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Criss-Crossing Gear Cables

by djpalmer32
Thu, Jun 26, 2014 13:51
4

I bought a 2013 Specialized Secteur Elite with a Tiagra Groupset at the beginning of the year, from the Concept Store at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham. After a few months I noticed I could not get it to go onto the smallest sprocket (whilst on the big chainring). Sometimes the chain would eventually move if I stopped pedalling and re-started. I know about the adjustment you can make on the shifter, but this doesn't work as there is no more play. I had a bike mechanic friend of mine look at it and he thought that the gear cables crossing under the down-tube a bit strange.

Since then I've done some punting around on the internet but can't find anything specific to my bike or groupset. I'm fairly new to the modern road bike scene so I'd like to garner some opinions from the more learned readers of this forum.

Thanks in advance

David

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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4 comments

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adamthekiwi | 10 years ago
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Totally normal for down-tube-routed gear cables - in fact, I was really surprised to see that my wife's Genesis CdF didn't have this arrangement.

Sheldon says:

Quote:

[...] A neat solution to this is to run the cables "criss-cross" style: The rear runs from the lever, (on the right) around the top tube, and to the cable stop on the left side of the downtube! The front cable crosses over similarly from the left side of the handlebar to the right side of the down tube.The bare cables then cross one another under the middle of the downtube, making an "X". The cables may touch where they cross, but they will do so very lightly, since they are both straight...the tiny bit of friction at this crossing is more than offset by the reduction in friction in the smoother-flowing cable housings.

http://sheldonbrown.com/cables.html

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srchar | 10 years ago
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Should be a simple adjustment of the limit screw on the rear mech.

It's normal for gear cables to cross underneath the downtube.

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David Arthur @d... | 10 years ago
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Have you tried popping into the Concept Store at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham where you bought it from and asking them to have a look at it for you?

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bashthebox | 10 years ago
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Totally normal to cross the cabling over - Spesh do it all the time I think. Is it called the California Cross technique? I think it might be. Did it on my bike build and it works like a dream.
Could be all number of things that's not letting you drop down to your little ring... I suspect the cable might have got a bit gunked up somewhere and so is a little tighter than it ought to be.

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