cable questions

[traaidmark]

Hey guys,

 

I have a possibly odd question to ask you guys.

 

 

 

My dad rides a scott mtb, and one of the first things i noticed was that the cables running to the rear is covered entirely with black outers.

 

 

 

My Merida mission bike is not like that, in fact, none of my bikes have ever had the outers all the way. The cables running along the top tube to the rear is exposed cable for example.

 

 

 

My question, is it possible to add the full cable outer? It just seems that it might protect the frame a bit better, or am I mistaken?

[Overlord]

Yes you can do it.

[onebynine]

yes you can do it, However it can add more friction to the system and upset the shifting. I have it on my bike and wish I didn't...

[Overlord]

 

yes you can do it' date=' However it can add more friction to the system and upset the shifting. I have it on my bike and wish I didn't...[/quote']

 

If you do it correctly you should not have any problems. I have none with mine.

 

[brussel]

I have it on my anthem as something I did last year - never had a moments shifting issues, a minor more amount of friction but shifting is crisp - and it keeps the crud out of the cables.

[thatcap]

full outers is the way to go. the trick is to use the correct cables. Use xtr inner cable along with xtr outer. xtr outer is known as sp-41 if u buying it off a roll.

The most important thing is that u do NOT lube the cable. by doing that you'll have perfect cables for atleast 4-6 months.

 

[brussel]

is XTR outer not prelubed?

[onebynine]

I had the XTR set up, outers and inners and after Sani2c which was not all that muddy, I had to replace the cable- it was new in Jan.

[WillemT]

it is prelubed but not with a normal lube that makes it sticky inside after a while.

I wish I had the option to put outers on all the way on my dale but unafortunately I don't so I have to live with it. I still have one of these horrible plastic plates at the bottom of my frame that wears out... and then buggers up your shifting.

[brussel]

why can't you do it on your 'dale?

never really looked closely at one so I have no idea...

 

[WillemT]

wel because there's no place to to tie the cable on neatly. The cable run down to the BB and then up to the fd and along the bottom stay to the rd. And i'm not going for the whole cable tie thing on that bike... I like it the way it looks now, no extra's or anything, not even bottle cages... maybe I will try it one day if it can look decent... night tider2009-06-04 10:31:39

[Johan Bornman]

If you do stage races, then one-piece cabling is the way to go. Riding in other people's dust has dust entering the cables at all the open places and ratcheting its way inside the cable - up to 100mm a day. After just a day the cable is noticeably sluggish and after three days, dead.

A one-piece cable all the way from the shifter to the jockey is a worthwhile upgrade.

It has a downside in that the piece of cable between the cable bosses is now slack and it can scratch your frame if you don't make a McGyver plan to prevent it.

 

 

[Slowbee]

The bike shop sold me "rain jackets" to apparently prevent dust and dirt going into the cables. Was I suckered, or do these things work ?

[traaidmark]

Thanks for the info guys!

 

 

 

Will ask around at FPC for the right cables and stuff. I hate the exposed cables, I'm so scared that it will damage the frame and stuff.

[Mudsimus]

There is a better chance that the full housing will damage your frame than the exposed cables.

[traaidmark]

oh. that sucks a bit. damn, was really hoping it would solve that fear of mine! lol.

 

the full housing looks cooler though, or at least, i think it does. blah, will be a while before i do it anyways, so its no rush.