I’m out of my depth here.

My partners son has a bmx which he has managed to snap the brake lever mount (all one piece). A new one has been ordered but looking at the cables, they also need replacing.

Its a halfords Xrated Dekka and has a gyro which is causing my confusion. I understand (maybe incorrectly) it’s a 2 into one cable system, but there’s also something going through the stem and I really don’t know what I need.

Do I just buy an upper (https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-parts/bike-brakes/clarks-long-upper-gyro-bike-cable-247176.html) and lower (https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-parts/bike-brakes/clarks-lower-gyro-bike-cable-247184.html) from Halfords? Will this work?

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2kTbGMP]Untitled[/url] by Pik n Mix, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2kTa46X]Untitled[/url] by Pik n Mix, on Flickr

Help me be a hero you fantastic people.

The front brake is using what is called pots mod. Just order a barrel nipple rear brake cable inner and outer. Prep the ends correctly, not just snipping them off. Rear is though a gyro and requires gyro cables, there are upper and lower gyro cables. Probably easiest to just get rid of gyro and run a straight cable to rear. Gyro set up well can actually help a rear brake but takes some fettling. For your use just go straight cable and remove the gyro plates

You can do away with the pots mod too if you want. Just run the cable as usual. Still prep cables correctly, not just sniping them (pet hate of mine, people who don’t take care of cable run and ends them moan about shot brakes)

The cable through the stem is a standard brake cable, but a rear is needed due to the length.

Re Gyro cables – do they need replaced or just lubed? They really benefit from lubing the bejesus out of them – wet chain lube is good – drip it onto exposed sections of inner and work the outer back and forward until you see lube appear at the other end. The junction sections are worth lubing too.

If you do need new cables, get the short upper (as those bars are low) to cut out unnecessarily long and curved (draggy) sections of cable.

https://www.customriders.com/bike-parts/cables/odyssey-g3-gyro-cable-upper-white__5637

https://www.customriders.com/bike-parts/cables/odyssey-cable-g3-gyro-lower-white__16582

Thanks, he will want to keep the gyro so removing it isn’t an option. How do you prepare the cables properly?

@sillyoldman thank you, makes sense, I’m just going to get new cables just for a complete job.

Scroll down to Cutting Housing and Preparing the Ends.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/cables.html

Also read the “Cable Routing” Bit. On most bikes as they come from the shop no effort has been made with the cable routing and they have extra kinks making them inefficient. Especially important on children’s bikes with their weaker hands.

Brilliant thank you, same as on my bikes then.

As someone who used to ride flatland in the 1990’s I consider myself an expert in setting up BMX brakes – I always had to have them perfect!
I had very expensive levers, custom Gyro splitters, modified U and calliper brakes at various times.
Happy to help if you are in Huddersfield, or maybe over the phone if you need it! Just send me a PM.

EDIT – I don’t think the gyro cables need replacing looking at your picture.
You can buy special BMX outer cables which are designed to be a lot more flexible than normal MTB cables, they can help a lot with reducing friction. There is a sweet spot in adjusting BMX brakes as far as length goes, it’s easy to make them too short so they don’t work very well and there is a knack to setting up a gyro well too.

That’s awesome, thank you. I’ll have the bike in front of me tomorrow so I’ll see if any of it makes sense and PM you if needed.