How long should a shifter cable last???

[Mr. Bloom]

I've been frustrated tonight making adjustments in preparation for tomorrow's ride. I just can't get it right!!!

So, a friend comes over and shows me that the rear shifter cable is frayed to a point of near total failure (oh, wouldn't that we fun on tomorrow's hilly ride!)

This one is DuraAce with only 1,900 miles on it

How long should a shifter cable last?

Have I done something to cause this???

[smurfalicious]

Well uh, frayed where? I mean if you've got loose ends fraying whatever. Why you don't have a ferrule clamped on there I don't know but c'est la vie? I feel a working length of cable end is important. We bought a house with major electrical issues, no slack, and ironically the former owner was an electrician. Zero slack to work with meant fun, fun, fun. So I'm going to assume the fray is throughout the cable.

A quick search is giving me all sorts of answers on cable life. I think DA cables are meant for low weight and extreme use over a short period of time. So racer boy puts DA cables on his bike, does a big stage race with them, and replaces them. It doesn't mean they aren't usable for us mortals, but we're going to get different results from them.

Where you live is a big factor (moisture, heat, cold, etc), as is your housing and how you ride. I don't think 2k miles is bad by any means. I would however suggest you look at perhaps a Jagwire set up next time. Blingy colors and a little more intended for wear and tear.

[lph]

where is it frayed? I've never logged how often I change cables, but I think that you could easily fray one fast at the attachment points with a bit too much force and a little bad luck. I've only had a cable disintegrate on me while riding twice, and that was after a bad winter with a lot of sticky cables and heavy-handed shifting. It sucks having to ride to work in only your granny gear

[Mr. Bloom]

It's frayed inside the rear shifter. I'm observing this, by applying the break and looking inside one of the gaps with a flashlight.

I'm going to look into this Jagwire thing...blingy colors got my attention

I don't ride in harsh conditions although I may be a little heavy handed in shifting on the hills...I don't feel 100% confident with my double yet...

[Mr. SR500]

Just a quick wearing shifting cable. The next one will likely last 4 times as long. I had one fray in the shifter a couple years ago, wondered why I couldn't get it shifting right until I changed cables.

[gnat23]

As I just snapped my rear derailleur cable on the Cinderella Challenge, I can definitively say this:

A shifter cable lasts about 3000 miles, or until you are out in the middle of nowhere.

-- gnat! (Coach said to change 'em out once a year; now I know)