Q&A

What is a ferrule on a bike?

What is a ferrule on a bike?

Ferrules are the little caps that go over the ends of cable housing. Mountain bikes need ferules at the ends of every piece of housing; however, road bikes can be a different story. Shimano road kit needs ferrules for the gears, but generally not for either the brake calipers or brake levers.

How do I stop my bike from scratching?

The best way of preventing scratches on your bike is to clean it regularly. Wipe away any bird droppings as soon as possible as removing them later will also lead to light scratches. If you happen to ride in wet muddy roads in monsoons wash your bike when you reach home.

What is a cable stop on a bike?

To save weight, many bicycles substitute the bicycle frame for some sections of the housing. This is done by attaching “cable stops” to the frame or fork. A cable stop has a socket to receive an end of a cable housing, and a small hole or slot through which the inner cable can pass, but the housing can’t.

Why are cables important when building a bike?

Cables and hoses are something that are often overlooked when building a bike, not all are created equally. Choosing good quality cables and outers, as well as routing them properly, will massively improve your shifting but also give your bike a tidy, stylish look for those all-important coffee stop Insta pics.

What is internal cable routing on a bike?

If you bought a new road bike in recent years, you may have cables that are partly inside your frame, maybe your components, too. Known as internal cable routing, this feature is helping to create some of the cleanest looking rigs ever, and it also reduces wind drag significantly according to the gurus that run Specialized’s Win Tunnel.

Are there any problems with a steel bike frame?

My frame is an old steel frame. A friend told me that he is doing the same with a real cheap aluminium frame and with bigger holes for cable stops, and his frame is still in good conditions. The holes could be weak spotsbut there haven´t been any problems this far, even on bikes with a lot more holes drilled into.

How do you feed cable on a bike?

Once the new cable is running through the frame, pull to remove the liner piece and save it for future use. It’s only used for getting the cable in, not with the new cable. On some bikes, the only way to reach inside and feed the cables is by taking things apart, like removing the fork to get inside the head and top/down tubes.