Do gear cables stretch.

"half_pint" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Maybe it will sort it self out if I clean it up a bit. I imagine a new

cable

Quoted message said:

will be more expensive than the oil saved by neglecting it, however
steel does tend to rust eventually anyway.

Stainless steel is your friend.

Quoted message said:

It will be a big hassle fitting a new cable,

You mean, not completely trivial, something you could do in the middle of a
ride?

clive

Clive George said:

Quoted message said:

It will be a big hassle fitting a new cable,

You mean, not completely trivial, something you could do in the middle of a
ride?

Only if he has his cold chisel and lump hammer with him.

--

Call me "Bob"

"More oneness, less categories,
Open hearts, no strategies"

Email address is spam trapped, to reply directly remove the beverage.

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Clive George said:

Quoted message said:

It will be a big hassle fitting a new cable,

You mean, not completely trivial, something you could do in the middle of a
ride?

Only if he has his cold chisel and lump hammer with him.

Probably easier to take the welder and angle grinder, too, though.

--
Hywel http://kibo.org.uk/
I do not eat quiche.

Hello,
If a cable stretches, you would be finding it difficult to get Lower gears
not higher! The cable pulls not pushes so hence lower bigger cogs would be
affected. You have probably a sticking cable due to dirty innards so remove
cable spray WD or similar into the outer and refir/adjust and cured?
John.

--

http://www.pbase.com/john28july

"half_pint" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I had a bit of a problem getting into highest gear, (smallest
back cog) and I thought this was due to cable stretch, however
I found when I adjusted it it seemed to make it worse.
I could only make the outer cladding longer, thus cable shorter
(effectively) however this seemed to make things worse.

( I make the adjustment late at night in Sainsburys car park so
I didn't pay to much attention to what I was doing).

Anyway I have been thinking (dangerous stuff I know) and it
seems to me that the problem maybe more due to the cable
contracting in cold weather. It seems to me that a cable will be
quite a bit longer on a hot summers day than on a cold winters
evening.

Also part of the problem seems to be when I slacken the cable
when changing gear (to a smaller cog) and it does not run as freely
back to where it should be as it a bit rusty now (never been
oiled/maintained).

Maybe it will sort it self out if I clean it up a bit. I imagine a new
cable
will be more expensive than the oil saved by neglecting it, however
steel does tend to rust eventually anyway.

It will be a big hassle fitting a new cable, and I have no wire cutters!!
Doh!!!

Anyway maybe I should just get a new bike, this looks like a nice one
and quite a nice price too.
I bet I would get some admiring glances from the professional cyclists on
a bike like this. Best of all its single speed.

http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/catalogue/detail.cfm?ID=19531

Clive George said:

"half_pint" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Maybe it will sort it self out if I clean it up a bit. I imagine a new

cable

Quoted message said:

will be more expensive than the oil saved by neglecting it, however
steel does tend to rust eventually anyway.

Stainless steel is your friend.

Quoted message said:

It will be a big hassle fitting a new cable,

You mean, not completely trivial, something you could do in the middle of a
ride?

clive

He should service his bike more often shouldn't he.

half_pint vaguely muttered something like ...

Quoted message said:

I had a bit of a problem getting into highest gear, (smallest
back cog) and I thought this was due to cable stretch, however
I found when I adjusted it it seemed to make it worse.
I could only make the outer cladding longer, thus cable shorter
(effectively) however this seemed to make things worse.

Clean the mech, the gears, the cable, then oil liberally .. but not on any
braking surfaces .. 😉

Quoted message said:

It will be a big hassle fitting a new cable, and I have no wire cutters!!
Doh!!!

Nope, it's a doddle of a job.

Quoted message said:

http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/catalogue/detail.cfm?ID=19531

Can't get to this page in either IE or Firefox, site won't accept that I
have allowed all cookies ..

--
Paul ...
http://www.4x4prejudice.org/index.php
"A [censored] is a [censored], no matter what mode of transport they're using."
(8(|) Homer Rules !!!

Another group member vaguely muttered something like ...

Quoted message said:

Hello,
If a cable stretches, you would be finding it difficult to get Lower gears
not higher! The cable pulls not pushes so hence lower bigger cogs would be
affected. You have probably a sticking cable due to dirty innards so
remove cable spray WD or similar into the outer and refir/adjust and
cured?

On my bike (Shimano LX/XT gears) slackening the gear cable gets the higher
(small cogs) gears at the rear.

--
Paul ...
http://www.4x4prejudice.org/index.php
"A [censored] is a [censored], no matter what mode of transport they're using."
(8(|) Homer Rules !!!

Another group member said:

Hello,
If a cable stretches, you would be finding it difficult to get Lower
gears not higher! The cable pulls not pushes so hence lower bigger
cogs would be affected. You have probably a sticking cable due to
dirty innards so remove cable spray WD or similar into the outer and
refir/adjust and cured?

