The importance of cleaning cables and searching out hidden grime

The most common cause of sluggish shifting is the bits of the nice trail or road you just rode concealing themselves between cable and casing. Cleaning the bike can sometimes serve only to solidify the mud or dust so you have to be careful. Full suspension bikes suffer particularly badly – the loops of casing necessary to connect rear brake and gear cables across the central hinge are often a magnet for unwanted grit. Luckily, the cable stops on frames are slotted, allowing you to remove the casing and clean the sections of cable normally hidden within.

Inspect cable and casing before you start – if either are kinked, frayed or corroded, it’s time to replace them. For gear cables, lift your back wheel off the ground. Shift into the largest sprocket front and rear, then stop pedalling. Click your shifters as if changing into the smallest sprocket and smallest chainring For V-brake cables, squeeze the brake units together, slide back the rubber boot and release the noodle from its hanger. For mechanical disc brakes, push the actuation lever upwards, as if applying the brake. This creates slack in the cable. Follow the section of outer casing that emerges from the shifter or lever, to the cable stop on the frame. Pull the outer casing forwards and wiggle the cable out of the slot in the cable…

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

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