Rear Cable Lubrication Frequency?

George Newton said:

1. The shop owner said that it is normal for the rear cable
to rquire a lube every two months or so, if you ride every day.

Opinions?

Bogus. Modern stainless cables with lined housing require zero lube.
Just adjust the derailleur so the jockey wheel lines perfectly up with
whatever gear you're in, and lube the chain.

landotter said:

George Newton said:

1. The shop owner said that it is normal for the rear cable
to rquire a lube every two months or so, if you ride every day.

Opinions?

Bogus. Modern stainless cables with lined housing require zero lube.

Well, if the housings are mis-sized and the cut ends are not properly
"finished", you do get extra friction. With handlebar mounted shifters,
that can be an issue. I guess some lube might overcome the added
friction for awhile.

Quoted message said:

Just adjust the derailleur so the jockey wheel lines perfectly up with
whatever gear you're in, and lube the chain.

In article <[email hidden]>,

George Newton said:

I bought a new hybrid last fall that seems to suit my needs well.

I ride on average about 5 hours a week.

A few months after purchase, I began to notice an occasional
hesitation in the rear downshifting, especially from 4 to 3.

The adjustments were checked, and the cable (interior) was lubed
apparently with a light-weight lube for cables.

I immediately noticed that it upshifted much faster, and that
the downshifting problem was gone.

But after a few days the downshifting problem slowly returned.

The cable has since been lubed and adjusted twice more, each
time the result is the same: problem increasingly returns after
a few days.

1. The shop owner said that it is normal for the rear cable
to rquire a lube every two months or so, if you ride every day.

Opinions?

2. Does my experience sound normal?

3. Are teflon cables a good fix for this issue?

I had the same issue with RD shifting recently. Have a turn of the cable
tension adjuster fixed it good. I guess lubrication may also affect it.
--

George Newton said:

I bought a new hybrid last fall that seems to suit my needs well.

I ride on average about 5 hours a week.

A few months after purchase, I began to notice an occasional
hesitation in the rear downshifting, especially from 4 to 3.

The adjustments were checked, and the cable (interior) was lubed
apparently with a light-weight lube for cables.

I immediately noticed that it upshifted much faster, and that
the downshifting problem was gone.

But after a few days the downshifting problem slowly returned.

The cable has since been lubed and adjusted twice more, each
time the result is the same: problem increasingly returns after
a few days.

1. The shop owner said that it is normal for the rear cable
to rquire a lube every two months or so, if you ride every day.

Opinions?

2. Does my experience sound normal?

3. Are teflon cables a good fix for this issue?

--
George Newton

It's likely that excessive friction is being caused in the cable run,
which can be caused by poorly sized housings, damaged housings, poorly
prepped housings, excessive contamination inside the housings (which is
often helped along by cable lubrication), cable fraying you can't see
(unlikely), and some other stuff. The cable system basically needs to
be replaced by someone who knows what they're doing. There are good
instructions on sheldonbrown.com, but the housing needs to be cut with
a special type of cutter that basically can't be improvised very well
(though this is controversial).

Cable lubrication is a controversial and poorly understood thing. A lot
of people see cable lubrication as a point of pride, professionalism,
thoroughness, etc, but modern cables and housings basically don't need
it. The only gains that can be made to a well thought-out,
well-prepared cable system by lubing are very temporary, and the
problem is that the lube helps let contaminants work their way into the
system. In a sense, once cable systems get lubed they get kind of
addicted to it, since the entry of contaminants get things feeling
crunchy, which essentially requires you to add more lube or replace the
cable system, etc. There are still times where it's appropriate to lube
cables, and in those cases it's best to use a dry lube that won't
attract grit.

Teflon cables are good for having your brake feel be constantly perfect
and stuff like that, and sometimes one runs into frames with tricky or
bad cable routing options that can really use some extra help, but
they're mostly just more expensive [censored].

Nate Knutson said:

George Newton said:

I bought a new hybrid last fall that seems to suit my needs well.

I ride on average about 5 hours a week.

A few months after purchase, I began to notice an occasional
hesitation in the rear downshifting, especially from 4 to 3.