Only use WD40 if you want /really/ to gum up the works. Most people prefer
to use a lubricant.

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
World Domination?
Just find a world that's into that kind of thing, then chain to the
floor and walk up and down on it in high heels. (Mr. Sunshine)

Paul - [censored] [email hidden] opined the following...

Quoted message said:

Can't get to this page in either IE or Firefox, site won't accept that I
have allowed all cookies ..

First you must go to the home page and follow the link to online shop,
then click on half-wit's link. That'll (probably) trick the site in
thinking that you've navigated through it normally.

Jon

in message <[email hidden]>, half_pint

(') said:

I had a bit of a problem getting into highest gear, (smallest
back cog) and I thought this was due to cable stretch, however
I found when I adjusted it it seemed to make it worse.
I could only make the outer cladding longer, thus cable shorter
(effectively) however this seemed to make things worse.

Gear cables do, of course, 'stretch', typically in their first few weeks
of use. Whether this is actual elongation of the cable or just the
bedding in of the inner inside the outer I can't say. However I've
never heard of temperature related stretch affecting gear changing,
although it is possible.

Quoted message said:

Anyway maybe I should just get a new bike, this looks like a nice one
and quite a nice price too.
I bet I would get some admiring glances from the professional cyclists
on a bike like this. Best of all its single speed.

http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/catalogue/detail.cfm?ID=19531

Yes, I think that would be most suitable for you - of appropriate size
for your intellectual stature, and not too complex for you to manage.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; I'll have a proper rant later, when I get the time.

In article said:

half_pint vaguely muttered something like ...

Quoted message said:

http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/catalogue/detail.cfm?ID=19531

Can't get to this page in either IE or Firefox, site won't accept that I
have allowed all cookies ..

The error message is lying. What it really means is "we insist you visit
the front page of the shop first, where we will set a cookie".
So go to http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/catalogue first if you want
to see it.

Edinburgh Bicycle have apparently been told about the problem _repeatedly_,
and do nothing about it. But they are good enough at selling bicycle related
parts that people put up with them being poor at web site design.

Anyway, it's a "GIANT PUDDIN 12 GIRLS' '05", which I think would suit
half_pint very well, and explains a lot about his postings. I'm not sure
his Mummy should be letting him try and adjust gear cables in Sainsbury's
car park though.

half_pint said:

Anyway I have been thinking

jpegs or retract!

--
If I have seen further than others, it is
by treading on the toes of giants.
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/julesandjames/home/

On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 02:29:34 -0000, "half_wit"
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Anyway I have been thinking (dangerous stuff I know) and it
seems to me that the problem maybe more due to the cable
contracting in cold weather. It seems to me that a cable will be
quite a bit longer on a hot summers day than on a cold winters
evening.

The temperature coefficient of expansion of steel is of the order of
2x10^-5 / °C. Assuming you adjusted your cable on a summer day at
30°C, and the cable is the usual 1.5m or so long, then on a freezing
morning the cable will be approximately 30 microns shorter, according
to the back of my envelope here.

Quoted message said:

Also part of the problem seems to be when I slacken the cable
when changing gear (to a smaller cog) and it does not run as freely
back to where it should be as it a bit rusty now (never been
oiled/maintained).

A somewhat more likely explanation...

Especially if you ride bikes with crappy cheap cables, rather than
stainless ones.

Quoted message said:

Maybe it will sort it self out if I clean it up a bit. I imagine a new cable
will be more expensive than the oil saved by neglecting it, however
steel does tend to rust eventually anyway.

For certain values of "tend to rust" - see above. Stainless cables
shift cleaner, too.

Quoted message said:

It will be a big hassle fitting a new cable, and I have no wire cutters!!
Doh!!!

You do seem to raise an unusually large number of hostages to fortune,
don't you? ;-)

Quoted message said:

Anyway maybe I should just get a new bike, this looks like a nice one
and quite a nice price too.

Cables are cheaper. Come to think of it you could get a pair of cable
cutters, too, for less than the cost of a new bike...

Quoted message said:

http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/catalogue/detail.cfm?ID=19531

Have you learned NOTHING? *Stabilisers* FFS! <shakes head>

Guy
--
"then came ye chavves, theyre cartes girded wyth candels
blue, and theyre beastes wyth straynge horn-lyke thyngs
onn theyre arses that theyre fartes be herde from myles
around." Chaucer, the Sheppey Tales

"Call me Bob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Clive George said:

Quoted message said:

It will be a big hassle fitting a new cable,

You mean, not completely trivial, something you could do in the middle of

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

ride?

Only if he has his cold chisel and lump hammer with him.

You mean these aren't part of your standard toolkit?

(can you get a suitable multitool with these built in? New Alien - with wire
cutters. Lightweight at a mere 2KG)

cheers,
clive

Just zis Guy said:

On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 02:29:34 -0000, "half_wit"
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Anyway I have been thinking (dangerous stuff I know) and it
seems to me that the problem maybe more due to the cable
contracting in cold weather. It seems to me that a cable will be
quite a bit longer on a hot summers day than on a cold winters
evening.

