A Cycling & bikes forum. CycleBanter.com

Go Back   Home » CycleBanter.com forum » rec.bicycles » Techniques
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

GD cable derailleurs!



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old April 7th 21, 05:09 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
JBeattie
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5,870
Default GD cable derailleurs!

A few miles into my evening ride on my cable-shift Emonda -- with my wife pushing me on her ebike, I shifted to go up the next hill and snap -- immediate downshift into 34/11. Great. In the middle of a 9% grade, that turned at the top to another climb, but a short one. I tacked a bit, got home and then jumped on the Di2 disc Synapse and started over. Heavier with fenders, etc., but still a nice bike. The discs, BTW, don't drag at all. Thank Buddha for that reliable Di2.

The good thing about the latest Ultegra levers is that there is a trap door under the lever body, and you can remove one screw, take out the door and grab the broken cable and end. No more fishing it out of the lever. This is the second time in 20 years on STI that I've broken a cable. Before that I broke a friction bar-end cable in the middle of a tour. I had a spare.

-- Jay Beattie.
  #2  
Old April 7th 21, 05:18 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
James[_8_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,153
Default GD cable derailleurs!

On 7/4/21 2:09 pm, jbeattie wrote:
A few miles into my evening ride on my cable-shift Emonda -- with my
wife pushing me on her ebike, I shifted to go up the next hill and
snap -- immediate downshift into 34/11. Great. In the middle of a
9% grade, that turned at the top to another climb, but a short one.
I tacked a bit, got home and then jumped on the Di2 disc Synapse and
started over. Heavier with fenders, etc., but still a nice bike.
The discs, BTW, don't drag at all. Thank Buddha for that reliable
Di2.

The good thing about the latest Ultegra levers is that there is a
trap door under the lever body, and you can remove one screw, take
out the door and grab the broken cable and end. No more fishing it
out of the lever. This is the second time in 20 years on STI that
I've broken a cable. Before that I broke a friction bar-end cable in
the middle of a tour. I had a spare.


I guess when you've been riding the Di2 setup for the same time &
distance you'll be able to make a more reasonable comparison.

I'm still waiting to break a cable after more than 30 years of using
cable actuated gears and brakes.

--
JS
  #3  
Old April 7th 21, 03:26 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Tom Kunich[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,196
Default GD cable derailleurs!

On Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 9:18:58 PM UTC-7, James wrote:
On 7/4/21 2:09 pm, jbeattie wrote:
A few miles into my evening ride on my cable-shift Emonda -- with my
wife pushing me on her ebike, I shifted to go up the next hill and
snap -- immediate downshift into 34/11. Great. In the middle of a
9% grade, that turned at the top to another climb, but a short one.
I tacked a bit, got home and then jumped on the Di2 disc Synapse and
started over. Heavier with fenders, etc., but still a nice bike.
The discs, BTW, don't drag at all. Thank Buddha for that reliable
Di2.

The good thing about the latest Ultegra levers is that there is a
trap door under the lever body, and you can remove one screw, take
out the door and grab the broken cable and end. No more fishing it
out of the lever. This is the second time in 20 years on STI that
I've broken a cable. Before that I broke a friction bar-end cable in
the middle of a tour. I had a spare.

I guess when you've been riding the Di2 setup for the same time &
distance you'll be able to make a more reasonable comparison.

I'm still waiting to break a cable after more than 30 years of using
cable actuated gears and brakes.


I have had the same experience as you. Plus with all of those damn gears you have to spend all of your time shifting and wearing every part out. I almost returned to my 9 speed Campy but couldn't find the shifters after all these years. I cabled my Eddy Merckx last night and installed the chain and respaced the front derailleur to fit the Compact crank. Got a date with the tax man at 9 and then will return and wrap the handlebar tape. I weighed it before the cables, pedals and chain and it was about 17.6 lbs. My Colnago is 19 lbs. so I shouldn't be overweight.
  #4  
Old April 7th 21, 03:56 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
SMS
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 9,477
Default GD cable derailleurs!

On 4/6/2021 9:18 PM, James wrote:

snip

I'm still waiting to break a cable after more than 30 years of using
cable actuated gears and brakes.


In college I was riding down a hill in the winter and both of my brake
cables snapped. But that was more than 30 years ago.

  #5  
Old April 7th 21, 06:11 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Tom Kunich[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,196
Default GD cable derailleurs!

On Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at 7:56:35 AM UTC-7, sms wrote:
On 4/6/2021 9:18 PM, James wrote:

snip
I'm still waiting to break a cable after more than 30 years of using
cable actuated gears and brakes.

In college I was riding down a hill in the winter and both of my brake
cables snapped. But that was more than 30 years ago.

One can easily imagine what you were riding and it had nothing to do with stainless steel cables.
  #6  
Old April 7th 21, 04:19 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Frank Krygowski[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,538
Default GD cable derailleurs!

