got som enew brakes with braided hoses problem is that the hoses are super long so need cutting down before they throw me from the bike while wrapping themselves round a tree or branch. so what tool do i need to cut them down?

A really good cable cutter and a nice firm action – something like this Park one. Something similar should be available from any good hardware/tool place.

Used the Park one on mine. Did it very well too

or cable cutters

yup, did mine with cable cutters too

more here

This has to be the hardest and most annoying job I’ve done on a bike in years. Well, not the cable cutting bit, but getting the olive and end off my hope hoses and then managing to fit them back on again. Total pain in the butt.

Yep – getting the olive over the braids is super-annoying.

In terms of recent jobs I’ve done it’s almost as annoying as refitting the circlip into Hope mini levers… I think I nearly stabbed myself to death with my crappy circlip pliers in desperation 😉

leave the olive on and try and reuse if it’s a Hope one, like convert said, it isnt much fun

Goodridge fittings are easy.

Did this for the first time myself last night on my Moto V2s having swapped brakes between frames.

Tried twice using a hacksaw but just kept getting really fraid braiding and nearly impossible to get olive on. Wasted about 3 hours.

Bit the bullet today and bought some side cutters from LBS. Best £20 I have spent. Cut clean as a whistle and olive went on a treat first time. Although I still had to cut off plastic sheath on hose to get olive on.

Probably wont need cutters again for sometime, but sometimes having the right tool is so much easier.

Put some masking tape where you are going to cut and chop it with a chisel. It’s how we do our braided hoses at work.

usually use a sharp junior hacksaw.