Brake Cables

delete_my_account

My brake cables are all rusted, the outers are beginning to crack, and they're so un-slippery that the spring in the rear brake isn't even strong enough to turn the brake off fully.

I'm after some decent brake outers and inners. I've seen sets for between £5 and £40 but I don't fancy spending the latter on cables.

I'd like some low friction ones so the brakes perform better. Sealing of the cables seems important to me for riding in the wet but do higher end ones have better sealing than cheaper ones and is it necessary for a road bike?

What should I buy?

Welsh boy

Personally i never spend more than about £15 on cables any more, i did once (£40 wasted) and i was not impressed with them, the performance was no better. Keep them clean, oil them every few months and change them every couple of years.

delete_my_account

Fair enough, I normally drip a bit of 3in1 down the inners when they're getting a bit crappy anyway but these are beyond repair. Which ones do you buy?

crankycrank

Try a set of Jagwire Racer brake cables. They use a slightly different housing which gives a firmer brake feel and are not expensive. Also includes ferrules with o-ring seals to help keep the gunk out.

delete_my_account

They seem really good from reviews and stuff. I've found a set which does both brakes and gears for £23 which seems very cheap!

This might be a stupid question, but as I'm new to road biking and therefore fiddling with my road bike, is it at all possible to change the brake cables without removing the bar tape?

desweller

MichaelMLFC92 wrote:

They seem really good from reviews and stuff. I've found a set which does both brakes and gears for £23 which seems very cheap!

This might be a stupid question, but as I'm new to road biking and therefore fiddling with my road bike, is it at all possible to change the brake cables without removing the bar tape?

Not really. It's the lining in the housing that wears the fastest (as it's usually PTFE or nylon), so that's the bit you really want to replace.

delete_my_account

I know, I plan on replacing everything. I just mean is is possibly to replace the outer under the bar tape by carefully pulling the outer out and pushing a new one back in, without removing the tape.

desweller

MichaelMLFC92 wrote:

I know, I plan on replacing everything. I just mean is is possibly to replace the outer under the bar tape by carefully pulling the outer out and pushing a new one back in, without removing the tape.

No - the bar tape is tightly wound around the housing and handlebars.

declan1

MichaelMLFC92 wrote:

I know, I plan on replacing everything. I just mean is is possibly to replace the outer under the bar tape by carefully pulling the outer out and pushing a new one back in, without removing the tape.

You can re-wrap the bar tape again afterwards - it will be good practice!

delete_my_account

Re-use the existing stuff or new stuff? I'm short on funds at the moment.

declan1

You can reuse the same bar tape. Start at the ends of the bars, and work towards the stem. When it runs out, wrap some electrical tape around it to keep it in place.