The adjustments were checked, and the cable (interior) was lubed
apparently with a light-weight lube for cables.

I immediately noticed that it upshifted much faster, and that
the downshifting problem was gone.

But after a few days the downshifting problem slowly returned.

The cable has since been lubed and adjusted twice more, each
time the result is the same: problem increasingly returns after
a few days.

1. The shop owner said that it is normal for the rear cable
to rquire a lube every two months or so, if you ride every day.

Opinions?

2. Does my experience sound normal?

3. Are teflon cables a good fix for this issue?

--
George Newton

It's likely that excessive friction is being caused in the cable run,
which can be caused by poorly sized housings, damaged housings, poorly
prepped housings, excessive contamination inside the housings (which is
often helped along by cable lubrication), cable fraying you can't see
(unlikely), and some other stuff. The cable system basically needs to
be replaced by someone who knows what they're doing. There are good
instructions on sheldonbrown.com, but the housing needs to be cut with
a special type of cutter that basically can't be improvised very well
(though this is controversial).

Cable lubrication is a controversial and poorly understood thing. A lot
of people see cable lubrication as a point of pride, professionalism,
thoroughness, etc, but modern cables and housings basically don't need
it. The only gains that can be made to a well thought-out,
well-prepared cable system by lubing are very temporary, and the
problem is that the lube helps let contaminants work their way into the
system. In a sense, once cable systems get lubed they get kind of
addicted to it, since the entry of contaminants get things feeling
crunchy, which essentially requires you to add more lube or replace the
cable system, etc. There are still times where it's appropriate to lube
cables, and in those cases it's best to use a dry lube that won't
attract grit.

Teflon cables are good for having your brake feel be constantly perfect
and stuff like that, and sometimes one runs into frames with tricky or
bad cable routing options that can really use some extra help, but
they're mostly just more expensive [censored].

How does lubing cables increase the likelihood of contamination?

-Vee

Vee said:

Nate Knutson said:

George Newton said:

I bought a new hybrid last fall that seems to suit my needs well.

I ride on average about 5 hours a week.

A few months after purchase, I began to notice an occasional
hesitation in the rear downshifting, especially from 4 to 3.

The adjustments were checked, and the cable (interior) was lubed
apparently with a light-weight lube for cables.

I immediately noticed that it upshifted much faster, and that
the downshifting problem was gone.

But after a few days the downshifting problem slowly returned.

The cable has since been lubed and adjusted twice more, each
time the result is the same: problem increasingly returns after
a few days.

1. The shop owner said that it is normal for the rear cable
to rquire a lube every two months or so, if you ride every day.

Opinions?

2. Does my experience sound normal?

3. Are teflon cables a good fix for this issue?

--
George Newton

It's likely that excessive friction is being caused in the cable run,
which can be caused by poorly sized housings, damaged housings,
poorly prepped housings, excessive contamination inside the housings
(which is often helped along by cable lubrication), cable fraying
you can't see (unlikely), and some other stuff. The cable system
basically needs to be replaced by someone who knows what they're
doing. There are good instructions on sheldonbrown.com, but the
housing needs to be cut with a special type of cutter that basically
can't be improvised very well (though this is controversial).

Cable lubrication is a controversial and poorly understood thing. A
lot of people see cable lubrication as a point of pride,
professionalism, thoroughness, etc, but modern cables and housings
basically don't need it. The only gains that can be made to a well
thought-out, well-prepared cable system by lubing are very
temporary, and the problem is that the lube helps let contaminants
work their way into the system. In a sense, once cable systems get
lubed they get kind of addicted to it, since the entry of
contaminants get things feeling crunchy, which essentially requires
you to add more lube or replace the cable system, etc. There are
still times where it's appropriate to lube cables, and in those
cases it's best to use a dry lube that won't attract grit.

Teflon cables are good for having your brake feel be constantly
perfect and stuff like that, and sometimes one runs into frames with
tricky or bad cable routing options that can really use some extra
help, but they're mostly just more expensive [censored].

How does lubing cables increase the likelihood of contamination?

It can turn dust, dirt and grit into a sticky grinding paste. If you do
lube, use something very light and use it sparingly; also wipe it off
exposed surfaces thoroughly.

