Any better cables and housings for folder?

[jplatzner]

So I have this new (used) Bike Friday, and I notice that the cables are a bit nasty after a few folds and suitcase stuffings. Since there is so much housing, it seems to make a difference in both the brake return and a bit sloppy shifting. Has anyone experimented with the various fancy cables who can say how they work with the longer runs and sharp turns on a folder? If so, what do you recommend?

Thanks much.

[yangmusa]

Cable routing on Bike Fridays is known to be less than ideal, because it's a performance bike first and a folder second.

Alex Wetmore has improved the situation by using little pulleys called Travel Agents. Check out his page here:
http://www.phred.org/~alex/bikes/bf-vs-swift.html

[Dave Hickey]

I use brake cable housing for all cables on my BF's. The wire strands inside the derailleur housings don't take the bends was well. For derailleur cables, I use step down ferrules on standard brake housing.

[jplatzner]

That's a good idea. I also found something where someone just ran the rear brake cable directly to the brake and avoided the bottom bracket. They just used a zip tie on the "down tube" to secure the brake cable. I'm not using this as a quick folder...just a travel bike, so that might work.

Anyone have good luck with nokon cables?

It's enough to make me get an eno hub and run it fixed. :) But that might limit the places I'd take it.

Regards,

[wpflem]

How about using a cable splitter to avoid the sharp turns on packing. All the Moulton separables use them.

[ichiban_jay]

you could also try dripping some bike lubricant into the cable housing. An old folder of mine had problems shifting because the cables were long and windy. I brought it over to a bike store and they just dripped lubricant into the housing, fixed it like a charm! They said it helps reduce friction between the cable and the housing, which it definitely seems to do. Hope that helps.