Classic & Vintage - cutting brake housing to correct length - non-aero bars

I'm just wondering about the most efficient, most accurate way to do this. I have all the tools. I have inserted the cable and cut both cable and housing too long intentionally. Obviously the cable needs to be longer than the housing, etc. - I'm just worried about cutting the housing too short when I cut it. Is there something basic that I'm not doing, or doing incorrectly? Or should I just eyeball it, cut it as close as I can, then use the barrel adjuster to tighten/adjust accordingly?

I don't think pics will help, but I've attached a couple just in case. Thanks... Mike

wow... man is that an invisible wheel? I want one.

I believe generally you want enough housing so the ends enter the stop/brake/lever straight-on, and just enough to do that. For the levers you just want to make sure you don't have them so short when you turn the bars the housing wants to pull out of the stop, and there's no real sharp bends- rather a graceful curve. I don't know if there's a simple rule about the length, but that's how I understand it.

Why not simply run all adjusting barrels down all the way, then fit the empty cable housing with just enough length to make nice, gentle curves? If anything, err on the long side, as I did, since you can always go back and trim some off later (which I plan to when I finally get around to it).

... I don't know if there's a simple rule about the length, but that's how I understand it. One of my bicycling buddies suggests a 4-5"/10-12cm rise out of the brake handles, which makes my cables at least 5 cm too long.

You need to run all the housing before you can cut the cable. Like was said above, you want the housing to enter the levers, brakes and cable stops in straight lines, and all the curves to be smooth. The bars should be able to turn without stretching the housing. Once you have your housing cut, then you can insert the cable and trim to length. I always make all my brake adjustments before cutting the cable about 1 inch past the pinch bolt on the brake.

And be sure to put the little fray stoppers on the end. Nothing worse than going for a ride, and getting stabbed on the inner thigh, by the rear brake cable end.;),,,,BD

And if you're going to wrap the bars, do it BEFORE the cables and housings are in place. It makes it much less of a PITA.,,,,BD

thanks guys!

And if you're going to wrap the bars, do it BEFORE the cables and housings are in place. It makes it much less of a PITA.,,,,BD

I read that and I was like, wait a minute, that's completely backwards and... and then I got it. Levers are already on, you just won't have the cables in the way of wrapping. Smart, and completely opposite of what I'm doing on my latest build.

Also, original question asker guy- For some reason I always find myself having to pull the cables out a couple times during their working life to change brake levers or something like that, so I leave extra cable on the end, like 2 inches or more, because without fail if I only have an inch of cable, the end will end up getting frayed when I pull it out, and snipping off the problem part leaves me with too short of cable. So personally I leave a little extra on the end for that reason.

Cutting cables and housings: Since my accident, my right hand has regained about 98% functionality. What's missing is the ability to light a BIC lighter right handed (so I light my cigars with the left), and I don't have the strength to use diagonal cutters.

Got around it by using a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel. It works so well, and so precisely, with little cleanup afterwards, that I'm probably never going to use dykes again on cables as long as an electric outlet is available.

Got around it by using a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel.

Dremel tool - on my Xmas list! Tim J - I will definitely give more than an inch at the cable ends on the brake side, thanks... Mike

Oh yeah, and as far as cutters go- a dedicated pair of bicycle cable cutters are great to have. Well, I'm sure a dremel is the ultimate cable cutter, but for regular hand tools I used to use just a pair of regular wire cutters and probably 50% of the cuts I'd make would produce frayed ends. My bicycle cable cutter, like this one: http://www.bikesmart.com/products/TOOPAR_cn10pro_cablecutter.jpg has gotten those frayed ends down to maybe one out of every 10 cuts, at most.

Oh yeah, and as far as cutters go- a dedicated pair of bicycle cable cutters are great to have. Well, I'm sure a dremel is the ultimate cable cutter, but for regular hand tools I used to use just a pair of regular wire cutters and probably 50% of the cuts I'd make would produce frayed ends. My bicycle cable cutter, like this one: http://www.bikesmart.com/products/TOOPAR_cn10pro_cablecutter.jpg has gotten those frayed ends down to maybe one out of every 10 cuts, at most.

I find brakes just don't feel right unless I dress teh ends maniacally. That means file the ends after cutitng so they are smooth and perpendicular to the housind direction, and use a metal ferrule on each end of the cable. Then a good quality housing becomes essentially incompressible, and a big source of brake squeeginess (yes, i am inventing a new technical term!) is eliminated.

i also allow long cable ends (called "service loops" in industry), sometimes coiling the extra inner cable into a neat 1 inch or so donut, then add a fray cap to that if the cable is not soldered.

I read that and I was like, wait a minute, that's completely backwards and... and then I got it. Levers are already on, you just won't have the cables in the way of wrapping. Smart, and completely opposite of what I'm doing on my latest build.



Actully no. You wrap the bars with just the lever clamps on the bars, levers off. Then you can wrap tight around the clamps with maybe just a short piece of bar-tape wrapped around the back of the clamps for full coverage. Then when you install the levers the bar-tape will be neatly hidden inside the the lever housing. This only works well with period style thin tape like cloth or cello.

Also, my pet peave on vintage race bikes: long, loopy brake cables. I like them short as possible. If they're almost coming out of the levers at right angles that's just about right. Look at pictures of Eddy Merckx's tour bikes from the 70's and you will see how they should be run. Here's how I do mine.
http://uci.net/~brennan/brakecable.jpg

Actully no. You wrap the bars with just the lever clamps on the bars, levers off. Then you can wrap tight around the clamps with maybe just a short piece of bar-tape wrapped around the back of the clamps for full coverage. Then when you install the levers the bar-tape will be neatly hidden inside the the lever housing. This only works well with period style thin tape like cloth or cello.

Also, my pet peave on vintage race bikes: long, loopy brake cables. I like them short as possible. If they're almost coming out of the levers at right angles that's just about right. Look at pictures of Eddy Merckx's tour bikes from the 70's and you will see how they should be run. Here's how I do mine.
http://uci.net/~brennan/brakecable.jpg

I can't say Eddie doesn't have the inside track, but the way you have them is not what I've learned. I think a straight exit from both the levers and the caliper promotes a rigid lever response.

You have the same problem I do: bikes that will not fit in the basement are required to be stored in front of my library (NOT Mrs. Road Fan's!!).