Quick fix tips

Replace internally-routed cables the easy way, with a RockShox barb connector

1

Shift into the smallest sprocket on the rear cassette. Then use cable cutters to snip through the old inner cable, just above the cable clamp on the rear mech. Loosen the cable clamp bolt a few turns and remove the end of the cable.

2

Pull the outer cable away from the shifter. Then pull the inner cable all the way through the outer and out of the shifter. (On SRAM shifters, remove the back panel and tease the cable out. On Shimano, unscrew the rubber plug and push the cable through the hole.)

3

Here’s the clever bit. Fix the new outer cable to the shifter end of the old outer cable using a RockShox Reverb Stealth barb connector (£3). Thread it clockwise into the old cable, then thread the spooled-up new cable (also clockwise) onto the other end.

4

Cut any zipties fixing the old outer cable to the frame and tease out any rubber cable-port bungs. Pull the old outer cable out of the frame gently from the mech end while pushing the new one in from the shifter end. When the join is all the way through, unscrew the connector.

5

Ensure the new outer cable is routed correctly from the rear mech, through the frame, to the bar, with enough slack to accommodate any suspension motion. Reinstall any zipties and bungs. Then, using outer cable cutters, cut the new outer cable to length.

6

Widen the ends of the new outer cable with a pick or similar pointy tool. Fix new cable ferrules on each end. Lubricate a new inner cable by pulling it through a cloth impregnated with chain lube. Thread this through the shifter, then through the full outer.

7

Thread the new inner cable through the rear mech, pull it taut and clamp it in place. Cut it an inch below the clamp and install a cable-end crimp to stop it fraying. You’ll then need to adjust the cable tension to re-index your gears (see MBUK 340).