I now know why my brake cables kept snapping

[Matthew_T]

Riding my old racer last year was a nightmare. It seemed that every month one of my cables was snapping.
So I eventually bought new cable outers and inners, to see if that solved the problem. It did to an extent but the real cause of the breakages was due to the cable rubbing at the lever and the brake block.
I dont use the bike anymore and so far (touch wood) I havent had a brake cable brake on me for almost a year. The snaps were happening at an unusual rate and I was getting sock of having to change them and waste money. Fortunately the problem seems to have resolved itself (by me not using the bike).

So a word for the wise: Do some investigating when your cables snap. See where they might be rubbing and dont just assume its something else (like the cable outers).

 

[fossyant]

Crap cables and crap brakes ! Simple.

Never snapped a brake cable on 4 bikes.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Fortunately the problem seems to have resolved itself (by me not using the bike).

Are you being serious here? This is like something from a Viz Top Tip.

GC

 

[ianrauk]

Crap cables and crap brakes ! Simple.

Never snapped a brake cable on 4 bikes.

Same here...

 

[Koga]

Not using the bike is not a solution to breaking cables, it merely avoid breaking cables.

 

[Spinney]

Fortunately the problem seems to have resolved itself (by me not using the bike).

Sorry Matthew, but


and

 

[wait4me]

Even Dominic Littlething couldn't come up with a resolution like that

 

[potsy]

Thread of the year for me

 

[4F]

Riding my old racer last year was a nightmare. It seemed that every month one of my cables was snapping.
So I eventually bought new cable outers and inners, to see if that solved the problem. It did to an extent but the real cause of the breakages was due to the cable rubbing at the lever and the brake block.
I dont use the bike anymore and so far (touch wood) I havent had a brake cable brake on me for almost a year. The snaps were happening at an unusual rate and I was getting sock of having to change them and waste money. Fortunately the problem seems to have resolved itself (by me not using the bike).

So a word for the wise: Do some investigating when your cables snap. See where they might be rubbing and dont just assume its something else (like the cable outers).

Socks will never work as replacement brake outers.

 

[redcard]

You can also fix broken brake cables by just riding uphill.

 

[palinurus]

Haven't snapped a cable since I replaced my late 80s Muddy Fox Courier Comp (it had this stem that just ate front cables). That was quite a few bikes ago.

 

[Steve Malkin]

Just off to mend my broken TV by not watching it for a bit. I'll let you know how I get on....

 

[Koga]

Can you stick a report in the post, I am mending my computer by not using it ...!

 

[02GF74]

You can also fix broken brake cables by just riding uphill.

That is not correct, when you reach the apex, they will still be broken.

For the record, I have snapped 2 brake cables on a mountain bike - not gonna happen now with hydraulic brakes, never snapped one on road bike.

 

[Dusty Bin]

I dont use the bike anymore and so far (touch wood) I havent had a brake cable brake on me for almost a year. The snaps were happening at an unusual rate and I was getting sock of having to change them and waste money. Fortunately the problem seems to have resolved itself (by me not using the bike).

quote of the year.