Gear cable outer

bikeit65

Which gear cable outer casing are you guys using with Ultegra shifters?

oxoman

I would just use whatever came with the shifters or generic off the shelf. I have used jagwire in the past but I'm not that fussed nowadays

MattFalle

One uses the stuff from the big Shimano box on the shelf of the lbs together with the Shimano cables from the big box on the shelf of the lbs.

Works perfect, cost is acceptable.

No need for anything else.


One has used Shimano, Gore, Jag Wire and currently has a Campag/Shimano mix. It all feels and works exactly the same apart from the Gore Pro stuff which was a mahooooosif disappointment.


#thestufffromthebigbox.perfectforthejob

bikeit65

unfortunatly our local bike shop closed in the summer, nearest shop is now 40 miiles away.

oxoman

Then your best bet is mail order, suggest you get some decent wire cutters as well to cut the outers and inners. Park tools or birzman

pblakeney

Top tip - Retain the old cable to put in the outer when cutting. Leaves a better cut.

bikeit65

Have all the tools, the shifter cable snapped a few days ago so started to sort it yesterday but i dont have the outer casing, so yea its gonna be online, ordered some Shimano sp 41casing.

bikeit65

pblakeney said:

Top tip - Retain the old cable to put in the outer when cutting. Leaves a better cut.

like that wee tip, thanks

MattFalle

bikeit65 said:

unfortunatly our local bike shop closed in the summer, nearest shop is now 40 miiles away.

that darn rubbish.

Mail order Shimano ones with, as per the excellent advice above, some nice Park Tools snips that will last for decades. The flat bits on them are for crimping the cable ends by the way.

Remember to change inners and outers at the same time espesh if you currently have that weird Shimano cabling that goes all furry and clogs everything up.

#furain'tgood

MattFalle

bikeit65 said:

pblakeney said:

Top tip - Retain the old cable to put in the outer when cutting. Leaves a better cut.

like that wee tip, thanks

Or just get a screw/nail/small screwdriver and open up the end with that.

#stickitinandwiggleit

reaperactual

SP41, stainless steel inners are all I've ever needed for the best overall performance.

As above squeeze pinch ends back to round, wiggle a 1mm Allen key in the hole, file end facing downwards to a smooth perfectly square finish, tap down ferrules, job done.

#atouchofocdisagoodthing

brundonbianchi

On my Shimano equipped bikes, I use the Shimano ones that come with the cabling kits. I find that if I keep the lengths of outers as short as possible from the bars to the frame, and particularly from the chain stays to the rear mech, that the shifts stay sweeter for longer.

MattFalle

Doing the above also means that you can't turn the'bars properly and jeffs up the rear shifting, so yet again another post to ignore completely.

david37

the very expensive Shimano kits with the slick cable are very good. And if you have funny routing through the bb up and into the chainstay and out at the end, stick with the Shimano ones.
Also like one of the MFs said, they get furry and need replacing before a stainless one might. They are however very very good where there are tight angles to negotiate.

other than that the Stainless and a decent jagwire outer are good.

Cheaper outer is not as good, I should know Ive got 2 30meter boxes of it to get rid of after the Jagwire stuff was unavailable at the wholesalers a couple of months ago.

Also Park tool cable cutters are fine but pale next to the knipex wire rope cutters. Ok the knipex ones 95 62 190 are a little more expensive but oooft i barely have to show the outer a pick. And they really last, ive done thousands of cuts over the last 6 months and still good.

lesfirth

reaperactual said:

SP41, stainless steel inners are all I've ever needed for the best overall performance.

As above squeeze pinch ends back to round, wiggle a 1mm Allen key in the hole, file end facing downwards to a smooth perfectly square finish, tap down ferrules, job done.

#atouchofocdisagoodthing

Do as above and you will never have a cable that mysteriously stretches.

brundonbianchi

MattFalle said:

Doing the above also means that you can't turn the'bars properly and jeffs up the rear shifting, so yet again another post to ignore completely.

When I say “as short as possible” that does take into account leaving enough to turn the bars without causing issues, obviously. I guess you and the two sockets that added the circle jerk ‘likes’ know that, or maybe not, that sounds about right. If anyone’s posts need “ignoring completely” it’s yours, you post like a 5 year old, unless you are 5 years old, I suggest you try growing up.

brundonbianchi

david37 said:

the very expensive Shimano kits with the slick cable are very good.

The Dura Ace level kits have inners with cleverly designed surfaces. They’re designed to grab and retain the lube better, hence part of the reason for the higher costs.

MattFalle

brundonbianchi said:

david37 said:

the very expensive Shimano kits with the slick cable are very good.

The Dura Ace level kits have inners with cleverly designed surfaces. They’re designed to grab and retain the lube better, hence part of the reason for the higher costs.

this is brilliant.

#seriously?seriouslyseriouslyseriously?

flasher

Fwiw. I only ever use the big box stuff as MF says, also the cables don't stretch, the outers compress/bed-in to the ferrules.

MattFalle

Exactly what that Flasher geezer says. He speaks the truth

#flasherspeaksgood

reaperactual

lesfirth said:

reaperactual said:

SP41, stainless steel inners are all I've ever needed for the best overall performance.

As above squeeze pinch ends back to round, wiggle a 1mm Allen key in the hole, file end facing downwards to a smooth perfectly square finish, tap down ferrules, job done.

#atouchofocdisagoodthing

Do as above and you will never have a cable that mysteriously stretches.

Cable stretch is a figurative term. It's just a quicker and easier to say what we all know is the real cause that makes re-indexing necessary if outer cable fitting isn't done properly in the first place.

#preachingtothechoir

flasher

Sure, you have the knowledge, but I'm also sure there are people that read threads and don't post who are less well informed.

reaperactual

Totally agree, I guess some of the less well informed don't bother with forums and go back to the bike shop for a '6 week tune up' where the outers were purposely bodge fitted in the first place.💰🤔

#rippedoff

MattFalle

"outers purposefully bodge fitted" eh.... Wow. Never heard of this before in thirty five years od serious cycling.

Is that bodge fitted at the shop when they pdi'd it or the factory? Do factories fit cables fine then tgey are removed and refitted bodgely at the shop when the bike is sold to you? Or are tbey bodged at the factory on purpose by tge manufacturers who must all be in cahoots - yes, cahoots I tell you - with the shops.

The people need to know so we can do something about it.

#conspiracy

reaperactual

Just chattin' sh#t MF. First and routine job on receipt of any new bike is sorting out outer cable ends. Don't know who's responsible or what method 'they' use to cut them with but been dodgy every time, without exception. Maybe just me it happens to then?

After dropping the best part of a grand on a bike from a cycling chain came the hard sell of Gold Standard Maintenance Package, pushing follow up visits for some b#llsh#t reasons it made me think if it's possible, it's not impossible.

I assume this could be a real tactic of unscrupulous retail bike chain selling, it ain't just about a sale it's about continuing to extract money from a customer. Unfounded accusation of course, just throwing it out there. 🤔

#tinfoilhat👽

MattFalle

Ah, right, got ya. Deep state bicycle cable sabotage. Got ya.

#cables