New rear gear cable fitted

[Rossco8854]

Hi I've just fitted a gear cable to an internally routed bike.... but when I "shift" there is nothing. I've pulled the cable as tight as possible with no luck. I can't seem to find anything online and as far as I am aware the cable head is fitted properly into the shifter. Any ideas?

[Brucey]

if you have worked the shifter a few times between installing the cable and tensioning it, it could be that the shifter has already moved all the way one way and it won't 'pull more cable' than it has already.
To identify/deal with this condition, apply some tension to the cable (eg by hand) and at the same time shift the other way (eg as if onto a smaller cog at the front or rear). The shifter may start paying out cable. If it does, carry on working the shifter until there are no more clicks, take the slack out of the cable (by repositioning it in the pinch bolt) and then you should be back on track.

If this is not the fault, report back with more details of the shifter/setup.

cheers

[Rossco8854]

Cheers Bruce ill go and rattle at it now and let you know

[Rossco8854]

It isn't even clicking

[Rossco8854]

The good cover was pulled forward holding the selector pin... I discovered that after ripping the f$%@&%g cable back out of the frame that I had spent 4 hours in total trying to get located!!!!! Not a happy fit mechanic right now

[Rossco8854]

The good cover was pulled forward holding the selector pin... I discovered that after ripping the f$%@&%g cable back out of the frame that I had spent 4 hours in total trying to get located!!!!! Not a happy fit mechanic right now

[Eyebrox]

You should leave the old outer in position. Push through the new inner but don't cut it. Pull out the old outer and use the new inner to guide a new outer up through the frame. Remember cable ends. Then cut the cable and attach to the mech, trimming off the excess.

[Rossco8854]

Still no movement in the gears after amending my previous mistakes, any suggestions? 2014 cannondale ultegra synapse is looking like a decent gumtree advert at this rate!!

[Brucey]

quite possibly you have done something to the shifter, like the cable isn't correctly installed in it. You can check the operation of the shifter with the inner cable not installed in the frame, just in the shifter, provided you maintain a little tension on the cable whilst you work the shifter. If it doesn't work in this test it won't work when the cable is fully installed.

cheers

[Rossco8854]

quite possibly you have done something to the shifter, like the cable isn't correctly installed in it. You can check the operation of the shifter with the inner cable not installed in the frame, just in the shifter, provided you maintain a little tension on the cable whilst you work the shifter. If it doesn't work in this test it won't work when the cable is fully installed.

cheers

Could it be possible that the cable head is bedded too far into the shifter?

[Brucey]

it is possible to fit the gear cable badly into several varieties of current STI, so that the shifter won't work any more.

cheers

[gxaustin]

A couple of times when changing cables I have threaded the cable in but then found that the nipple has jumped out of its socket and is floating about in the shifter body. Have you checked that the nipple is correctly seated? I hasten to suggest that anyone is as cack handed as me but it could be worth a check.

[Rossco8854]

I think I'll try a new cable and at least I'm not going in completely blind. Hope its not a shifter as you say brucey!

And cack handed is my middle name when it comes to mechanical things bricklaying hands wouldn't be the most delicate things in the world!!

[Rossco8854]

Just found the shifting issue was the broken cable head was still in the shifter. Time to start routing again

[Rossco8854]

A couple of times when changing cables I have threaded the cable in but then found that the nipple has jumped out of its socket and is floating about in the shifter body. Have you checked that the nipple is correctly seated? I hasten to suggest that anyone is as cack handed as me but it could be worth a check.

Cack handed wouldn't be in it, with the previous cable head still in place I jammed the new head in shifter so hard at the top of the ratchet thing that I now can't get it out, I have just watched a video on how to strip the lever whilst at the same time priced new ones online for a mechanic to fit..... wish me luck!!!