new cables, brake and shifter

I am going to put some new inner wire on the brakes and shifters my
question is if they should be lubed. Also the housing is fine no issues
but maybe I should put new housing on too, I have a huge 25 ft roll? I
normally run a little Vaseline on the wire from time to time or even a
coat of very light oil. I just wonder if new wire should be left alone
or lubed.
--
Deacon Mark Cleary
Epiphany Roman Catholic Church

On 15 June, 13:14, Mark Cleary wrote:
I am going to put some new inner wire on the brakes and shifters my
question is if they should be lubed. Also the housing is fine no issues
but maybe I should put new housing on too, I have a huge 25 ft roll? I
normally run a little Vaseline on the wire from time to time or even a
coat of very light oil. I just wonder if new wire should be left alone
or lubed.
--
Deacon Mark Cleary * * * * * * *
Epiphany Roman Catholic Church

Lube cables with plastic liners with silicone oil, a squirt of aerosol
down the liner does the trick. Use graphite (again in aerosol form)
to lube steel housings. They should be done when new and as and when.

On 2010-06-15, Mark Cleary wrote:
I am going to put some new inner wire on the brakes and shifters my
question is if they should be lubed.

No need these days if using pukka stainless steel cables which are
also somehow pre-teflonized.

Also the housing is fine no issues but maybe I should put new housing
on too, I have a huge 25 ft roll?

If it ain't broke... Save the 25ft of housing for when you get around to
building that recumbent sextet tandem.

Mark Cleary wrote:
I am going to put some new inner wire on the brakes and shifters my
question is if they should be lubed. Also the housing is fine no issues
but maybe I should put new housing on too, I have a huge 25 ft roll? I
normally run a little Vaseline on the wire from time to time or even a
coat of very light oil. I just wonder if new wire should be left alone
or lubed.

I'd go with the "ain't broke, don't fix it", with a couple of caveats.
If you have brifters, fraying or breaking cables can screw them up.
While not dangerous, breaking shifter cables can be a nuisance, so it
makes sense to replace them well before they're likely to break.

The only place I renew the housing is the final loop to the rear
derailer. That is a relatively short section that often gets junked up
from wheel spray, and the increase in friction may cause subtle and
difficult to identify shifting problems. It's worth it to replace it
periodically just to avoid the hassle.

As for lubing cables, it shouldn't be necessary if the housing is
plastic lined (I've not seen unlined shift cable housing). I thought
teflon coated cables were a good idea, but I just had one shed all its
coating inside the housing, creating quite a lot of friction.

I never replace brake cables or housing -- maybe I've just been lucky,
but they seem to last forever.

On Jun 16, 11:06*am, Peter Cole wrote:

I never replace brake cables or housing -- maybe I've just been lucky,
but they seem to last forever.

I occasionally replace brake inner cables, like maybe once every five
years on my most-used bikes. I learned to do that after two incidents
of a cable breaking at the brake lever.

Granted, it was two incidents in something like 25 years of riding.
But embarrasingly, the second one occurred when a video actor was
using my bike. We were in the process of filming a bike safety PSA!

Brake cables fail only when you need them, of course. IME, they don't
give the subtle warnings that you get from failing shifter cables.

- Frank Krygowski

On 6/16/10 11:06 AM, Peter Cole wrote:
ng, creating quite a lot of friction.

I never replace brake cables or housing -- maybe I've just been lucky,
but they seem to last forever.

This has been my experience too. I recently changed brake housing &
cables for cosmetic purposes (yellow!) and the old stuff I removed
looked fine.

Shift cables and housings have lasted quite well for me too. Once in a
great while I discover a broken strand either at the barrel end (bar end
shifter) or under the bottom bracket. But that's not even annually.

BC
stranded

On Jun 16, 9:06*am, Peter Cole wrote:
Mark Cleary wrote:
I am going to put some new inner wire on the brakes and shifters my
question is if they should be lubed. Also the housing is fine no issues
but maybe I should put new housing on too, I have a huge 25 ft roll? I
normally run a little Vaseline on the wire from time to time or even a
coat of very light oil. I just wonder if new wire should be left alone
or lubed.

I'd go with the "ain't broke, don't fix it", with a couple of caveats.
If you have brifters, fraying or breaking cables can screw them up.
While not dangerous, breaking shifter cables can be a nuisance, so it
makes sense to replace them well before they're likely to break.

The only place I renew the housing is the final loop to the rear
derailer. That is a relatively short section that often gets junked up
from wheel spray, and the increase in friction may cause subtle and
difficult to identify shifting problems. It's worth it to replace it
periodically just to avoid the hassle.

As for lubing cables, it shouldn't be necessary if the housing is
plastic lined (I've not seen unlined shift cable housing). I thought
teflon coated cables were a good idea, but I just had one shed all its
coating inside the housing, creating quite a lot of friction.

I never replace brake cables or housing -- maybe I've just been lucky,
but they seem to last forever.

What he said.

But as to lubing, I'll add that I like to drag a cable through a chunk
of paraffin or beeswax just to add a bit of lube and smooth the
exterior surface of the cable.
It can't hurt.
This is may be especially beneficial for a shift cable running under
the bottom bracket where oils or grease would just be a dirt magnet.

As to cables themselves, (without getting into the high zoot stuff),
get at least the "good" stainless ones such as those made by Shimano.
The outer surface is usually much smoother than bargain basement
cables which means better (smoother, lighter) function AND should also
mean longer life.

DR

thirty-six wrote:

Lube cables with plastic liners with silicone oil, a squirt of aerosol
down the liner does the trick. *Use graphite (again in aerosol form)
to lube steel housings. *They should be done when new and as and when.

I expected you to recommend whale oil or goose grease. And for vegan
cyclists, what's wrong with macadamia oil?

On 17 June, 07:40, Chalo wrote:
thirty-six wrote:

Lube cables with plastic liners with silicone oil, a squirt of aerosol
down the liner does the trick. *Use graphite (again in aerosol form)
to lube steel housings. *They should be done when new and as and when..

I expected you to recommend whale oil or goose grease.

Doesn't come in an aerosol. I have a proper cable greaser which
attaches to a tyre pump, and its something I did a long time ago but
aerosols are ideal applicators and the solid lubricants work well when
chosen correctly. Still grease exposed wire under bottom bracket
shell.

*And for vegan
cyclists, what's wrong with macadamia oil?