Do you need to change gear cables everytime you change outers?

If you think about it:-

1) metal won’t wear as quickly as the plastic of the outer

2) the outside of the cable can be cleaned up much more easily than the inside of the outer

3) it would avoid having to re-adjust everything after a few rides because the cable would be pre-stretched

Or am I completely wrong?

Any experience or opinions?

Agreed. Only replace either due to contamination or corrosion.

Inners don’t stretch though, it’s the liters settling that causes this effect.

I always think it seems pointless changing one without changing the other. It only adds a couple of minutes to the job.

According to my lbs, yes. In fact change cables and outers every time you take the bike into his shop, it’s quite funny watching him work. 😆

Rarely change outers unless damaged or new frame etc.

If my cables are covered in grime or been giving me probs then I would buy new cables myself.

Bought XTR cables once to improve a sticky shift and worked a treat but would just buy some normal steel cables lubed with GT85 and change when worn out.

I used to, then I bought some middleburn cable oilers and haven’t had to replace either since, just push out the muck as you ‘relube’ every so often

Thanks for all the views.

I always used to change cable and outers at the same time but after this brain wave will probably only change cables when it’s really necessary. Saves throwing a perfectly serviceable bit of kit away.

LBS’s always change both together because it eliminates an unknown factor for them and also increases their profit (they’re selling you more stuff)

As far as I can see there’s only one reason you’d change outers in the first place (assuming they are correctly fitted) and that’s becasue the shifting was poor from wear or dirt. In that case, I can see no logic at all in just changing the outers. It make no sense. And for the sake of a 99p inner, you’d be silly not to change it. 🙂

metal won’t wear as quickly as the plastic of the outer

Erm, the plastic is just a cover for the metal core of the outer cable.

As PP says, if you’ve got the cables off anyway then it’s probably sensible to do outer and inner.

I’d rather try and thread a new inner down the new outer than try and push through an old, kinked (at the mech end) and probably frayed inner

Not like you’re saving hundreds of pounds is it?

Erm, the plastic is just a cover for the metal core of the outer cable.

It also acts a sheath that the cable can move against, providing relative movement at the mech end.

This is why it needs to be as friction free as possible and hence the need to clean or replace it periodically