I've got an 80's MTB that is getting very difficult to shift. It's got indexed shifting with two buttons under the bars, a big one and a little one. It requires great effort to push the big one for the back sprocket, and on the front if I go from the small sprocket to the middle, I then have to wait a few minutes before I can shift up to the big sprocket.
I'm thinking the cables are probably gummed up. Does that sound reasonable and if so, what's the best way to clean and lubricate them.
I've done almost no mainenance on this since I got it new in the late 80's. It just keeps going and going and going.... Rich
I've got an 80's MTB that is getting very difficult to shift. It's got indexed shifting with two buttons under the bars, a big one and a little one. It requires great effort to push the big one for the back sprocket, and on the front if I go from the small sprocket to the middle, I then have to wait a few minutes before I can shift up to the big sprocket.
I'm thinking the cables are probably gummed up. Does that sound reasonable and if so, what's the best way to clean and lubricate them.
I've done almost no mainenance on this since I got it new in the late 80's. It just keeps going and going and going.... Rich
The poor man's method would be to disconnect the cable at the derailleur and drip lube along the cable and down into the housing, using the cable as a wick and flossing the cable back and forth in the housing to draw more lubricant down in there. The danger here is that you will lose the end cap that keeps the cable from unraveling, and you will have frayed cable ends that make it really hard to reattach the cable to the deraileur.
Sloppy shifting can also be caused by a cracked/kinked cable housing, which is a distinct possibility after 15-20 years. Worn teeth on the cassette and/or chainrings, a worn chain, kinked cables, grunge in the derailleur and a few other things can usually contribute to sloppy shifting. Modern cable housings usually have Teflon liners that eliminate the need for lubrication, high quality cables are wound tighter to eliminate stretch, and in general a new set of cables is probably going to give better results for less effort than cleaning & lubing the old cables. Why don't you just accept the fact that after 15-20 years you've gotten your money's worth out of the old cables and treat yourself to a new set of cables and housings? -- mark
I'm thinking the cables are probably gummed up. Does that sound reasonable (snip)
Yep, Yep, Yep...but in addition to cleaning, re-lubing the cables, sleeves, and derailleurs (if you use WD40, remember to remove the excess solvent and lube from the nylon sprockets in the rear D cage). You might also consider removing the outer shell of the shifters and spray or drip a little lube inside them.
