BCRider

The other thing that you want to get when buying cables is the smooth drawn "flat" cables. On these they run the cable through one extra process to grind or form the outer winds down to a smoother final shape. These cables glide in the housings like fine silk over baby smooth skin and are well worth the few extra cents to get.

No lube. Or if you feel you MUST then just a light oil. Grease will make the cables far too sticky. Oil will also make them "ooze" in the housings but at least they'll move. Oil will also attract dirt which will get in at the ferrules and pack up in the housings leading to quicker wear and sticky cable systems. Go dry with the smooth finish cables and you'll have consistent and snappy system performance for many years with minimal cleaning. Oil the cables and you'll need to clean and reoil often and the system won't feel as snappy due to the viscous drag of the oil between the cable and housing. It'll be like having an inline shock absorber in the cables.

himespau 

Ok, the Park tools book had said I should use a lubricant to prevent rust and improve sliding, so I'd been thinking of something like this.

I'll have to look into the smooth drawn cables. This thing that was supposed to be a simple job is getting more and more complicated. Most of the cable and housing sets I've been looking at (and the housing that comes with the wrong cable I ordered - I could use that housing though and just buy new cable for it) have black housing. The current housing on the bike (for both brakes and shifters) is grey. With a new black seatpost, a black saddle, black handlebar tape, brakes, hoods, shifters, crank, cassettes, and brake cable housing, I know I'm going to want to change over the shifter cables and housing over next. But that can be a project for later this winter or something.

This upgrade thing is addictive and I haven't really started yet.

Another question. I've seen a number of cables listed as being pre-stretched. Do these really work in not needing a later adjustment the way other cables will? How much adjustment will I really need to do because of stretch?

Black Sunshine

+1 on anything made by Klein. Especially any version of their side-cutting pliers. These are so good they are generally called "Kleins". There's something to be said for that level of branding, but $30 for a pair of side-cutting pliers is kinda crazy and a buddy lost mine for me.

I was recently at an auto parts store and noticed they had a pair of cable cutters made by their store brand. Most auto parts stores do free replacement on their store brands now. That may be worth looking into if you have any of those chain stores nearby or if you go their anyway.

A lot of these questions that you ask are also based on how much you plan to ride. A cheap set of cables will last the average rider until they are just old and need to be replaced because of age alone. The new cables will only need to be adjusted once or twice. You will dial in you derailleurs really well and be really excited. Then about 100 miles later you'll be like this thing is all messed up. Then you will remember that the cables probably stretched. Dial in the derailleurs again and you'll probably be good to go.

himespau 

Thanks guys for all the advice.

In the end I went with the park tool cable cutter. In part, I was taken in by the "specially formed end cap crimper and ferrule formers" (I mean I could probably do the same thing with one of the many pairs of pliers/vice grips I have laying about, but still added features draw me in). But also the fact that the place I bought it from had it on sale and I was buying other stuff from them to make it only a couple of bucks more after shipping than the cheaper nashbar or spin dr cutters (as those would be the only things in the order and have much higher shipping/item as a result). And then just the fact that I felt like I wanted something with the Park Tool name.

I know it's probably not necessary, but a cable puller (pedro's much cheaper version not the pricey park) somehow found its way into my shopping cart too (funny how that happens with tools).

I was pretty stoked to notice that there's a welded on curved noodle thing for routing the brake cable around the seatpost that's part of the frame. Not sure what you call it, but I'd seen one of the comments in the Park book and Sheldon's website about people putting too much slack housing there (and making too big of a curve) coming off the top tube eyelet there, so it's nice that I have a prefabbed guide.

I think I'm going to go with an old school metal file to grind the housing ends flat as I don't have a balcony or garage or anyplace safe to run a dremel tool or grinder (and my wife got tired of the dust when we sanded and refinished some boards into a cool coffee table last spring in our apartment).

I'm sure there are many excuses I could find to use a dremel if I had the proper space/ventilation. (Heck I really want one now.)

Now I just have to wait for the tools, cables, and parts all to show up. *cue Jeopardy theme music*

BCRider

In that case pick up a sleeve of files so you have a set. With the round file cut a vertical half round goove into something that you're using for your working area. This will serve as your housing filing groove. To use it press the housing against the half round groove with a finger or thumb so that the ragged end is sticking up past the edge by maybe a 1/32 inch. With the housing supported by the groove you can file the end quite nice and square with just a little practice.

Also since I don't know your tool skills and knowledge I'll just add that files are not sandpaper. They cut like saws with teeth that face forward so press down on the forward push and lift a little on the backstroke. Use long strokes of moderate speed to get a good cutting action. Used right you can file the end nicely square in less than the time it takes to put your safety glasses on and fire up a Dremel.