Internally routed bars: daft idea?

londoncommuter
londoncommuter Posts: 1,550
edited April 2016 in Road general
Why oh why oh why....

I've just fitted some nice new Ergonova Ltd bars to a build and poked all the cables through the internal channels. Terrible idea. So it looks great and I can have bars fashionably free of bar tape but for maintenance and shifting (think of all those extra kinks) it's madness.

To make it worse, they've gone on an Izalco Max which has external cabling for ease of maintenance and better shifting performance......

Anyway, that's quite enough moaning about progress in the cycling world and of course I could just have left the cables on the outside.

Comments

  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    It's like most of these things, nice when it's all sorted and in use, but the moment you need to work on it then it's a nightmare.

    That said I do prefer under bar tape routing to having it all stuck out in front of you. But I changed my bike from one which had internal routing to one which was just standard external routing and haven't regretted it.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Both my bikes have external cabling and the older style Shimano shifters with the gear cables sprouting sideways. Looks a bit crap, but it's very simple to work on and seems to be mechanically quite efficient.

    Mercifully I've missed out on the 5700 / 6700 generation groupsets with badly executed, draggy cable routing under the bar tape.

    If ever I decide to replace a groupset it will likely be Tiagra 4700 for the winter bike or 105 5800 for the carbon beast. Don't think I'll ever be riding a bike with cables internal to the bars or frame; I don't have that much patience...
  • whatleytom
    whatleytom Posts: 547
    Buy Di2.
    Blog on first season road racing http://www.twhatley.com/
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    whatleytom wrote:
    Buy Di2.

    Wireless is the future. eTap just has the brake cables.
  • alan_sherman
    alan_sherman Posts: 1,157
    Seems a trend toward internal routing on frames these days. I'm not a fan. Holes mean stress risers and potential failure!
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    I can't see the advantage of internally routed bars. Just keep them under the tape - its basically the same path - needs less material and less faffing.
  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    Always had internal cabling on my bars on both road bikes. Never had a problem other than the first time I fitted 3T Aerotundos but I've managed to reachable them since without problem. Look far better than loads of bar tape everywhere but, it is personal choice.
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Mine are fine on the CAAD.. but then again I didnt pay a lot for 'em.
  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    philthy3 wrote:
    Always had internal cabling on my bars on both road bikes. Never had a problem other than the first time I fitted 3T Aerotundos but I've managed to re-cable them since without problem. Look far better than loads of bar tape everywhere but, it is personal choice.
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • dstev55
    dstev55 Posts: 742
    Not sure of their impracticalities but they look damn sexy on the Trek Madonna Series 9!

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