- 3 RPM.


----------



## Pirx (Aug 9, 2009)

Here's my update: My shifting had become somewhat wonky for the last few days. Just a little, there was this one cog where the shift sometimes didn't complete, and I had to nudge it a little, and every now and then a bit of hesitation when going to a smaller cog. Nothing major, but noticeable for a group that had always shifted flat-out perfect.

Well, yesterday morning I put the bike on the stand to check things out, and it turned out I couldn't shift into my largest cog anymore. Checked my shifter, and, sure enough, the cable was badly frayed. So, 15,000 miles was my limit. Yeah, I should have changed those cables last winter. 

P.S.: Getting a frayed cable out of those shifters can get tricky. Good thing I had some very thin precision needle-nose pliers that I could use to grab the head of the cable...


----------



## SPlKE (Sep 10, 2007)

Pirx said:


> Interesting. This sounds like external conditions are quite similar to mine, which leaves as the only difference our respective shifting habits. I try to keep my cadence between 90 and 100rpm mostly (except for the rare steep climbs, or sprints), but as long as I am riding around my home area (which is probably around 80% of the riding I do) this means I'll typically shift between a set of five cogs or so for more than 90% of the time. Like I said, 12k miles and counting.


Pretty much ditto here. Must be characteristic of campy set up and maintained correctly, and shifted moderately.


----------

