I'm sure it's super obvious, but I got an old bike and I'm trying to replace the brake line. How are these supposed to fit together?
by running_in_spite
I'm sure it's super obvious, but I got an old bike and I'm trying to replace the brake line. How are these supposed to fit together?
by running_in_spite
9 Comments
That’s one cable right? You snip the end you don’t want (the one which doesn’t fit into the brake lever) and insert the snipped end into the housing. Make sure to use proper cable cutters to save yourself heartache.
I assume this is one cable? On the cable one side is a road lever cable end and the other is a mountain lever cable end. Basically you cut off the one you don’t need and thread the end that now fits through the housing. Make sure you cut the right one.
If that’s two ends of the same cable, the left cable end is for mountain bike levers, the right is for road levers. You just cut off the end you don’t need.
Wrap some tape around the place you intend to cut to keep the wires from fraying. Don’t remove the tape until the cable is fully threaded through to its end use point.
Also make sure you are using the correct plastic housing. Shifter cables are thinner wire and have a smaller diameter housing compared to brake cable housings. If the cable does not want to fit in, you have the wrong housing.
I use a dremel cutting wheel to cut those.
Wrap the cable with tape in the area you want to cut and then cut through the tape. This way the wires won’t fray all over the place.
Put a few drops of oil into the housing before you insert the cable. The cable will slide through easier.
LUBE.