Fitting a new brake cable

When you pull your brakes on, you can haul the brake cable through the casing with all the strength in your fingers. However, when you release the brake lever, you’re relying on the strength of two small springs, one in each brake unit, to pull the units back out from the rim again.

If your cables are gritty, rusty or kinked, they won’t release freely, leaving you with sluggish, dragging brakes. When cutting new lengths of outer casing, check that each section is long enough; for example, the section that joins the handlebars to the frame should be long enough so that the bars can turn freely, without kinking the casing. The casing for the front brake should make a smooth, graceful curve. Cut new lengths, neatly and squarely with good, sharp cutters. Don’t leave a ragged edge. If the lining gets squashed as you cut, prise it open with a sharp knife. Fit ferrules on each end of each section of casing. The final section of cable – connecting the cantilever units to the cable – is set up in two ways:…

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

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