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Cable Quick Lube |
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Written by Wally Wallace
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Saturday, 11 March 2006 |
Spring time usually means two things to your mountain bike. One it may not have been ridden much over the winter and if it has been ridden the elements (salt, grime, ect..) have probably washed away any lube that may have been on your bike. Secondly mountain biking in the spring often means you will be riding in muddy conditions. To maintain your bikes smooth performance you should be lubing your cables reguarly. Here is trick to lubing your cables inside the cable housing...
Cables are essentially strands of steel wire that run from your shifter down to the derailleur. Along its path the cables run through cable housing wich help guide the cable to its final destination. Cable housings are esential for running cables but it is the friction inside the housing that causes most of our shifting problems. The cable slides back and forth inside of this housing every time you shift. Too keep your cables sliding smooth we need to gain access to the cable that runs inside the housing and keep it well lubed.
The first thing you will need to do is shift the bike into the easiest gear on the rear derailleur. This would usually be the largest cog on your rear cluster. The only exception to this rule would those using a Rapid Rise Shimano Rear derailleur, In this case you would shift to the hardest gear. If you are in dobt of your derailleur type try both, only one will work.
Now you will need to get off your bike and dry shift, shift your bike without pedaling, into the hardest gear (smallest cog) in the back. This in effect takes all the tension off your cable. Be carefull not to shift the bike again until the end of this process.
The next step is to remove the derailleur housing from the cable stops on the frame. At the rear derailluer locate where the cable housing contacts the frame of the bicycle. Grab hold of the housing just after this point and pull it away from the housing stop on the frame. The cable and housing will now be free of the frame. Repeat this process at the housing stop near the shifter.
With the cables free of the bicycle you will be able to move the housings along the cable. Using a light weight oil, like ProGold Prolink Chain Lube, lubricate the cable in the areas that the housing normally covers. Drip a drop of lube on your finger and run it over the cable. You may need to do this more than once to cover the area. Now you want to grab hold of the cable housing and run it back and forth over the lubed section of cable. This will insure that the inner housing is lubed as well. Now put the cables back into the appropriate cable stop and pedal the bicycle forward to put tension back on the cable.
When done on a regular basis you will greatly extend the life of your cable system. If would rather not have to deal with lubing your cables I would suggest a sealed cable system like the Avid Flak Jacket . Both use a completely sealed system that requires no maintenance. Look for an article on setting up one of these systems in the near future. |
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