The temperature coefficient of expansion of steel is of the order of
2x10^-5 / °C. Assuming you adjusted your cable on a summer day at
30°C, and the cable is the usual 1.5m or so long, then on a freezing
morning the cable will be approximately 30 microns shorter, according
to the back of my envelope here.

Quoted message said:

Also part of the problem seems to be when I slacken the cable
when changing gear (to a smaller cog) and it does not run as freely
back to where it should be as it a bit rusty now (never been
oiled/maintained).

A somewhat more likely explanation...

Especially if you ride bikes with crappy cheap cables, rather than
stainless ones.

and service them every 5-6 years

"Paul - [censored]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Another group member vaguely muttered something like ...

Quoted message said:

Hello,
If a cable stretches, you would be finding it difficult to get Lower gears
not higher! The cable pulls not pushes so hence lower bigger cogs would be
affected. You have probably a sticking cable due to dirty innards so
remove cable spray WD or similar into the outer and refir/adjust and
cured?

On my bike (Shimano LX/XT gears) slackening the gear cable gets the higher
(small cogs) gears at the rear.

Therefore if the cable stretched you would be finding it difficult to
get lower gears, not higher. The cable pulls not pushes, hence lower,
bigger cogs would be affected.

--
Dave...

"MSeries" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just zis Guy said:

On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 02:29:34 -0000, "half_wit"
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Anyway I have been thinking (dangerous stuff I know) and it
seems to me that the problem maybe more due to the cable
contracting in cold weather. It seems to me that a cable will be
quite a bit longer on a hot summers day than on a cold winters
evening.

The temperature coefficient of expansion of steel is of the order of
2x10^-5 / °C. Assuming you adjusted your cable on a summer day at
30°C, and the cable is the usual 1.5m or so long, then on a freezing
morning the cable will be approximately 30 microns shorter, according
to the back of my envelope here.

I did a rough calculation and it came out at about 1/2 a millimeter,
actually
uusing your coefficient and working incentigrade (in fareignhight (oops)
before)
it came out at 1mm for a 35 degree temmperature swing.
So it might have some sort of effect, I do not know what the difference
between different gears is but it is probably not much.
Maybe you miss a zero somewhere in your calculation.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Also part of the problem seems to be when I slacken the cable
when changing gear (to a smaller cog) and it does not run as freely
back to where it should be as it a bit rusty now (never been
oiled/maintained).

A somewhat more likely explanation...

Especially if you ride bikes with crappy cheap cables, rather than
stainless ones.

and service them every 5-6 years

"Another group member" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello,
If a cable stretches, you would be finding it difficult to get Lower gears
not higher! The cable pulls not pushes so hence lower bigger cogs would be
affected. You have probably a sticking cable due to dirty innards so

remove

Quoted message said:

cable spray WD or similar into the outer and refir/adjust and cured?
John.

Yes I may well have got it the wrong way round if the derailleurs
don't work as I imagined. Slackening the cable engages the largest
cog.

Quoted message said:

--

http://www.pbase.com/john28july

"half_pint" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I had a bit of a problem getting into highest gear, (smallest
back cog) and I thought this was due to cable stretch, however
I found when I adjusted it it seemed to make it worse.
I could only make the outer cladding longer, thus cable shorter
(effectively) however this seemed to make things worse.

( I make the adjustment late at night in Sainsburys car park so
I didn't pay to much attention to what I was doing).

Anyway I have been thinking (dangerous stuff I know) and it
seems to me that the problem maybe more due to the cable
contracting in cold weather. It seems to me that a cable will be
quite a bit longer on a hot summers day than on a cold winters
evening.

Also part of the problem seems to be when I slacken the cable
when changing gear (to a smaller cog) and it does not run as freely
back to where it should be as it a bit rusty now (never been
oiled/maintained).

Maybe it will sort it self out if I clean it up a bit. I imagine a new
cable
will be more expensive than the oil saved by neglecting it, however
steel does tend to rust eventually anyway.

It will be a big hassle fitting a new cable, and I have no wire

cutters!!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Doh!!!

Anyway maybe I should just get a new bike, this looks like a nice one
and quite a nice price too.
I bet I would get some admiring glances from the professional cyclists

on

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

a bike like this. Best of all its single speed.

http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/catalogue/detail.cfm?ID=19531

you know? said:

The temperature coefficient of expansion of steel is of the order of
2x10^-5 / °C. Assuming you adjusted your cable on a summer day at 30°C,
and the cable is the usual 1.5m or so long, then on a freezing morning the
cable will be approximately 30 microns shorter, according to the back of
my envelope here.

Machinery's Handbook gives .00000633 / degree F, which I make
1.1394e-5 / degree C, and the change in length over 35C and 1.5m is
therefore 0.6mm -- but the bike frame expands or contracts as well....

Mike