Bike help needed!

"Rainbow" (rainbeaux) 09/10/2013 at 14:06 • Filed to: Bicyclopnik

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My bike's 18-year-old rear brake cable finally gave in and snapped the other day. Luckily there are dozens of abandoned bikes around campus with nearly all of their parts stripped, and the one thing left on most of them is the brakes. (By the way, it's not exactly frowned upon here. When a bike loses its wheels, the rest of the parts are pretty much fair game unless the owner comes forward and complains. People occasionally drop out without unlocking their bikes, just leaving them to rot and take up space, so whether or not it's illegal or against school rules or whatever, nobody cares) Anyway, my question to you is... Am I better off replacing just the cable or the whole brake system? I'm hesitant to try a new cable, because when I reattached mine it was only about 1/3 of an inch shorter, but that made all the difference and the brakes were pretty much still unusable.

Oh, and don't just tell me to get a new bike. That's likely what I'll do, but I have an abundance of free parts and this is a bit related to my mechanical engineering major, so you know. I have to at least try it a couple times.

CalzoneGolem > Rainbow 09/10/2013 at 14:09

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You should be ok just changing cable. It will also be easier. Might want to scrounge up some pads while you're at it.

dinobot666 > Rainbow 09/10/2013 at 14:09

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What kind of bike and what kind of brakes does it have? Cantilever? V-Brakes?

Casper > Rainbow 09/10/2013 at 14:14

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You are majoring an mechanical engineering and are unsure how to handle a cable brake on a peddle bike?

It's a bicycle. I have dug mountain bikes out of sheds after years and just cleaned them up with some WD40, a brush, and adjusted cables and had the brakes working in no time. If your cable broke, just make or buy a new one and while dinking around with the brake take a look and see if the mechanism is moving freely. It should be about the simplistic design there can be for creating friction on a surface.

HammerheadFistpunch > Rainbow 09/10/2013 at 14:14

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dammit man, don't cheap out on cables, they cost like $25 to redo the whole system and it prevents you from needing expensive dental surgery. you should replace your cables and housing at least every 3rd year if you are using your bike a lot. Same goes for brake pads, they are like $8-10 bucks. Seriously, nothing lasts forever and no form of transportation is free.

J. Walter Weatherman > Rainbow 09/10/2013 at 14:17

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No reason to replace the brakes unless there is a specific problem with them. Just replace the cable. It should be cheap and easy. I would replace the pads too, unless you have done that recently. Even if they aren't too worn, rubber dries out eventually and doesn't work as well. Both the cables and new pads are something you are better off buying new, rather than scavenging. All in you are probably talking $15.

CKeffer > Rainbow 09/10/2013 at 14:21

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Changing a brake cable is actually really easy and should take you all of 20 min if you have an ounce of mechanical inclination.

I replaced mine a couple of times, and while the first time was kinda unnerving, once I started it was pretty straight forward and easy to figure out.

efme > Rainbow 09/10/2013 at 14:27

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just steal their cable!

timateo81 > Rainbow 09/10/2013 at 14:30

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Honestly, stop doing interweb research on this right now. Go to your nearest bike shop and CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE:

1) replace just the cable. you will need some basic tools, but nothing that you and roommate won't have together. This is the cheap way

2) replace the cable and the housing . have the bike shop cut the housing to the same length as what you are replacing. Don't cut the housing with your roommate's $10 wire cutters - you're going to need a special tool that the bike shop has. Be nice to them and they will cut it for you for free. This is the right way, but also pretty cheap.

don't replace your whole braking system (unless there are other issues) and don't scavenge from beater bikes - this is going to be super cheap and it's not worth putting on questionable/unknown parts that may break in short order.

Rainbow > Casper 09/10/2013 at 14:31

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Oh don't get me wrong, it really is simple. I'm just surprised with how precise the length apparently needs to be. All I'm wondering is whether it's worth the time to get it just right.

945T > Rainbow 09/10/2013 at 14:33

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Just get a new cable the correct length cut by a bike shop. Bonus is it will come in the plastic sleeve.

Casper > Rainbow 09/10/2013 at 14:37

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It's quite precise. If you think about it, once the brake engages the surface, varying the force applied is a matter of millionths of an inch. Now, can you take the slack out of the other cable you got? I can usually just take some slack out and make them work from other bikes.

MikeMeade > Rainbow 09/10/2013 at 14:53

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Changing a brake cable is actually pretty easy. The top tip is to get a third hand tool at your local bike shop. This makes it possible to tension the cable properly, and then tighten the screw that holds the cable. Without the third hand tool, you really need a second person. The tool can be pretty cheap, but it is very easy to use.

Oh, and stealing is stealing, even if you don't get caught. Nice new cables are trustworthy and cheap at your local bike shop. It is good to support those guys, they tend to be able to fix a bike in a hurry when you don't have time.

Mattbob > timateo81 09/10/2013 at 14:54

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This is the correct answer.

Squid > timateo81 09/10/2013 at 15:19

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was just going to suggest this. A new cable with housing cut to length and de-burred shouldn't cost more than $10.

Also look up Sheldon Brown, he has a bunch of articles on bike maintenance and the correct way to route cables so you don't get bind and friction.

Also don't forget to lube your cables so they last and there is less friction wear that causes breakage.

Rainbow > Casper 09/11/2013 at 12:53

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Nope, but I did get a new donor cable. Somebody's brand new bike fell out of a truck and got hit by a few cars (presumably) and I came across it leaned against a dumpster. All that's left to do is install it, and then deal with the vandalized rear tire... (It was low, so I went to my friend's dorm to borrow her bike pump. When we came back out, every other bike on the rack had its back tire slashed. She was one of the lucky ones, and I was not...