Touring - mtb frame, sti shifter, sora derailleur, how to run the cable?

So I'm getting closer to having this bike set up. My last obstacle (I think) is figuring out how to run the front derailleur cable. MTB frame with STI shifter and road derailleur on MTB crank.

Should I tap the BB shell and install a cable guide? I assume that's really the only solution since the derailleur is bottom pull. Or do I have some other option? Thanks for the help.


PS This forum is much kinder than the road bike forum. Those guys are just brutal. They fight over what color cable housing has less friction.

Here's a fairly elegant solution:
http://www.loosescrews.com/Products/SH-6229110.1.html

Not sure, but truman's suggestion might require an older FD with an incorporated cable stop...yes? no?

Here's another option:http://www.treefortbikes.com/product/333222353503/502/Problem-Solvers--and-#39;Cross.html

Not sure, but truman's suggestion might require an older FD with an incorporated cable stop...yes? no?

Here's another option:http://www.treefortbikes.com/product/333222353503/502/Problem-Solvers--and-#39;Cross.html

Bravo. I was looking for that when I found the other.

But yeah, mounting the cable guide under the BB would work, too.

It looks like the one from Loose Screws would require the purchase of another derailleur, I'd like to avoid that. The one from Tree Fort looks promising though.

If anyone else has a creative solution, I'm interested in hearing it.

Thanks

What sort of FD cable setup was your MTB frame designed to use?

A typical road bike setup requires a cable stop near the top of the down tube, along with a guide affixed to the underside of the bottom bracket. Tapping the bottom bracket and adding a cable guide (http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=6695) is relatively easy to do.

The problem is that many mountain bike frames lack the cable stop near the head of the down tube. If that's the case, the cyclocross style pulley that desertdork linked is probably the easiest solution, though I've heard mixed reviews on how well they work. Here's another one (http://cyclocrossworld.stores.yahoo.net/clwipu34news.html).

The clamp on pulley is basically the standard solution for this problem. Like sstorkel said, mounting a BB cable guide might not be an option if you don't have the right brazeons on the downtube.

There is a company that makes adapters that attach to the FD itself, but they are specific to the FD model: http://www.speen.de/speen*_en/products.html Looks like they have adapters for 105, Ultegra, and DA 10 speed. Might work for other models if the design looks similar.

edit: scratch that, it looks it's for doubles only (at least for Shimano road). Maybe if you email them with your FD model they can tell you if they have something that will work.

...though I've heard mixed reviews on how well they work.
I've heard various doubts about their reliability as well, though the one on my FX has been trouble-free. I can understand where CXers could experience issues when the pulley gets gunked with muck from the course.

What sort of FD cable setup was your MTB frame designed to use?

A typical road bike setup requires a cable stop near the top of the down tube, along with a guide affixed to the underside of the bottom bracket. Tapping the bottom bracket and adding a cable guide (http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=6695) is relatively easy to do.

The problem is that many mountain bike frames lack the cable stop near the head of the down tube. If that's the case, the cyclocross style pulley that desertdork linked is probably the easiest solution, though I've heard mixed reviews on how well they work. Here's another one (http://cyclocrossworld.stores.yahoo.net/clwipu34news.html).


The frame is a top routed cable.

What about a way to fashion a cable stop on the down tube? Maybe using a hose clamp? That would look pretty redneck though.

Yeah, if you're gonna go the Full Redneck on it, might as well simply run full housing above the BB to the FD, and just ziptie it to the frame.

Yeah, if you're gonna go the Full Redneck on it, might as well simply run full housing above the BB to the FD, and just ziptie it to the frame.


I am from Wyoming and have lived in a single wide, more than qualifying me for just such a fix.