Stretch Cables The Right Way
By Benjamen Johnson
Raise your hand if you’ve ever just grabbed a cable with a pliers and twisted them to tighten or stretch a cable. It may get the job done, but you probably kinked the hell out of the end of the cable. This cable stretcher by Park Tools is designed to properly stretch bike cables, but it should work on other equipment with similarly sized control cables.
Park Tool makes their cable stretcher from heat-treated steel, chrome-plates it, and adds cushion grips so it won’t chew up your hand.
You can operate the cable stretcher one-handed. You slip the cable into the jaws, put the moving arm of the jaw against a fixed object, and squeeze the handles to pull the cable tight. Park thoughtfully included a thumb lock to hold the cable stretched while you tighten the cable holder.
You can pick up a cable stretcher for $35 to $40.
Cable Stretcher [Park Tool]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
April 13th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
You mean they make a tool for this job? Who’d a thunk it?
April 13th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 13th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
If it would help work on a bicycle. Park Tool probably makes one!
April 13th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Several other companies make similar products for a lot less money than Park. Pedro’s is highly regarded and a lot cheaper.
April 13th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
The “fourth hand” tool, saves a lot of headaches when adjusting cables. I have the Pedro’s tool, since the price was right and the shop had them in stock. Pedro’s makes several clever tools including the cog wrench, which is a neat alternative to chain whips for removing rear cassettes.
April 14th, 2009 at 4:34 am
Works great for tightening zip ties / cable ties, too.
The Park Tool 3rd Hand (BT-5, apparently no longer on their site) is another handy one for brake adjustments.
April 15th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Huh. I guess my method of parallel jaw pliers and pulling is declasse?
April 15th, 2009 at 9:42 am
[...] Product page [Park Tool via Toolmonger] [...]
April 16th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
They’re only ever really useful for cantilever and center pull brakes newer designs don’t require them. And never use them with a derailleur, you’re going to end up with you cables way too tight.
For derailieurs, Just use your hands. Tighten the cable, hold the derailleur in place, shift to stretch (give it your all). Take up the slack, adjust.
June 20th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
[...] Product page [Park Tool via Toolmonger] [...]