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I finally saw what a ghost shift does to a derailleur cable

Had a customer bring in a bike last Tuesday. Shifting was all over the place. I took the housing off and found the cable had worn a groove right into the shift lever barrel. 3 years of invisible friction. Swapped the cable and housing, tuned it up, now it clicks through every gear like butter. Anyone else run into hidden wear points on older shifters?
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2 Comments
claire_davis31
Did you check if the barrel itself had any rough edges inside from that wear, or was it just the groove on the outside that was the problem?
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beth276
beth2765d agoTop Commenter
The groove on the outside was the main problem, but I always file down any rough spots inside the barrel too. A little bit of sandpaper can save you from another ghost shift down the road.
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