Routing for Brake cable outers.........(Now with added pics)

daniel_b · April 2014

Afternoon all,

excuse the stupidity here, but I am trying to convert my Langster from flat bar brakes by fitting cane creek brake levers with hoods.
I have bought some Jagwire external cable, as the existing externals would have been too short.
I've never fitted externals before, and of course no have template to work from on this specific bike.
To complicate things slightly, as they are carbon flat top bars, I am only intending to partially wrap them, leaving the tops bare.

On my first couple of efforts with the front brake, I was struggling to get the cable to stay where I needed it, and ended up cutting it down too much, so will have to start again I think.
I have been using a length of electrical tape to secure the outer as much as I can, in the vicinity of where i believe the bar tape will end up.
I don't want to tape the bars up until I have ridden it a few times and am set on the position of the levers on the bars.

As the bar tape will not be holding the cable in place the whole length of the handlebar, the issue I had was that when I pulled the lever the cable pinged backwards.
There are indents/cut outs of sorts under the bars, but it's just a guide really.

So my next line of attack will be either me to make it a lot longer, and or I am considering using just one cable tie (probably for front and rear) not pulled too tight, either side of the stem to stop the cable from popping backwards.

Is that a viable idea, or am I missing the obvious?

If I can get into Flickr I could upload pictures later if that would help.

The Rookie · April 2014

Photos may help, as right now I'm a bit lost!

Isn't the TT going to be too long for drops, frames for drops usually have a significantly shorter TT.

rolf_f · April 2014

I think the bars are drops - just that it currently has brake levers on the tops rather than hoods on the drops. But pictures would help as it is getting mighty complicated in that post!

I never get why people don't wrap the tops of carbon bars though. I always think comfort is more important than making it slightly easier for people to see that your bars aren't metal!

daniel_b · April 2014

Sorry guys,

it's a Langster single speed, as per:

I have taken the beautiful chrome bars off, as I think the shape would not have lent itself to the cane creek drops.
The stock bars had these brakes on the flats, but no hoods - similar to the below:

I think the stock bars look lovely, so have removed them along with the brake levers, so it can be returned to stock if I need to.

The reason I am leaving the tops unwrapped (For the time being) is that I do think it looks nice, and this is more of a bling/looking nice bike imho, so it can be form over function etc.

Will try and take some pics tonight unless I get other advice, and or figure it out for myself tonight.

Frustratingly I have a feeling I may need to buy another metre as I fear I have butchered too much of the 2m I bought :evil:

rolf_f · April 2014

Daniel B wrote:

Frustratingly I have a feeling I may need to buy another metre as I fear I have butchered too much of the 2m I bought :evil:

Yeah, annoying when that happens.

I would think that the awkward looking cable ties on the bars will take away from any bling effect you get by not wrapping the bars. If you just wrap round the corner, you might get away without the cables being too flappy and without it looking too different to what you wanted.

Kieran_Burns · April 2014

Hmmm....

desweller · April 2014

I think you should use top-exit brake levers.

daniel_b · April 2014

Thanks for the replies gents - I have ordered some more Jagwire cable, and should get it by the weekend.

Tonight I re-measured for the front brake, and used my last usable piece of cable - I electrical taped the corner, and used a cable tie near the stem, and I think it worked out ok, and to my eye looks fine - it's black on a back bar, but clearly a cable tie I agree, but it seems to do the job, so am hopeful that I can do the same for the rear brake.
Pulling the brake it feels nice and tight and feels totally normal - not had a chance to take it out yet.
Does the routing and that degree of curve look ok?

Here is the current install:

And one probably dumb question for you - I have some cable cutters that I have been using with fair success - I have been using the top part to cut both the inners and the outers, and assumed that the bit near the base was for crimping the bits to tidy up the ends of the cables - is that correct, or am I using it wrong?

And if that is incorrect, and perhaps the lower section is for the outers, and top for the inners? What should I be using to crimp the cable tidies on - just some pliers?
Pic below:

UndercoverElephant · April 2014

I think you've been doing it right. The front bit snips, the back bit crimps. Top tip, when cutting outers, try shoving a thin Allen key down the snipped end and wiggling it to open it nicely.

daniel_b · April 2014

UndercoverElephant wrote:

I think you've been doing it right. The front bit snips, the back bit crimps. Top tip, when cutting outers, try shoving a thin Allen key down the snipped end and wiggling it to open it nicely.

Thanks for confirming UE, pleased to hear it :-)

I found I was having to snip bits of the end off, as it was leaving a nasty looking metal shard, but that didn't seem too bad a job - good call with the allen key, that will help to open it up properly.

I have seen conflicting info about whether it is worth popping a little bit of grease in the outer before feeding the cable through - wise or not?

And what do you think of the cable route combined with the cable tie method - looks ok.....?

UndercoverElephant · April 2014

Even with very sharp cutters, you can sometimes get a slight bit that needs tidying. As for greasing the inners, it probably depends on the inners you're using. If they're stainless, you probably don't need to. If they aren't, you should go and get some that are

. Good outers are usually lubed inside anyway.

Should be fine with the cable tie to start, the only time I've done that, I've just used a few layers of electricians tape and it works ok.

daniel_b · April 2014

Ok, so landed some multicoloured cable ties

and some more red jagwire, and ended up with this:

Doesn't restrict the bars turning at all, and it looks to the inexperienced eye like a fairly gentle curve, or curves - any observations or anything I have missed?

The cable ties will get trimmed down, and some Cinelli bar tape to be fitted once I am 100% happy with the hood/bar position.

Routing for Brake cable outers.........(Now with added pics)

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