Boardman HT Pro cables...

Jeast

What do people think of the gear cables running underneath the frame as can be seen here? I can't find a single other manufacturere who does this, as they all seem to run them along the top tube and down, which seems to make sense as it's less likely to get clogged with mud...

RichDR

Get some protective film on the crown where the cables touch ASAP. On both sides my cables have worn right the way through the black paint after only 100 miles.

Tried to find a contact for Boardman to inform them of the design fault, but they just funnel all enquiries to Halfords.

ThanksBye

Spesh does it to

RealMan

RichDR wrote:

Tried to find a contact for Boardman to inform them of the design fault, but they just funnel all enquiries to Halfords.

Contacting them for a design fault - cable rub?

Almost every bike will suffer with that, its just something you have to live with, or use heli tape or something.


As for downtube cable routing, its got its advantages, as you can shoulder the toptube without cables going into your shoulder, and its easier to stick the bike on many car racks, and it usually wont get in the way of your riding at all. Its disadvantage is, as you said, it becomes a bit of a mud trap.

nfrang

My mate has a Spesh FSR XC pro and they run that way...but all are sealed. Surely thats not just a bare cable? From that pic it looks like the rear brake tube goes the other way...where as spesh send all 3 down there. Messy.

Northwind

It's pretty common, though a bit out of fashion just now it seems... Nothing wrong with it really, with decent cables it'll make little difference. Half my bikes have been strung like that. I prefer under the top tube myself but it's all much of a muchness.

As for cable rub = design flaw, I genuinely lolled.

Anonymous

Genesis bikes do that design too having the gear cables running undernealth downtube, it's look cleaner and tidier than having all 3 cables on top tube on most bikes, Specialized is another one have the same design as Genesis and Boardman.

Jeast

Genesis bikes do that design too having the gear cables running undernealth downtube, it's look cleaner and tidier than having all 3 cables on top tube on most bikes, Specialized is another one have the same design as Genesis and Boardman.

Yeah, clearly I didn't look hard enough!!! Although this season Spesh have only used this method on their Hardrocks - and most of their full-suss obviously, but I was really referring to hard tails.

Strangely, on the Boardman FS Pro, they've opted for running them along the top tube!

Monkeypump

Cable routing under the down tube is shorter and has less 'corners' (or same with less acute angles), so in theory more efficient.

lastwords

I have a boardman HT pro yes the cables will get muddy but it has never effected my gears, from the top of the down tube the to the end of the chainstay it is only cable then there is a short section of outer to the mech, this outer has a seal on it so mud doesnt really bother it.

As for cable rub i have never had a bike thats doesnt suffer from this and the first thing i did was put protective patches on the frame before i rode it.

bails87

My mates got a Cannondale which is exactly the same. I (through my own stupidity) had to replace the cables on mine, so used XTRs and haven't had a sniff of a problem no matter how muddy its got. Stop trying to find faults with your bike!

Oh, and if you do 'recable' at some point, it might be worth swapping the cables round, so the right hand shifter cable goes into the cable stop on the left hand side of the bike, and vice-versa, so the bare cable crosses halfway down the downtube. It reduces the tightness of the turn between the bars and cable stop and has cut down on cable rub round the headtube (for me at least).

Northwind

If you want, you can get a bit of cheap outer and add it to that bit. But there's not much point really.

workhard

Jeast wrote:

What do people think of the gear cables running underneath the frame as can be seen here? I can't find a single other manufacturere who does this, as they all seem to run them along the top tube and down, which seems to make sense as it's less likely to get clogged with mud...

dunno about the cable routing being a problem but good to see great minds, yours and mine, think alike when it comes to grips on an HT Pro!

supersonic

What the OP needs to do is remove the Boardman stickers and replace with Santa Cruz, or Orange. Suddenly it will be the best value and designed bike on the planet!

heez29

supersonic wrote:

What the OP needs to do is remove the Boardman stickers and replace with Santa Cruz, or Orange. Suddenly it will be the best value and designed bike on the planet!

Lol

bails87

Seems like that would solve it. Also, it's either very, very clean, or still unridden!

Jeast

@Bails 87 - admittedly, it hasn't had a full-on ride out yet, but it has been ridden. Grips and saddle are brand new, so will obviously look unused. First proper ride at Dalby Forest planned for tomorrow.

bails87

Cool, enjoy, and stop fretting