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Gear and brake cables are built differently

SHIMANO Gear cable, 1.2 mm (0.05 in) × 2100 mm (82.7 in)

The cheapest item in the European catalog of this site: a genuine Shimano gear cable at 1.2 mm (0.05 in) × 2100 mm (82.7 in), galvanized and supplied with an end cap.

Shimano gear cable coiled with its end cap

SHIMANO Gear cable, 1.2 mm (0.05 in) × 2100 mm (82.7 in)

The cheapest item in the European catalog of this site: a genuine Shimano gear cable at 1.2 mm (0.05 in) × 2100 mm (82.7 in), galvanized and supplied with an end cap.

Diameter
1.2 mm (0.05 in)
Length
2100 mm (82.7 in)
Finish
Galvanized
Included
End cap, usable front or rear
Amazon reference
B0013UQ0RI (identical on 6 markets)
EAN
0641702425045
  • Rank 399, and the cheapest thing on this entire site
  • A genuine Shimano part, so the nipple shape and diameter are correct for Shimano shifters
  • A cable only — no housing, no ferrules beyond the single end cap

Best for: A gear cable replacement on a Shimano drivetrain, which is one of the cheapest ways to restore shifting.

≈ $10
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Specifications

Diameter
1.2 mm (0.05 in)
Length
2100 mm (82.7 in)
Finish
Galvanized
Included
End cap, usable front or rear
Amazon reference
B0013UQ0RI (identical on 6 markets)
EAN
0641702425045

The cheapest single item in the European catalog, and one of the most effective repairs on it.

What the manufacturer publishes

An original Shimano gear cable including an end cap, usable front or rear. Suitable for road bikes, mountain bikes, city bikes and others. A length of 2100 mm (82.7 in). The listing also states “Ø 12 mm (0.47 in)”, which is a typographical error for the 1.2 mm (0.05 in) in the title.

Why a new cable fixes so much

Gear cables stretch in their first few hundred kilometers and then wear — fraying inside the housing, picking up grit, binding. Vague, hesitant shifting on an otherwise healthy drivetrain is very often a cable rather than a derailleur or a cassette.

At this price it is the first thing to try.

Gear and brake cables are not interchangeable

Different diameters, different nipple shapes, and — critically — different housings. Brake housing is coiled steel, built to resist the crushing force of braking. Gear housing is longitudinal strands that do not compress lengthwise, which is what keeps indexed shifting accurate. Using one for the other gives a spongy brake or vague shifting.

The nipple shape

Shifter cable ends differ between drop-bar and flat-bar systems. A genuine Shimano cable for a Shimano shifter removes that question.

The questions riders ask

Is this a brake cable too?

No. This is a gear cable at 1.2 mm (0.05 in). Brake cables are thicker — typically 1.5 mm (0.06 in) — and the housings are built completely differently: coiled steel for brakes, longitudinal strands for gears.

Do I need housing as well?

Only if the existing housing is damaged, kinked or full of grit. A new inner cable in good housing restores most vague shifting; a new cable in worn housing does not.

More cables and housing

  • Corki black bicycle shifter cable and housing set

    corki Shift set: 4 mm (0.16 in) housing, 2 × 1.1 mm (0.08 × 0.04 in) cables

    A complete derailleur cable set with two PVC-coated 1.1 mm (0.04 in) stainless inner cables and 4 mm (0.16 in) linear-strand housing.

    Use
    Shift / derailleur
    Housing
    4 mm (0.16 in), reinforced linear strand
    Housing length
    CONFLICTING — 2,000 mm (78.7 in) in bullet 3, 2,500 mm (98.4 in) in bullet 4
    Inner cables
    2 × 1.1 mm (0.08 × 0.04 in) stainless, PVC coated, 2,100 mm (82.7 in) each
    Also includes
    Clips, ferrules, cable end crimps — counts not given
    Total weight
    121 g (4.3 oz)
    Compatibility
    SRAM and Shimano derailleurs
    Price
    $11.49 — the cheapest of the American sets here
    Fitting instructions
    Two full bullets, including crimping
    Ferrule count
    Not published
    Amazon reference
    B07JLWSF82
    EAN
    0192594209485
    • The cheapest complete set on this page, at $11.49
    • Names its construction — linear strand — which is the shift standard
    • Publishes two different housing lengths, 500 mm (19.7 in) apart

    Best for: Re-cabling the gears on one bike cheaply, after measuring the old housing

    Check price on Amazon
  • Jagwire CEX black 5 mm bicycle brake cable housing roll

    Jagwire CEX brake housing, 5 mm (0.20 in), 15.2 m (50 ft) roll

    A 15.2 meter (49.9 ft) roll of 5 mm (0.20 in) spiral-wound brake cable housing with thirty end caps, for brake systems only.

