Internal routing - all it's cracked up to be?

[NotSoBigBen]

Observing the trend towards internal cable routing I've been wondering (another build COULD be happening 😜 ) ...

For road bikes where there's way less maintenance it makes sense to me and does look 'cool' but I'm wondering on MTB's, where it also looks neat and cool, if you do your own maintenance like many of us, here at least, do ... does it make sense or is it more of a PITA?

Would appreciate any thoughts .... articles like this of course don't help 😕

https://escapecollective.cc/anger-management-headset-cable-routing-for-mountain-bikes-is-stupid/

[The Ouzo]

having a look at the pictures in that article and I'm inclined to agree with the author, its a dumb idea on the examples he has shown

[Fred van Vlaanderen]

35 minutes ago, NotSoBigBen said:

Observing the trend towards internal cable routing I've been wondering (another build COULD be happening 😜 ) ...

For road bikes where there's way less maintenance it makes sense to me and does look 'cool' but I'm wondering on MTB's, where it also looks neat and cool, if you do your own maintenance like many of us, here at least, do ... does it make sense or is it more of a PITA?

Would appreciate any thoughts .... articles like this of course don't help 😕

https://escapecollective.cc/anger-management-headset-cable-routing-for-mountain-bikes-is-stupid/

Don’t all bikes have electronic groupsets these days? It is 2023. 

[Fred van Vlaanderen]

Okay, okay... It's not Friday yet, so I'll retract my above statement. 

I think it is really silly. Purely aesthetics on a mountain bike in my opinion which is not worth the effort. Some things that look really cool warrant the effort, but I don't count this as one of them. 

PITA. 

[madmarc]

I think internal cables on MTB are great - it just gives a neat appearance. But it's only practical if the cable routing design allows for the complete outer to be routed like from the shifter to the RD, so when it comes to changing the inner cable it's not a big deal.

also the routing design needs to allow the cables inside the frame to be secured - Nothing worse than a rattling cable inside your frame while riding. 

when i see designs with the cables entering through the handlebars or the stem i wonder what the designers were smoking - might look cool, but when it comes to maintenance you be stripping the entire cockpit just to replace a cable and all those 90deg corners the cables need to do just goes against how cables are supposed to be installed

[Headshot]

My 2018 Spesh has internal routing and so far it hasn't been an enormous hassle. Ive done a brake hose and a rear derailleur housing - the latter did take dismantling the FSR pivot to get the cable through the chainstay but its still pretty easy. There are no internal tubes for the cables but its easy to feed them through the frame and access the ends at the down tube/head tube junction. Strangely, they also don't rattle. 

[Robbie Stewart]

My 2017 Spesh has internal routing as well. I like the look of it. The one cable that is external is the rear brake hose, which passes beneath the BB. There has been significant chafing by the hose against the alu frame to the extent that there are some abrasion marks on the frame. So it would seem external is somewhat more of a PITA to me at least.

 

[The Ouzo]

I think the PITA mentioned in the article is more to do with routing through the headset than the rest of the bike.

 

[NotSoBigBen]

12 minutes ago, The Ouzo said:

I think the PITA mentioned in the article is more to do with routing through the headset than the rest of the bike.

 

Correct perhaps I should have been clearer,  I have other bikes with internal routing with no problem but it's the headset routing I'm wary of ...

[117]

Over the years roadie bikes have been designed to go faster etc - you know, the whole aero stuff and all which besets itself to an internal headset routing of the cables. 

Mtb's... well, thats the exact opposite. I believe over the past 20 years the bikes were designed to be slower in order to climb, hit gnarly trails blah blah.

So, that being said, what the point of internal brake cable routing through the headset for aero benefits? (assuming you have electronic shifting of course). 

I think a mtb rider will get better aero benefits by wearing more roadie type lyca with less floppy shirts, baggie pants, have a smoother rolling tyre tread and passes a good throne sitting in the morning. 

I'm about 95% of the way there on my mtb as it is and love my lycra

 

Oh, sorry, I digressed a bit there NsbB....If you're going for the cool factor, then hell yes do it. It looks the part for sure. A clean and tidy cockpit is the bomb. I recall seeing on the Porsche e-bike video doing the rounds a while ago that those bikes had internal headset routings - they looked like a dream! 

 

 

 

[droo]

Nice to look at, can be painful to work on depending on how well designed the system is.

Can also be good money for workshops - especially when you need to replace hoses and cables every time you change a headset bearing. Which, when the cables run though the headset, is often.

[NotSoBigBen]

So here's the thing ... my brother's son in law (they all live in NZ) has had enough of his full suss frame with internal routing at the headset ... has bought an older model moved all his stuff so the frame is 'taking up space'. They being very secretive about what frame it is. 

I did a favor for his family over here on his behalf that cost quite a few shekels, I didn't expect anything cause it's family but he has offered it to me

They may be able to actually get it over here in the next month or 2 through a connection

Hence me wondering, he said it was just too much PT to keep it maintained 🤔

[BaGearA]

10 hours ago, NotSoBigBen said:

So here's the thing ... my brother's son in law (they all live in NZ) has had enough of his full suss frame with internal routing at the headset ... has bought an older model moved all his stuff so the frame is 'taking up space'. They being very secretive about what frame it is. 

I did a favor for his family over here on his behalf that cost quite a few shekels, I didn't expect anything cause it's family but he has offered it to me

They may be able to actually get it over here in the next month or 2 through a connection

Hence me wondering, he said it was just too much PT to keep it maintained 🤔

Maybe a newer Genius ? 

 

Most of the very modern ones have channels in them which makes it very very easy. 

[NotSoBigBen]

5 minutes ago, BaGearA said:

Maybe a newer Genius ? 

 

Most of the very modern ones have channels in them which makes it very very easy. 

They know I won't ride a Giant 😜 - ja ja ja

[Wyatt Earp]

9 hours ago, NotSoBigBen said:

Observing the trend towards internal cable routing I've been wondering (another build COULD be happening 😜 ) ...

For road bikes where there's way less maintenance it makes sense to me and does look 'cool' but I'm wondering on MTB's, where it also looks neat and cool, if you do your own maintenance like many of us, here at least, do ... does it make sense or is it more of a PITA?

Would appreciate any thoughts .... articles like this of course don't help 😕

https://escapecollective.cc/anger-management-headset-cable-routing-for-mountain-bikes-is-stupid/

Spent an hour on a bike today just to replace a rear cable inner and outer.

Had to remove the fork, strip down headset area, drop the lower bolts for the rear shock, just to get a new internal cable brought.

Bloody pain for mechanics, but hey “it looks so clean”

[NotSoBigBen]

18 minutes ago, Wyatt Earp said:

Spent an hour on a bike today just to replace a rear cable inner and outer.

Had to remove the fork, strip down headset area, drop the lower bolts for the rear shock, just to get a new internal cable brought.

Bloody pain for mechanics, but hey “it looks so clean”

See 😎 - ain't nobody got time for that 😜