I swore by replacing cables every spring until a rusty housing almost cost me a customer last Tuesday

Parker Campbell · 2026-09-22T17:10:05.097484+00:00

I used to be the guy who told every new mechanic that cables and housings get swapped as a set, no questions asked. Last Tuesday a regular rolled in with a rear derailleur that would not hold a gear, and I was ready to sell him a full cable job like always. Then I popped the housing end at the shifter and saw the inner wire was slick and clean while the housing had rust dust pouring out of it like a salt shaker. He said the bike sat on a covered porch in Tacoma for 8 months, which explained the moisture wicking down inside the liner. I sprayed the housing out with Tri-Flow, worked the wire back through, and it shifted dead on with the same cable, saving him about $28 in parts. What got me was how fast I almost sold him something he did not need just because it was my habit. Now I check housing first before I even quote a cable, and I hate to admit my old rule was half wrong. Any of you got a test for crusty housing besides just looking at the ends?

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I swore by replacing cables every spring until a rusty housing almost cost me a customer last Tuesday | Bicycle Mechanics - HW Forums