Maintaining your cables to help keep your brakes in good shape

You should check your cables regularly for corrosion, kinks and damage to the outer casing. Over time, dirt and water creep into the cables. It happens slowly so you hardly notice the brakes are getting harder to pull on and are not releasing properly. Fitting new cables is easy and you will feel the difference instantly.

Cables generally come in either standard or fancy versions. The luxury versions tend to be either lined or protected by a sheath that runs from shifter to brake. Luxury cables can make a significant difference if you ride in very muddy environments, as they stop grit from creeping into the gap between cable and outer casing. However, they are generally much more expensive. All cables come with comprehensive instructions though, so we’ll stick to standard cables here. You can either buy brake-cable sets in a pack, with cable, outer casing and ferrules – Shimano make a good value pack – or you can buy the parts separately. Ferrules are the metal caps that the end of your outer casing sits in. Either way, you’ll need a decent pair of cable-cutters…

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Bike Maintenance Tips, Tricks & Techniques (Digital) - 1 Issue, Bike Maintenance Tips, Tricks & Techniques 3rd Edition

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