5 Responses to “Pre-stretching cables”

1. 1 honest_machinery  on Jun 8th, 2007 at 11:34 am

   Cables don’t stretch. Cable housing seats more firmly into stops and ferrules, giving you a little more exposed cable. That’s why you squeeze and shift, to seat the housing and ferrules, not to “stretch” wound steel cables.

   On that note, chains don’t stretch, either. The bushings wear.

2. 2 Guitar Ted  on Jun 8th, 2007 at 8:42 pm

   honest_machinery: While you are correct about the cable housings, are you positive cables can’t stretch?

   I think it’s a little bit of both, truth be known.

3. 3 Nathan  on Jun 9th, 2007 at 9:18 pm

   i too think it’s just housing settling. especially with plastic ferrules and sis cables — shifting just doesn’t load a cable enough to actually stretch.

4. 4 Eric  on Jun 11th, 2007 at 9:18 am

   Yea, honest machinery is correct. The effect you’re seeing is the ferreuls settling in and not the cables stretching. Nice try, stick to the facts instead of bike shop myths.

5. 5 Stephen Baumann  on Sep 5th, 2007 at 4:57 pm

   It’s quite clear that chains DO stretch, not a shop myth.
   It’s not so clear that cables, both shifter and brake, DON’T stretch regardless of how assertive a poster may be. If it’s only the housing and ferrules that compress there should be no “cable stretch” if only the inner cable is changed. Having done this many times over the years I’ve found that I have to make adjustments to brake cables after they’ve been used for the first ride.
   Seems like something has changed, maybe the ferrules and housing are compressing even more? Cable is not sufficiently secured at the brake and slipping?Don’t think so.

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