On 4/7/2021 12:18 AM, James wrote:
On 7/4/21 2:09 pm, jbeattie wrote:
A few miles into my evening ride on my cable-shift Emonda -- with my
wife pushing me on her ebike, I shifted to go up the next hill and
snap -- immediate downshift into 34/11.Â* Great.Â* In the middle of a
9% grade, that turned at the top to another climb, but a short one.
I tacked a bit, got home and then jumped on the Di2 disc Synapse and
started over.Â* Heavier with fenders, etc., but still a nice bike.
The discs, BTW, don't drag at all. Thank Buddha for that reliable
Di2.

The good thing about the latest Ultegra levers is that there is a
trap door under the lever body, and you can remove one screw, take
out the door and grab the broken cable and end.Â* No more fishing it
out of the lever.


I hadn't heard about that. It sounds like a nice improvement.


This is the second time in 20 years on STI that
I've broken a cable. Before that I broke a friction bar-end cable in
the middle of a tour.Â* I had a spare.


I'm still waiting to break a cable after more than 30 years of using
cable actuated gears and brakes.


Do you replace them regularly? Could that be why?

My maintenance regime tends toward "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
That's probably what's caused me to break shift cables. And my
Cannondale touring bike requires an unusually long cable because I run
the cable from the bar end control under the handlebar tape. I've
learned to carry a spare.

But I've also learned to notice the first strands of the shift cable
breaking at the bar end control. They stick out and poke my finger, a
nice early warning system.


--
- Frank Krygowski
  #7  
Old April 8th 21, 03:10 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
James[_8_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,153
Default GD cable derailleurs!

On 8/4/21 1:19 am, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/7/2021 12:18 AM, James wrote:
On 7/4/21 2:09 pm, jbeattie wrote:
A few miles into my evening ride on my cable-shift Emonda -- with my
wife pushing me on her ebike, I shifted to go up the next hill and
snap -- immediate downshift into 34/11.Â* Great.Â* In the middle of a
9% grade, that turned at the top to another climb, but a short one.
I tacked a bit, got home and then jumped on the Di2 disc Synapse and
started over.Â* Heavier with fenders, etc., but still a nice bike.
The discs, BTW, don't drag at all. Thank Buddha for that reliable
Di2.

The good thing about the latest Ultegra levers is that there is a
trap door under the lever body, and you can remove one screw, take
out the door and grab the broken cable and end.Â* No more fishing it
out of the lever.


I hadn't heard about that. It sounds like a nice improvement.


This is the second time in 20 years on STI that
I've broken a cable. Before that I broke a friction bar-end cable in
the middle of a tour.Â* I had a spare.


I'm still waiting to break a cable after more than 30 years of using
cable actuated gears and brakes.


Do you replace them regularly? Could that be why?


What is regularly? I usually wait until the outer plastic is cracked
and rust is showing, then wait until the next time I replace handlebar
tape and replace cables and tape at the same time. Probably every 2-3
years or more? The tape gets replaced more often because I usually end
up wearing a hole in it somewhere.

But I've also learned to notice the first strands of the shift cable
breaking at the bar end control. They stick out and poke my finger, a
nice early warning system.


Once I had gear change problems and it turned out to be a couple of
broken strands in the Campagnolo Ergo lever body. I didn't need to
unscrew a secret trapdoor to extract the cable. I think Campagnolo
levers are much easier to work on. You can disassemble, clean and
reassemble them fairly easily.

--
JS

  #8  
Old April 8th 21, 03:58 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
JBeattie
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5,870
Default GD cable derailleurs!

On Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at 7:10:23 PM UTC-7, James wrote:
On 8/4/21 1:19 am, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/7/2021 12:18 AM, James wrote:
On 7/4/21 2:09 pm, jbeattie wrote:
A few miles into my evening ride on my cable-shift Emonda -- with my
wife pushing me on her ebike, I shifted to go up the next hill and
snap -- immediate downshift into 34/11. Great. In the middle of a
9% grade, that turned at the top to another climb, but a short one.
I tacked a bit, got home and then jumped on the Di2 disc Synapse and
started over. Heavier with fenders, etc., but still a nice bike.
The discs, BTW, don't drag at all. Thank Buddha for that reliable
Di2.

The good thing about the latest Ultegra levers is that there is a
trap door under the lever body, and you can remove one screw, take
out the door and grab the broken cable and end. No more fishing it
out of the lever.


I hadn't heard about that. It sounds like a nice improvement.


This is the second time in 20 years on STI that
I've broken a cable. Before that I broke a friction bar-end cable in
the middle of a tour. I had a spare.


I'm still waiting to break a cable after more than 30 years of using
cable actuated gears and brakes.


Do you replace them regularly? Could that be why?

