Bicycle Mechanics - Routing electrical wiring inside frame

I am in the process of building up a new bike, which will be a dedicated commuter. I have a generator front hub, with a headlight, and am considering adding a generator powered tail light. The frame is a traditional steel lugged frame. I would rather not do the traditional wire routing, to get power from the front hub to the tail light, using zip-ties to hold the cable against the tubes, and was wondering if I could do the following:

Drill a hole in the side of the steerer tube, then route a wire up through the steerer tube, wrap it losely around the steerer a couple of times (to allow for steering) then have it go down the downtube, around the axle for the BB, and up through the seat tube and out through the top of the seatpost - then across to the tail-light.

I'd appreciate thoughts on this, I've never seen it done like that before (probably for a good reason that you will be telling me). It may just be better to use a battery powered tail-light.

Thanks....

sounds like a bad idea.

you'll sheer the cable when you turn the handle.

A battery powered tail light using rechargable batteries will save money and a lot of work.

I agree that even running a service loop around the steerer tube will still give a very short wire life due to the flexing and rotation. Then too, drilling holes in the steerer tube isn't the best of ideas either.

if you go to a frame builder, they can braze on cable hangers for electrical cabling.
take this frame for example: http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/tout-terrain.asp

If you do the wire routing right around the steering then it will work fine. Think about this, the hinge in a laptop or the steering wheel in a car has wiring in it. What you have to do is route it so as you steer the flexing is spread along a long length of the wire rather than just one place and if you can go around more than once. look at a spring like whats on the brakes and see how it flexes, you want your wire to look like that. Wire inside the frame is done in motorcycles and works fine. You will want to put some small grommets where it enters the metal.

Did you ask in the "Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets" forum what they do?

I would rather drill a hole in the down tube or toptube

sounds like a bad idea.

you'll sheer the cable when you turn the handle.
René Herse (http://www.reneherse.com/) used wire brushes inside the head tube to conduct electricity through the steer tube to the lighting system. Perhaps the O.P. could do something similar?

my bike has the type of wiring you describe. Only the generator (bottle) is at the back wheel. There is one or 2 small holes in the frame so the wire can go to the front light. But for the back light, the grounding points are the edges of the metal fenders.