Internal brake and gear cables

Bentyler
Bentyler Posts: 14
edited February 2011 in Road beginners
HELP PLEASE: Starting to build my new contre le montre velo, ideas on how to thread the cables would be appreciated.
Note: I only have a limited amount of patience. :twisted: [/b]
Specialized Works Roubaix
Ribble Gran Fondo
Tifosi CK5 training velo
Ribble 7005 winter velo
Fort 7005 track velo
Gary Fisher full/sus
Rock Rider hard tail
Viking Severn Valley 1965 velo historique

Comments

  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I've heard talk of putting cotton through the tube and sucking it thru the other end with a vacuum ? Never done it myself mind you....
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    I've read of using thin welding rods or similar that you can push down the internal routing. Never tried it mind.
  • mjgoodhand
    mjgoodhand Posts: 34
    I have internal routing on my Wilier Gran Turismo. It originally came with straws to thread the cables through which were great. However after removing the straws (to make a frictionless route through the frame) I managed to "lose" a cable inside the frame. I pulled it out and rethreaded it using a thin welding rod which seemed to be about the best way of doing it - mind you it wasn't easy and I won't make the same mistake twice!
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Get some thin-gauge piano wire, a torch and huge dose of patience (or alcohol) and go fishing - depends on the frame and the cable exits too as to how convoluted it is!
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    Right first time... Cotton and a vacuum.
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 20,370
    I know it's no help to the OP, but when I was choosing a new bike, I did wonder what were the advantages of internal cables ... I thought that there must be some really simple and obvious way to thread them, otherwise they must be more trouble than they are worth. Surely? Or does a 1mm wire produce enormous drag?
    https://www.facebook.com/unanglaisendiois
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    Quick follow-up on this subject. I've had the bike in bits down to the washers for a full clean & service this weekend, including replace all (internally routed) cables. I did the fix a length of thick cotton to each old cable method; pull it through and use that to draw the new cable through, which was fine until the cotton for the front mech fell back through when it slipped from my fingers. Bother...

    Ho hum. Vacuum didn't work - not enough suction in the right place. I couldn't fish a bit of welding rod through either. In the end, patience did it. I had the bike on the workstand at an angle so that the cable was dropping vertically, and just kept at it. It took half the Bolton Everton match on R5 and few <wanders off grumbling> moments to get it, bit it fell through in the end. Much joy & pleasure in the garage.

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