Shifter/derailleur cable housing: interrupted run vs continuous housing

[gemmerbal]

I have a frustration with the fact that dirt ingress into the cable housing affects shifting quality. Let me give some background...

 

I installed the new Shimano SLX 12 speed groupset a month or so ago. It runs beautifully smooth and I’m really impressed with their new 12spd setup. However, we got caught out in the rain on Saturday and inevitably the shifting became compromised, specifically shifting down to the 10 and 12 tooth cogs. I spent the afternoon cleaning my chain and pulling the cable from the housing to clean said cable and lubricate it before reinstalling. She shifts perfectly again.

 

Now, my question is this: with the interrupted cable run it seems obvious that dirt/mud creeps into the housing and that is what causes the poor shifting - judging by the dirt that I cleaned off the sections of cable that is covered by the housing.

 

Either I decide 1) I don't ride in rainy weather and become a fairweather rider or 2) I live with this problem or 3) somehow try and fit an uninterrupted cable housing all the way through from the shifter to the derailleur.

 

Option 3 sounds like the most appropriate action. Riding in rain is part and parcel of mountainbiking and trying to remedy the problem is more my style, rather than trying to avoid it or accept it.

 

Now, I’m thinking of getting a continuous length of cable housing and installing it without having to modify the frame by drilling out the little cable catches or completely removing them, just in case my plan doesn’t work and I end up with an unsolvable situation. Naturally the cable housing will be cable tied to the frame to stop it flapping around.

 

Anyone had a similar scenario with a similar solution? Your thoughts?

[gemmerbal]

[MORNE]

I never understood why some frames have exposed cables running either down the top tube...or worse, down the bottom of the down tube, and the ultimate....exposed down the down tube...ander the bb and then exposed under the chainstay into a stop just before the rear derailleur (old cannondale frame).

 

Especially on mtb’s. Just No.

Uninterrupted all the way. Shimano has these housing ends With a little silicone tube though that comes with the higher end mechs as well as higher end cable kits that i use where the housing goes into the derailleur.

 

Edit: i see it is called a sealed cable end or ferule. They do seem to help keep the crud out.

Edited September 29, 2020 by morneS555

[ChrisF]

We went with option 3 -

 

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/181779-mongoose-rebuild-project/?fromsearch=1

[Mojoman]

Just use a dremel or a small drill bit and slightly open up the current cable guides, that's what I have done. 

[Butterbean]

Yeha I did this to my giant anthem. There are some hacked permanent ways, and some less permanent ways to get it done..

 

 

Hacked permanent - use a dremel and a small drillbit to open up the cable stops on the frame. Once this is done you can simply feed a continuous outer along the standard points and Bob is generally moved into your aunts house without hassle. However, you lose warrantee, you might want to paint the exposed alu again, etc.... There's also the risk that you bodge it up and ruin the stops, but that's up to you to judge...

 

Second, and more shoddy, is cable ties along the frame wherever to hold the cable. It'll most likely look ***, and scratch the paint, but it gets the job done without hurting the outers.

 

Lastly, you can try, but with less sure results, some cable tie anchors from Builders. Little squares with a raised platform, double sided tape on the underside, that you stick on the frame and then cable tie the cables on to. There are bike specific versions of this idea but I haven't found in SA despite much searching. The builders anchors are a little brittle, but they do work and you just don't crank down on the cable tie.

 

If you like your bike and don't plan on selling in the next year or so, just drill the stops and make it look right. The rest is all just attempts that will probably not end up as ideal as you'd like.

[gemmerbal]

Dankie manne!

 

Frame warrantee is not an issue, its my trusty old hardtail dating back to 2013.

 

Drilling out the cable stops was what I had in mind, so many thanks for confirming my plan. That should surely guarantee crisp shifting!?

 

As usual Le Hub is to the rescue [emoji12]

[ChrisF]

Just an extra thought ....

 

If the eyelets are opened too much the outer cable is loose ... and you may need 1 or 2 cable ties to keep it nice and neat.

 

 

Slightly smaller hole and the outer cable fits snugly .... trick is to get it snug without pinching the inner.

 

 

Easier to plan on using a bit of rubber tape on the outer cable at the top most eye, then a cable tie at the bottom.

[madmarc]

Just dremel out the cable holders and be done with it - If Johan Boringman was still on the hub he would have seriously kakked you out already for not doing it back in 2013

 

Wrap duct tape on either side of the lug for in case the drill slips - that chuck is not friends with a frame - get the drill up to full speed first and then gently gently apply it slowly or the drillbit will bite and could break the cable lug.

[DieselnDust]

Gore cable kit. The innersheath s continuous and fits through the the cable stops on your frame

[ChrisF]

Gore cable kit. The innersheath s continuous and fits through the the cable stops on your frame

This sounds interesting

[Zebra]

Question: with the ‘bulk’ of a drills plastic body, can you get close enough to get a parallel hole drilled through the cable stops with running off at a slight diagonal?

 

Then Dremmel would be best choice, I think.

[ChrisF]

Question: with the ‘bulk’ of a drills plastic body, can you get close enough to get a parallel hole drilled through the cable stops with running off at a slight diagonal?

 

Then Dremmel would be best choice, I think.

I started with the dremmel, to prep for the angle of the drill.

 

LOTS of tape to protect the frame.

 

Then a small drill ... up the size a bit ...

 

 

The back to the dremmel to get the hole parallel to the frame.

[DieselnDust]

https://jagwire.com/products/diy-cable-kits/elite-sealed-shift-kit

 

Gore Ride-On is no longer available. The above kit replaces it