IMO...

You might try lubricating the cable where it passes under the bottem
bracket and goes through the plastic guide with Diaelectric grease. This
grease is found in automotive stores and won't react with the plastic.
regular petroleum based grease will cause a little stickiness when in
contact with plastic. It is only about 5 dollars, well worth the
experiment. My wifes womans mountain bike was autoshifting and that is
what cured it. good luck and let us know.

Bill Sornson said:

Vee said:

Nate Knutson said:

George Newton wrote:
> I bought a new hybrid last fall that seems to suit my needs well.
>
> I ride on average about 5 hours a week.
>
> A few months after purchase, I began to notice an occasional
> hesitation in the rear downshifting, especially from 4 to 3.
>
> The adjustments were checked, and the cable (interior) was lubed
> apparently with a light-weight lube for cables.
>
> I immediately noticed that it upshifted much faster, and that
> the downshifting problem was gone.
>
> But after a few days the downshifting problem slowly returned.
>
> The cable has since been lubed and adjusted twice more, each
> time the result is the same: problem increasingly returns after
> a few days.
>
> 1. The shop owner said that it is normal for the rear cable
> to rquire a lube every two months or so, if you ride every day.
>
> Opinions?
>
> 2. Does my experience sound normal?
>
> 3. Are teflon cables a good fix for this issue?
>
> --
> George Newton
It's likely that excessive friction is being caused in the cable run,
which can be caused by poorly sized housings, damaged housings,
poorly prepped housings, excessive contamination inside the housings
(which is often helped along by cable lubrication), cable fraying
you can't see (unlikely), and some other stuff. The cable system
basically needs to be replaced by someone who knows what they're
doing. There are good instructions on sheldonbrown.com, but the
housing needs to be cut with a special type of cutter that basically
can't be improvised very well (though this is controversial).

Cable lubrication is a controversial and poorly understood thing. A
lot of people see cable lubrication as a point of pride,
professionalism, thoroughness, etc, but modern cables and housings
basically don't need it. The only gains that can be made to a well
thought-out, well-prepared cable system by lubing are very
temporary, and the problem is that the lube helps let contaminants
work their way into the system. In a sense, once cable systems get
lubed they get kind of addicted to it, since the entry of
contaminants get things feeling crunchy, which essentially requires
you to add more lube or replace the cable system, etc. There are
still times where it's appropriate to lube cables, and in those
cases it's best to use a dry lube that won't attract grit.

Teflon cables are good for having your brake feel be constantly
perfect and stuff like that, and sometimes one runs into frames with
tricky or bad cable routing options that can really use some extra
help, but they're mostly just more expensive [censored].

How does lubing cables increase the likelihood of contamination?

It can turn dust, dirt and grit into a sticky grinding paste. If you do
lube, use something very light and use it sparingly; also wipe it off
exposed surfaces thoroughly.

IMO...

i constantly have to downshift twice,
and then upshift once,
just to get one gear lower

is this a similar symptom?

i'm not sure if it's lubrication, or an adjustment needed

waterboy

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

i constantly have to downshift twice,
and then upshift once,
just to get one gear lower

is this a similar symptom?

i'm not sure if it's lubrication, or an adjustment needed

Try increasing the cable tension by turning the cable adjuster. I had
the same problem with my RD recently.
--

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

Quoted message said:

i constantly have to downshift twice,
and then upshift once,
just to get one gear lower

is this a similar symptom?

i'm not sure if it's lubrication, or an adjustment needed

It's probably roughness/wear/lack of lubrication in your RDR cable
housing, particularly the section leading to the derailer. You can try
lubing the cable and housing, and it may work for a few weeks or a
month. To solve the problem for a longer period, replace the cable and
housing. It's a cheap, simple and longer lasting fix.

Rick

Nate Knutson said:

Cable lubrication is a controversial and poorly understood thing. A lot
of people see cable lubrication as a point of pride, professionalism,
thoroughness, etc, but modern cables and housings basically don't need
it. The only gains that can be made to a well thought-out,
well-prepared cable system by lubing are very temporary, and the
problem is that the lube helps let contaminants work their way into the
system. In a sense, once cable systems get lubed they get kind of
addicted to it, since the entry of contaminants get things feeling
crunchy, which essentially requires you to add more lube or replace the
cable system, etc. There are still times where it's appropriate to lube
cables, and in those cases it's best to use a dry lube that won't
attract grit.

