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Looking for a new leatherman type tool, but want one with cutters that can manage a gear cable. Any recommendations out there?
Youll only blunt them.
A leatherman wave will cut through a gear cable if required but i dont suggest doing it instead of getting a dedicated cable cutter for your workshop. I recomend the jcb high leverage side cutters from bnq - cheap and give a crisp cut
My Leatherman Charge Ti has a half decent wire cutter in the jaws of the pliers.
Bloody expensive wire cutters that aren't as good as actual wire cutters though 🙂
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Carry a lighter too and heat the cable up under with the flame they cut a lot easier and cleaner but if it's for trail side repairs then just coil the cable up until you get home to use proper cable cutters is the best idea.
I have a Gerber Crucial, that has replaceable carbide cutter jaws. Managed to cut through barbed wire fencing with it with a bit of a squeeze, can't see how gear cable would be an issue.
The lighter trick works a treat with any cutters though, didn't believe it until I tried it.
The Leatherman Rebar has replaceable carbide cutting edges. They'll go through gear cable easily. If you knacker the cutting edges you buy some more 8)
D.
Was gan say, I think I chose my Rebar because it was the smallest tool they do with replaceable cutters on.
Just carry a spare (correct length) cable.
Coo, you're lucky the front and rear cables are the same length... No one would be daft enough to carry spares of both would they....?
Just carry a spare (correct length) cable.
front or rear?
what if the cable is all mangled so can't be pulled back through the outer and needs to be cut?
(although this is not the kind of thing I worry about or have ever thought to take cable cutters with me, I can see why some people would though)
I have a Gerber Crucial, that has replaceable carbide cutter jaws. Managed to cut through barbed wire fencing with it with a bit of a squeeze, can't see how gear cable would be an issue.
Different steel. Barbed wire is pretty soft mild steel, gear cables are twisted stainless steel multi strand, and much harder to cut through.
You could always ride a singlespeed...
(Runs away!)
i have a Gerber 400 and that will cut spokes and cables.
front or rear?
Long enough for the rear; coil and tie the excess if you use it on the front. But do people still use front gears?
what if the cable is all mangled so can't be pulled back through the outer and needs to be cut?
That's really very, very unlikely to happen though, isn't it. If you've done something to make that much of a mess of a cable, then I reckon the cable will be the least of your worries.
or when your maintenance adverse mate's rear cable fails/breaks you can cut the crappy bits off and run the cable just through the mech to leave some gear choice by slackening/tightening via the pinch bolt.
I have good cutters in the workshop but want to carry something that's up to the job on the trails. I need a new leatherman type tool, so might as well have one that will do the job in that respect too.
I did try the idea of cutting the cable to fit ready for the event, only to find out that it was too short for the bike I needed it for on that day. So uncut is the way now. I could leave it uncut and just coiled up as I do now when needed, but if I'm going to carry a leatherman I might as well carry one that can do this job too and leave it nice and tidy.
Will look for the replaceable carbide cutters.
Anyone got the Leatherman Freestyle? It says it has "Hard Wire Cutters"
Is that a carbide cutter?