cable stretch over 100 miles?

[young Ed]

fitted a new gear cable just over 100 miles ago and now it is not shifting anywhere near properly (not even shifting into 3rd chain ring!) could the cable have stretched any noticeable amount over this time?
Cheers Ed

 

[boydj]

Cable stretch generally occurs in the first couple of weeks of fitting a cable, so you should expect to retighten and readjust them in that time frame, possibly more than once.

 

[young Ed]

will look at that and problems in my other thread @Rockymountain replied to when i have time and am not just about to eat chinese!
Cheers Ed

 

[young Ed]

Cable stretch generally occurs in the first couple of weeks of fitting a cable, so you should expect to retighten and readjust them in that time frame, possibly more than once.

thanks took me a while for the 100 miles and it does live out in a non insulated but mainly wind and wet proof shed that may effect it?
Cheers Ed

 

[Cyclist33]

think it's quite normal.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Answer A: I've never managed to stretch a cable much longer than its original size, let alone 100 miles.
Answer B: A cable is likely to stretch most at the beginning. So it's very possible that it is cable stretch.

 

[young Ed]

think it's quite normal.

thanks i thought i had a real bugging problem hear and was even considering changing to a single chain ring due to never having changed gear cable before! when you have a problem just simplify that part of the bike
Cheers Ed

 

[young Ed]

Answer A: I've never managed to stretch a cable much longer than its original size, let alone 100 miles.
Answer B: A cable is likely to stretch most at the beginning. So it's very possible that it is cable stretch.

in reply to answer A you just don't ride enough if your cables aren't a few hundred miles long!
Cheers Ed

 

[Cyclist33]

have you got a turbo trainer?

Cheap one is a great bit of kit for bike maintenance imho... allows you to position the bike per riding and adjust eg gears and BB and then test it, works better than a bike stand coz you're testing it with stresses on the bike as if you were out riding.

 

[Cyclist33]

... and gear indexing is easier than you would think once you have tried it.

 

[young Ed]

have you got a turbo trainer?

Cheap one is a great bit of kit for bike maintenance imho... allows you to position the bike per riding and adjust eg gears and BB and then test it, works better than a bike stand coz you're testing it with stresses on the bike as if you were out riding.

no turbo here, lack of space in a house too small for 5 people let alone the 5 bikes a would want and rollers and a turbo etc etc (am building a new bigger one though)!
may be able to keep in barn (with workshop) or shed though. in any case the cheapest turbo are still like 60 or 70 quid which i really can not afford any time in the foreseeable future
Cheers Ed

 

[Cyclist33]

okay, just wait out until everyone who bought one for "winter training" realises they didn't bother doing any, and sells them second hand for pennies

 

[young Ed]

okay, just wait out until everyone who bought one for "winter training" realises they didn't bother doing any, and sells them second hand for pennies

a few on ebay for that reason i suspect but nothing for less than 50 quid really
Cheers Ed

 

[Cyclist33]

yeah, I flogged mine for 50 quid, never used it for training at all, but i wish i'd kept it for maintenance jobs. really does pay itself back.

 

[Cyclist33]

i mean if you try to index your gears yourself it's a pain in the **** keeping the bike upright etc and then popping outside again and again to check the ride, chances are you'll end up taking the bike into the shop and paying them to do it, and then it'll cost you a few days bus fares or whatever to get to work etc.

Whack the bike in a turbo trainer and the thing takes half an hour.