Forum menu
This may be a total coincidence, and I know some people have set opinions on Orange bikes ect.
However, last week we were away riding in the Alps, and on the long descents managed to break three gear cables between a 2016 Five and 2017 Alpine.
On a previous trip we had a Patriot which snapped about three cables in a week.
We didn't think much of it until talking to the guy in the bike shop who was laughing at the amount of cables we were buying, when he mentioned that when he had a 224 he used to snap cables all the time on his bike.
Has anyone come across any issues with gear cables snapping on long rocky descents? I am just interested really as I may start including a gear cable in the bag of spares for big days out.
It seems weird though as neither of us have had any issues when riding in the UK.
Any thoughts on this coincidental breaking of gear cables would be interesting to hear.
Where are they breaking?
(as in where on the cable, not which alpine descent)
A spare gear cable should be in your pack anyway. All the time, not just for big days out.
what he said ^
I only expect a gear cable to break if it's really old and TBH it's fraying (at the bolt by the mech), though as above I always carry a spare
I've never snapped one on my Fives even during trips to the Alps.
Is your outer damaged where it enters the swing arm?
Seems to wear away there on mine but have yet to snap inners because of it.
That's the random thing, they were new inner and outer cables on both bikes with no wear or fraying. They were fitted by different mechanics to so nothing identical. it may just be a coincidence but seemed odd.
Had all the other spares, and since it was downhill all the way singlespeed worked to get back to repair it.
Cheers
Had full suss oranges since 2006 and never snapped a gear cable.
Doesn't sound normal for them to snap so regularly unless they're not the right length cable outers and so get pulled too tight under full compression somewhere?
I've not changed an outer on my Alpine yet but the cables last about 12 months before they fray / snap at the mech bolt. I carry a spare now. I should really change the outer next time as it'll be 3 years old.
As a relatively new rider I've now realised that I feel when they're about to go because shifting degrades significantly and I begin adjusting the tension at the barrel and soon afterwards shifting gets really heavy and the cable goes ping. That's happened twice now so I'm hoping I'll pick up on it next time and change the cable before it lets me down 🙂
First cable went on a night ride 🙁
Second I just made it back to the car by not shifting and it held on by a few strands and when I got it home I had to use bigger tools than I carry to remove the old cable so even though I had one in my back pack it wasn't going to be any use I don't think so I'm glad I just limped back to the car rather than attempted a mid-ride fix.