Abstract: An improved jump rope has handles each removable from an associated conical fastener with the conical fastener having an outer shell, one portion of which is a hollow cylinder with the remainder the frustum of a hollow cone. An inner race is concentrically located inside the outer shell and is longitudinally movable. A plurality of balls are uniformly spaced around the circumference of the inner race to form a ring with the balls being free to move radially. A coil spring located in the hollow cylinder and wrapped around the inner race urges the inner race and balls towards the conical portion of the outer shell. A jump cable is attached at each end to an angled tube having flares on each end. The flare on the handle end of the tube may be inserted through the ring of balls or removed therefrom by compressing the spring so that the balls can move radially outward as the inner race is forced inwardly against the action of the spring.