MTB gear cable Black Friday on sale

How many cables, and which ones, for your mountain bike?

A single-chainring mountain bike has just one gear cable, that of the rear derailleur; with two or three chainrings, you need a second one for the front derailleur. An electronic transmission uses none. The derailleur cable, measuring 1.1 to 1.2 mm, has a small cylindrical head that fits into the shifter and runs through a 4 mm housing with longitudinal strands that transmits each click without getting squashed. The brake cable, about 1.5 mm, has a large barrel head and a spiralled housing of 5 mm: it doesn’t go into a shifter, and a derailleur housing must never be used for braking. So read the label before ordering.

Cable alone, kit or box: measuring the discount on the cable

Relate each crossed-out price to the number of cables: a single cable, a kit for a bike, boxes of twenty-five, fifty or a hundred for the workshop. It’s the cable, not the price of the box, that measures a promotion. Then compare the material, galvanised, stainless steel or polished stainless steel, called slick, which slides better in the housing, then the length, enough to go from the shifter to the rear derailleur. A complete kit adds housings, housing ends and cable ends: this is what you should compare to another kit, not to a single cable.

Derailleurs, chain and related pages

The page mountain bike derailleur cables and housings details assembly, cutting and maintenance all year round. If the gears remain inaccurate with a new cable, the problem sometimes lies elsewhere: see the rear mountain bike derailleurs on Black Friday, the front derailleurs or the mountain bike chains. The mountain bike transmission of the offer brings together all these parts, and city bikes have their page for cables and housings. A workshop box from an old reference can also be found in clearance; new kits arrive in new arrivals.

Brands of cables in the offer

Shimano supplies its stainless steel cables in workshop boxes of one hundred, and in sets delivered with cable and housing ends.

Elvedes offers stainless steel transmission cables by fifty, alongside cables constructed with 1x19 or 7x7 strands, available in smooth or slick versions.

Velox, a Breton manufacturer, packages its stainless or galvanised cables in boxes of twenty-five.

Jagwire, a bicycle control specialist, consolidates its cables in Elite kits and in Workshop boxes, compatible with Shimano and Sram.

Frequently asked questions

Are Black Friday discounts on cables limited to Friday?

No. Black Friday is named after the Friday following Thanksgiving, but Vélo-Store extends its discounts on cables and housings throughout November. So compare like for like: same type of cable, same material, same length, same number of pieces, and one kit against another kit.

Can a brake cable replace a derailleur cable?

No. Thicker and fitted with a bigger head, it doesn’t fit into a shifter. Get a cable specified for derailleurs, matching the dimensions of your order.

Why do the gears go out of adjustment after changing the cable?

A new cable settles in its ends and housing during the first rides. Slightly retighten it at the shifter or derailleur, and check the derailleur hanger while you’re at it.

Are ends necessary?

Yes. The housing end ensures its support in the frame stops, and the cable end, crimped at the end, prevents fraying of the strands.

Does a full-suspension mountain bike need a longer cable?

Often, because the housing wraps around the shock absorber and needs to keep some slack when the suspension works. Measure the old cable or take a long model, to be cut down during fitting.