Small portable cable cutters for touring

[mnichols]

I like to have a little tool kit with me when I'm touring, and I have most things, but one thing that has eluded me is a pair of small cable cutters for cutting brake or gear cables. I have had various ones as part of multi-tool sets usually as part of the pliers, but none of these have been tough enough to cut a cable

I know that the chances of me needing them are small, but I tour frequently and often with other people so I carry a spare brake and gear cable just in case, and if I could find a small light tool or one as part of a multi-tool that may replace another item it may be worth keeping with me.

Google and Amazon do show results, but my experience of these are they aren't tough enough for brake and gear cables, so I am looking for personal recommendations

Thanks in advance

[gentlegreen]

How about preparing the cables ready for use ?

i.e. make sure the ends are glued or soldered so they don't fray. Leaving them a bit long isn't the end of the world.
In terms of minimising the spares carried, I've sometimes wondered if I could make do with just the longest gear inner, plus adaptors...

[simonineaston]

If your cables are regularly checked and lubed, you won't need to fit one while on tour...
Which reminds me of a remark Ry Cooder made. "Say Ry - your guitar strings - do you have any advice about them?" "Oh, sure I do! I always change them regularly, so I fit a new set every year..."

[georgew]

If touring, then why would you need a cable cutter?
Surely it's much more convenient to simply coil the excess cable and secure this with electrical tape. This means that the cable end is already secured and will not unravel and the cable could be cut to length when you reach home.

[andrew_s]

I also take a rear cable, and just coil the excess if I have to use it.
Trim it when you get home - the cable will snap off where it exits the clamp bolt if left indefinitely (DAHIKT).

If you rely on a cutter, test before use. Leatherman-style tools (which give a scissor cut) generally don't cut cleanly, leaving cable strands zig-zagging between the jammed blades.
The only light and effective cutter I've seen was a home-made one, using a hardened cylinder andd screw-driven plunger that cut a cable threaded through initially lined up holes.

[horizon]

I've needed to replace brake cables three times on tour within the past 2 - 3 years. What that says about my maintenance I wouldn't like to say . On two occasions I borrowed the bike shop's (in fact I fitted it and they cut it). On the third occasion, I bought a pair of cable cutters to give as an informal present and fitted and cut the cable myself. These were expensive cable cutters but the saving was about £10 (at Evans) and it would be the same at Halfords (£9). You could buy a pair of cable cutters for the same as getting a bike shop to supply and fit. And then give them to charity shop ... or take them home ... or ...

[axel_knutt]

I carry a junior hacksaw blade, but I've never needed it for anything yet. The only cable I've needed to replace was rear gear, and they're the right length anyway.

[thirdcrank]

I've never seen anything like what you are looking for and while that's hardly conclusive, it seems as though nobody else has either. I've just weighed my own cable cutters (Suntour dating from 1987) and they come in at 114 gms. I can't see how a smaller head might work so that only leaves the handles which seem pretty slim anyway. I can't imagine how something lighter might be produced unless it was a pair of lightweight pliers with a cable cutter instead of the usual sidecutter jaws.

I'd agree with those who have said coil any excess. If you buy cables with a different nipple on either end, you would have to identify which to trim off before leaving home. If you are concerned about different bikes in a group,two extra spare brake and gear cables, so you had one of each type = four cables, would take up less room and weigh less than carrying only two plus a cutter.

[reohn2]

If you need to carry a pair of cutters,I have a pair of Draper side cutters very similar to these:-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Draper-Small- ... 0334647319
I bought them for cutting loose ends off guitar strings which are pretty soft,so didn't pay much for them.I don't play much these days so they were pressed into service as cable cutters.
I've been amazed how good they have been for cutting inner wires and outer brake cables and are still in very good condition.They won't cut gear outers to well though,which isn't surprising really.

[mnichols]

Thanks for the replies.

In answer to the question why would I need them, I wasn't thinking of using them to cut off the excess, but more for cutting broken/frayed cables to avoid damaging other parts such as the shifters when removing them

[mnichols]

BTW, my experience is similar to horizon. I replace my cables before each tour, but have still had occasions when they have broken, which is why I carry spares.

I am replacing my cables several times per year, but they don't seem to last. Mostly they fray at the mech, but I have had a couple fray and break inside the shifter, and some with the odd strand coming lose. My local bike shop say that I most be heavy on them, but not sure how I am doing that - surely a shift is a shift?

[Brucey]

Thanks for the replies.

In answer to the question why would I need them, I wasn't thinking of using them to cut off the excess, but more for cutting broken/frayed cables to avoid damaging other parts such as the shifters when removing them

I have carried a set of 4" pliers before now; these can be used to cut cable and/or housing, provided you have an impromptu hammer/anvil, i.e. a couple of rocks...

IME if you have a frayed cable you can usually remove the stray strands one at a time; wiggle them individually (whilst holding them down with your thumbnail) and they will quickly fatigue. If you tuck the strand end in where it is meant to be, and use a small file on the cable you can make it so that the old cable can be withdrawn (or even used) without snagging. I have also completed tours with 2/3rds of the original strands remaining in a gear cable... not so keen on this approach for brakes though....

cheers

[thirdcrank]

... In answer to the question why would I need them, I wasn't thinking of using them to cut off the excess, but more for cutting broken/frayed cables to avoid damaging other parts such as the shifters when removing them

In that case, it doesn't matter too much if you squash the cable as it will only be going in the bin after removal. I should have thought the solution was small but good quality sidecutter pliers, and use them on an exposed run of cable. Pull out the section with the damaged end by gripping that end,then the bit you remove from the end with the nipple should pull out easily in the absence of fraying.

[robertwatters]

As an ancient, fair-weather cyclist, may I offer this tip, which I acquired from my dad in the 1950's or 60's.
Get some electrical insulating tape and wind it very tightly (about 4 turns ) round the offending cable. Then cut it, in the centre of the tape, with ordinary side-cutters, leatherman or whatever you have. You may have to tease an offending wire or two back into the fold. (I can't remember the correct technical term!).
Practice first on a bit of scrap cable.
I've been meaning to put this on youtube, but keep finding more important things to do!

Hope this helps

[foxyrider]

BTW, my experience is similar to horizon. I replace my cables before each tour, but have still had occasions when they have broken, which is why I carry spares.

I am replacing my cables several times per year, but they don't seem to last. Mostly they fray at the mech, but I have had a couple fray and break inside the shifter, and some with the odd strand coming lose. My local bike shop say that I most be heavy on them, but not sure how I am doing that - surely a shift is a shift?

It does sound like user error rather than anything else - i can only ever recall one cable actually breaking in my whole cycling career and that was several years old on my 'hack' bike. Might be worth getting someone else to cable up the bike for you and see if they still fail. Cables shouldn't be crushed flat when you tighten them and replace any cable with a sharp kink in the cable run. Oh and some lube doesn't hurt either