Teflon cables are good for having your brake feel be constantly perfect
and stuff like that, and sometimes one runs into frames with tricky or
bad cable routing options that can really use some extra help, but
they're mostly just more expensive [censored].

Shimano seems to think its equipment needs grease in the housings. It
apparently supplies housings already greased:

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2004-
24,GGLD:en&q=Shimano+SIS+SP41+Grease

or http://tinyurl.com/z2nsk

dianne,

Here's my Shimano model: http://tinyurl.com/pxgg2

It doesn't list the cable type, however, and the rd can
be one of two types, but the graphics for them won't
load for me.

In any event, I'm not sure that this low-end rd would
use the cables you refer to, hmmm?

And if they were 'greased' cables, then would it make sense
for my dealer to be using a lightweight liquid lube to
maintain them?

My guess is no.

The 'lube' that the dealer is applying begins to decline
after a few days, and now after about three weeks it is as
bad as it has ever been. On a slight incline, I have to
contantly go from 4>3>2 and back to 3 to get there. When
I get to 2, it drops from 4>2.

The rd has been adjusted three times now, aside from
original install.

The dealer says that it is normal for this cable to be lubed
every two months, but it would seem to need it much more than
that to have any consistent performance.

The jockey wheels are well aligned and I regulary maintain
the chain.

I've finally figured out, via sheldonbrown.com, how to
relate to the parts of the rd, and I'll try loosening
the indexing barrel.

--
George Newton

George Newton said:

dianne,

Here's my Shimano model: http://tinyurl.com/pxgg2

It doesn't list the cable type, however, and the rd can
be one of two types, but the graphics for them won't
load for me.

In any event, I'm not sure that this low-end rd would
use the cables you refer to, hmmm?

And if they were 'greased' cables, then would it make sense
for my dealer to be using a lightweight liquid lube to
maintain them?

My guess is no.

The 'lube' that the dealer is applying begins to decline
after a few days, and now after about three weeks it is as
bad as it has ever been. On a slight incline, I have to
contantly go from 4>3>2 and back to 3 to get there. When
I get to 2, it drops from 4>2.

The rd has been adjusted three times now, aside from
original install.

The dealer says that it is normal for this cable to be lubed
every two months, but it would seem to need it much more than
that to have any consistent performance.

The jockey wheels are well aligned and I regulary maintain
the chain.

I've finally figured out, via sheldonbrown.com, how to
relate to the parts of the rd, and I'll try loosening
the indexing barrel.

?? you said that the derailleur is adjusted three times? Did consider
new housings and cables? Use good quality housings and messing ferules.
I never lube my cables.

Lou
--
Posted by news://news.nb.nu

George Newton said:

dianne,

Here's my Shimano model: http://tinyurl.com/pxgg2

It doesn't list the cable type, however, and the rd can
be one of two types, but the graphics for them won't
load for me.

In any event, I'm not sure that this low-end rd would
use the cables you refer to, hmmm?

And if they were 'greased' cables, then would it make sense
for my dealer to be using a lightweight liquid lube to
maintain them?

My guess is no.

The 'lube' that the dealer is applying begins to decline
after a few days, and now after about three weeks it is as
bad as it has ever been. On a slight incline, I have to
contantly go from 4>3>2 and back to 3 to get there. When
I get to 2, it drops from 4>2.

The rd has been adjusted three times now, aside from
original install.

The dealer says that it is normal for this cable to be lubed
every two months, but it would seem to need it much more than
that to have any consistent performance.

The jockey wheels are well aligned and I regulary maintain
the chain.

I've finally figured out, via sheldonbrown.com, how to
relate to the parts of the rd, and I'll try loosening
the indexing barrel.

--

My guess is that the cable housings are mis-sized and have poorly
finshed ends, leading to excess friction in the shifter cable. The lube
temporarily reduces the friction to an acceptable level and things get
better for a short while.