When setting out to buy gear cables, make sure you buy good quality cables, or the best you can afford. Shimano™ & Fibrax™ offer great cable kit packages, both are very reliable. Fibrax™ gear cable kits generously give you far too many bits so your toolbox can be filled, and the grey able outer gives your bike the XTR™ look for half the price

1. To remove the old & abused able you will need to firstly remove the cover on your shifter to get the cable out. This is simple to do, just undo the plastic screw(s) between the shifter levers

2. Give your entire drivetrain a good clean, and use a good quality degreaser on the front & rear mechs, cassette and the chain. Next re-lube your chain and pivot points with a cross-country lube

3. Now shift into the gear that corresponds to the smallest sprocket, usually all the way out on a modern rapidfire-style shifter

4. Next thread the new shiny inner cable into the shifter unit, and check that the barrel adjuster is wound fully in [clockwise], and then back it off half a turn [anti-clockwise]

5. Check that the cable is long enough to let the bar rotate fully from lock point to lock point, and do take care to measure the sections of cable outer before you cut them. On full suspension bikes do take care to check that the cable is long enough to allow for full travel of the rear end of the bike – especially if you’re running eight inched of travel at the rear!

6. Cut the cable outer to the right length, its best to use a sharp knife of some sort, and then check that the liner of the cable is not crimpled. If the liner is crimpled use a knife to open up the cable liner so you can fit some new cable ferrules

7. Next dip the end of the inner cable into some good quality cable lube, and then thread it into the cable outer

8. Locate the new sections of cable outer in the cable stops and then thread the cable into the nicely clean rear mech

9. Next wind the barrel adjuster all the way in [clockwise] and then back it off half a turn [anti-clockwise]

10. With the chain on the smallest sprocket, and while you’re pulling the whole cable tight [you may want to wear gloves] clamp the cable into the groove on the underside of the parallel linkage

11. Next grab the exposed section of the inner with a gloved hand and stretch it away from the bike. Next re-tension the cable as in step 9