In this edition of The HotWire's "What not to do!" series, we will review some well intentioned but mis-informed advice about what type of cable to purchase for repairing your fitness equipment. Again, these stories were pulled from internet bulletin boards, and the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Question 1: Should Gym Cables be greased?

Answer 1: If you have vintage gym cables that have no protective vinyl coating, those bare cables do require grease to keep the cables from rusting. However, a better course of action would be to replace those aged cables with the modern vinyl coated gym cables. The repetitive bending of the cables as they rolled over the gym pulleys over the years has probably degraded them anyway, whether the defects are obvious or not. When dealing with gym cables, it is always better to be on the safe side.

Question 2:

In my home gym the cable broke and needs to be replaced. The cable is about 12-13ft and holds 200lb. Is there a website where I can buy generic cable and cut it to fit my home gym?

Answer 2: The best deals on 7x19 vinyl-coated galvanized flexible wire rope are at http://www.(...).com/

These are so close to being right! I’m not going to comment on the greasing cables part, but as far as replacing cables with a jacketed version: Correct! And then they suggest vinyl jacket (cue losing music from “The Price is Right”).

The proper material for Fitness Equipment cable jacket is Nylon. It’s durable, yet flexible, and will provide a much longer service life. And the best nylon jacketed cable available on the market is Exerflex Pro®. It uses only the highest quality jacket material, the same that is used in our Military Specification Aircraft Cable on aircraft flight controls. Exerflex Pro® is put through a battery of tests designed to prove the longevity of the cable and the strength of the cable after thousands of cycles over a pulley. And only after the cable passes those tests is it acceptable to be used on your equipment. Try getting that level of performance from a vinyl jacket!

If in your journeys through the internet you come across any similar "What not to do" postings, feel free to send it to us here at The Hotwire. If you have any questions about Exerflex Pro®, aircraft cable, or any other wire or wire rope related details, contact a product manager and we'll be sure to give you well informed, professional advice!