What is regularly? I usually wait until the outer plastic is cracked
and rust is showing, then wait until the next time I replace handlebar
tape and replace cables and tape at the same time. Probably every 2-3
years or more? The tape gets replaced more often because I usually end
up wearing a hole in it somewhere.
But I've also learned to notice the first strands of the shift cable
breaking at the bar end control. They stick out and poke my finger, a
nice early warning system.

Once I had gear change problems and it turned out to be a couple of
broken strands in the Campagnolo Ergo lever body. I didn't need to
unscrew a secret trapdoor to extract the cable. I think Campagnolo
levers are much easier to work on. You can disassemble, clean and
reassemble them fairly easily.


I'm told the most recent Campy levers are not rebuildable -- or they are rebuildable, but the parts are not available. One or the other. My son had a left STI lever go dead on a ride, and it was not fixable -- or I couldn't fix it. That's the only STI lever I've had go belly up in almost 30 years.. Every other issue I've resolved with a WD40 flush and lubrication. The new trap door feature gives you good access to the innards for cleaning and lubricating. It's not the same as being rebuildable, but it is an improvement.

-- Jay Beattie.
  #9  
Old April 8th 21, 01:32 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Roger Merriman[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 385
Default GD cable derailleurs!

James wrote:
On 7/4/21 2:09 pm, jbeattie wrote:
A few miles into my evening ride on my cable-shift Emonda -- with my
wife pushing me on her ebike, I shifted to go up the next hill and
snap -- immediate downshift into 34/11. Great. In the middle of a
9% grade, that turned at the top to another climb, but a short one.
I tacked a bit, got home and then jumped on the Di2 disc Synapse and
started over. Heavier with fenders, etc., but still a nice bike.
The discs, BTW, don't drag at all. Thank Buddha for that reliable
Di2.

The good thing about the latest Ultegra levers is that there is a
trap door under the lever body, and you can remove one screw, take
out the door and grab the broken cable and end. No more fishing it
out of the lever. This is the second time in 20 years on STI that
I've broken a cable. Before that I broke a friction bar-end cable in
the middle of a tour. I had a spare.


I guess when you've been riding the Di2 setup for the same time &
distance you'll be able to make a more reasonable comparison.

I'm still waiting to break a cable after more than 30 years of using
cable actuated gears and brakes.

I tend to have to replace as the cable gets sticky, and after a while can’t
be cleaned/lubed into life.

Don’t think I’ve ever snapped a cable. Mind you until this year had never
snapped a hanger...

Roger Merriman

  #10  
Old April 8th 21, 01:47 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Tom Kunich[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,196
Default GD cable derailleurs!

On Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 5:32:07 AM UTC-7, Roger Merriman wrote:
James wrote:
On 7/4/21 2:09 pm, jbeattie wrote:
A few miles into my evening ride on my cable-shift Emonda -- with my
wife pushing me on her ebike, I shifted to go up the next hill and
snap -- immediate downshift into 34/11. Great. In the middle of a
9% grade, that turned at the top to another climb, but a short one.
I tacked a bit, got home and then jumped on the Di2 disc Synapse and
started over. Heavier with fenders, etc., but still a nice bike.
The discs, BTW, don't drag at all. Thank Buddha for that reliable
Di2.

The good thing about the latest Ultegra levers is that there is a
trap door under the lever body, and you can remove one screw, take
out the door and grab the broken cable and end. No more fishing it
out of the lever. This is the second time in 20 years on STI that
I've broken a cable. Before that I broke a friction bar-end cable in
the middle of a tour. I had a spare.


I guess when you've been riding the Di2 setup for the same time &
distance you'll be able to make a more reasonable comparison.

I'm still waiting to break a cable after more than 30 years of using
cable actuated gears and brakes.

I tend to have to replace as the cable gets sticky, and after a while can’t
be cleaned/lubed into life.

Don’t think I’ve ever snapped a cable. Mind you until this year had never
snapped a hanger...


Now that they are making replaceable hangers the aluminum material is of the wrong alloy and is very brittle. I don't think that this is to allow break away in case of a crash or to make people buy more of them but simply that alloy is just cheaper than hell. It appears to be almost pure aluminum.
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
SOLDERING CABLE ENDS (BARREL) ON STAINLESS STEEL CABLE [email protected] Techniques 5 August 5th 12 11:38 PM
Newbie Q: New Shifter and R Derailleur Cable Installed - Cable Stretch? Jay - BFri Commuter General 12 April 30th 07 11:59 PM
Converting a Brake Cable To a Shifter Cable Bret Cahill Techniques 42 March 8th 07 09:43 PM
Campagnolo rear derailleurs cable housing end cap CG-CS013. [email protected] Techniques 6 December 25th 05 02:00 AM
Nashbar Derailleur Cable Housings = Brake Cable Housings Mike Beauchamp Techniques 12 August 8th 04 05:52 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:04 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 CycleBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.