Bicycle Mechanics - Just want brake and shifter cables and housing

Looking through my performance, nashbar etc.... Im having a hard time finding what to order. I want cable housing, brake and shifter cables - for maybe 3-4 bikes. Not that Im going to use the stuff right away, but there are times, a buddy needs new lines, or I want to switch out. Seems like a lot of money going through the shop for this stuff, one bike at a time. Can I order somewhere - where I know what to order, and get in a small bulk batch?

I buy that stuff in bulk from the LBS.

Al

Try Bike Tools Etc. (www.biketoolsetc.com) They have bulk cable housing and cables of all types. They even have shift cables with a Shimano STI fitting on one end and a Campy Ergo fitting on the other. Their prices are good and the service excellent.

BTW, their catalog of bike tools is nearly as useful as a good service manual. There are tools for every imaginable bike repair and great descriptions and tips.

Another good source is The Third Hand /Loose Screws (www.loosescrews.com). They tend to specialize in obsolete and unusual parts.

Ebay.

For instance, 25 Jagwire cables for $25: http://cgi.ebay.com/Case-of-25-JagWire-Slick-MTB-Road-Brake-Cables-231A_W0QQitemZ7234686542QQcategoryZ42335QQcmdZViewItem

You should be able to get bulk housing for under $20 for 50 ft on ebay.

Harris Cyclery will sell you housing by the foot or in 25-foot lengths. You can also buy Jagwire cables from them at pretty good prices.

The above examples are good.

Any good LBS should be willing to sell you housing by the foot. That's how I buy my housing (usually about 15' at a time). They may give you the ferrules/cable ends to go along with it.

I also buy the cheapo Quality house-brand cables, and they honestly work great and last all year. On a tip from a friend, I started buying the non-stainless steel cables b/c you can solder the ends (use acid-core solder). It makes for a clean look, and you can actually remove/reinsert the cables if you want (I sometimes switch between 2 different bars (complete with shifters/brake levers) on my bike).

::Thread drift alert::

You can get the same effect as solder with superglue, which sticks to stainless a lot better than solder. Not that I've, um, tried that whole soldering thing :)

Some of you may ridicule me for this, but I like using the $4.25 Bell-branded cable pack from Walmart. It comes with cables and housing for brakes and shifters, ferrules, and cable crimps. These cables probably shift several hundred milliseconds slower, but I'm too insensitive to notice and too cheap to care.