Is it just me or is it impossible without taking off the bar tape? I’ve been trying for hours but it’s just so fiddly. Ended up fraying the cable so many times. Are there any tips and tricks to do this or shall I just get the shop to do it when they sort my back wheel out?

Hmm, haven’t actually tried it, but I’d’ve thought the only way to do it without stripping the bar tape would be to take the lever off the bar.

It’s usually pretty easy if you put a little bend in the cable an inch or so from the end. It just makes poking the cable into the hole so much more simple.

Just the inner? It should thread straight through no problem.

Did mine , no problem, went straight through

strange coincidence, did mine about an hour ago. thought it was going to be a nightmare but if you push the shifter over and pull the lever in you can see the hole easily. peice of cake after that. use a torch to make it easier to see.

Easy enough if you don’t try and barge it in.

Are you cutting them first if its fraying? Don’t. They’re sealed at the ends when uncut.

+1 on mister p’s suggestion.

I can see the hole but its too fiddly to get it in ( 😆 )! I’ll try bending the the end of the cable then. And yeah I had to cut it as it was a clarks cable with a bit on each end. Who makes cables with just the smaller road lever ball end and a sealed open end? Currently it seems like the easiest way to do it would be to thread it backwards and secure the end with an odyssey knarp instead of a ball end if a knarp would fit!

Who makes cables with just the smaller road lever ball end and a sealed open end?

Almost everybody. Double ended cables are evil and should be banned.

Don’t thread it backwards, that’d be mental, whatever you clamped onto it!

It wouldn’t be mental – I’ve never had a knarp slip on me yet! Not exactly ideal though and I don’t even know if theres enough space in the lever for one. Guess I’ll just keep trying!

If it’s snagging then twizzling it round can help. You shouldn’t need to put a kink in it then. Have you got some proper cutters?