    Use
    Brake only — not for shift cables, per Jagwire
    Construction
    Spiral wound, with a plastic liner
    External diameter
    5 mm (0.20 in)
    Length
    50 ft (15.2 m) — about five bikes
    End caps
    30, 5 mm (0.20 in)
    Weight
    907 g (32 oz) — double the 15.2 m (50 ft) shift roll
    Price per meter
    $1.78
    Origin
    Taiwan
    Designation
    Jagwire CEX
    Inner cable
    Not included
    Internal diameter
    Not published
    Amazon reference
    B082Y77712
    EAN
    0745245215290
    • Names its construction and forbids the wrong use, in one bullet
    • Its 907 g (32 oz) against the shift roll’s 454 g (16 oz) confirms the structure
    • Housing only — brake inner wire is a separate purchase

    Best for: A workshop or a cluster of bikes, where housing is cut from a roll

    Check price on Amazon
  • Jagwire LEX 4 mm bicycle shift cable housing roll

    Jagwire LEX shift housing, 4 mm (0.16 in), 15.2 m (50 ft) roll

    A 15.2 meter (49.9 ft) roll of linear-strand shift cable housing with fifty end caps, for derailleur systems only.

    Use
    Shift only — not for brakes, per Jagwire
    Construction
    Straight inner wire strands, plastic liner
    Diameter
    CONFLICTING — 4 mm (0.16 in) in the title, 5 mm (0.20 in) in bullet 2
    End caps
    50, 4 mm (0.16 in)
    Length
    50 ft (15.2 m) — about five bikes
    Weight
    454 g (16 oz) — half the 15.2 m (50 ft) brake roll
    Price per meter
    $1.78
    Origin
    Taiwan
    Designation
    Jagwire LEX
    Inner cable
    Not included
    Minimum bend radius
    Not published
    Amazon reference
    B082Y5K93V
    EAN
    0745245215306
    • Names its construction and forbids brake use, in its own words
    • 454 g (16 oz) against the brake roll’s 907 g (32 oz) — the structure, made measurable
    • Says 4 mm (0.16 in) in the title and 5 mm (0.20 in) in a bullet

    Best for: A workshop cutting shift housing to length, more than once a year

    Check price on Amazon

Elsewhere in the spares drawer

  • Shimano CS-HG50 silver 8-speed bicycle cassette

    SHIMANO CS-HG50, 8-speed, 11–32T, 300 g (10.6 oz)

    A Shimano CS-HG50 8-speed cassette in 11-32T at 300 g (10.6 oz), with a corrosion-resistant steel lock ring named in its description.

    Speeds
    8
    Range
    11–32T
    Weight
    300 g (10.6 oz)
    Lock ring
    Corrosion-resistant steel — named in the description
    Chain
    Narrow 8-speed HG
    Finish
    Nickel plated, silver
    Technology
    Hyperglide, contoured shift gates, cut-away sprockets
    Identical twin
    CS-HG51 on this page, same bullets, $25.26
    Cog tooth list
    Not published
    Freehub body
    Not stated
    Amazon reference
    B00D9LFQ4M
    EAN
    4524667103189
    • Names its lock ring and its chain standard, which the cheaper twin does not
    • Hyperglide shift gates for shifting under load
    • $5.24 more than the CS-HG51, with the same five bullets

    Best for: An 8-speed bike where the lock ring has to come in the box

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  • Shimano CS-HG200 8-speed cassette showing its sprocket stack

    SHIMANO CS-HG200 cassette, 8-speed, 12–32T

    The entry cassette here: Shimano's CS-HG200 in 8-speed with a 12 to 32 tooth range, for Shimano 8-speed drivetrains.

    Speed
    8-speed
    Tooth range
    12–32T
    Compatibility
    Shimano 8-speed drivetrains
    Amazon reference
    DE B097278T63 · US B00NZ4F5IK · GB B00NZ4F5IK · FR B00NZ4F5IK · IT B00NZ4F5IK · ES B00NZ4F5IK
    EAN
    4524667602361
    • The manufacturer's own part for its own 8-speed drivetrains, so nothing is left to interpretation
    • A 32-tooth largest sprocket, which is a genuinely useful climbing gear on a city or trekking bike
    • A 12-tooth smallest sprocket rather than 11, so slightly less top-end speed

    Best for: Replacing a worn 8-speed cassette on a city, trekking or older mountain bike.

    ≈ $23
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  • Dr. Wack F100 bicycle chain oil bottle

    Dr. Wack F100 chain oil, 100 ml

    A 100 ml chain oil built around polymers with high creep and adhesion, so a few drops spread through the whole chain.

    Volume
    100 ml
    Formulation
    Special polymers
    Properties
    High creep and adhesion
    Effect
    Quiet chain running, reduced friction and wear
    Amazon reference
    B086N92R4F (identical on 6 markets)
    EAN
    4006539028634
    • Rank 156, and from a specialist German care-products manufacturer
    • High creep, so it reaches inside rollers rather than sitting on the outside
    • Three times the price of the NIGRIN in this hub

    Best for: Riders who want a chain that runs quietly and are prepared to pay for the formulation.

    Check price on Amazon

All cables and housing

Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.