Shifter Cable Installation

Bicycles come in many different shapes and sizes, from small BMX bikes to multiple gear road bikes. When you have multiple gears to work with, your bike will have a shifter cable that connects the rear gears to the front switch. If the shifter cable stretches or breaks, then you won't be able to switch gears, which could make riding your bicycle more difficult. To fix the issue, you have to install a new shifter cable, which takes about 30 minutes.

Things You'll Need

  • Replacement shifter cable kit
  • Wire cutters
  • Pliers
  • Lubricant
  • Open-end wrench set
  • Hex-head key set
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Instructions

    • 1

      Park the bicycle and put down the kickstand. Adjust the shifter on the handlebars to the lowest gear setting using your thumb. Look how the shifter cable is run from the shifter to the rear of the bicycle to make sure there are no kinks or bends impeding movement.

    • 2

      Locate the deraileur, which is in the middle of the rear wheel and has a shifter cable connected to it. Disconnect the pinch bolt holding the shifter cable in place using either an open-end wrench or a hex-head key, depending on your model of bike. Cut off the end of the shifter cable just rearward of the pinch bolt location using the wire cutters.

    • 3

      Stand at the handlebars. Slide the cable out from the shifter cable housing by pulling on the end of the shifter cable at the lever.

    • 4

      Lay out the replacement cable so that the cable stop is to your left, and the other end is to your right. Hold the end on the right in your hand and kink the end approximately 15 degrees with your hand. Slide the end through the shifter lever on the handlebars with your hands.

    • 5

      Apply lubricant to the shifter cable housing by dropping a few drops into the center of the housing. Slide the replacement shifter cable through the shifter housing, all the way to the deraileur at the back of the bicycle.

    • 6

      Slide the end of the shifter cable through the pinch bolt in the same manner that the previous cable was mounted. Pull the replacement cable tight with one hand and tighten down the pinch bolt with an open-end wrench or a hex-head key using the other hand to secure it in place.

    • 7

      Cut off the end of the shifter cable approximately 2 inches from the pinch bolt with the wire cutters. Crimp on the end of the shifter cable included with the replacement shifter cable kit using the pliers.