JayB

What are the current recommendations for the best cables for Shimano brifters and dual pivot brakes? These don't have to be tandem length as I have couplings in all my cables, so can use solo lengths.

bikeriderdave

I don't know that the brake cables are that critical but do know from personal experience that gear cable can make a big difference with STI shifters. Others will have their own favorites, but IMO you'll have a hard time improving on genuine Shimano stainless cables in Shimano STI housing.

JayB

Thanks. Are there different grades of Shimano cables, eg DuraAce, Ultegra, 105, etc?

TandemGeek

Any good stainless steel cable, coated or not, will work just fine. You can buy more expensive cables but at a certain point it the cost/benefit is zilch: except on the profit side of the equation.

FWIW: I stock up when the QPB stainless slick wire goes on sale and, as a result, usually have about 8-10 spare derailleur and brake cables sitting around "just in case". They seem to sells for between $3.50 and $6.50 per cable. You can spend over $10 on teflon coated cables, but I've never found them to be twice as good as a good stainless cable and I'm more inclined to replace the less expensive cables at least once each season. Although, I will volunteer, that perhaps someone has done some research to quantify the difference and I'm missing the boat on this one. Until then, I'm sticking with "good enough"...



However, what's more important and often times overlooked is the cable housing, both in terms of how it's prepared for installation, routed and maintained. Rather than wasting bandwidth blathering on, let me suggest anyone interested in getting the most out of their cable-operated components read this page on Sheldon's website: https://sheldonbrown.com/cables.html

stapfam

100% agree. Stainless steel cable is far better than ordinary cable and with regard to a Tandem- You have to hunt the correct length cables down. I should think that most LBS can source them for you. I Make up my own cables and you can buy the inners in S/S with the nipple on the end. Outer cable I buy in 10 metre lengths and the cable outer ends I buy in 50's. None of which is expensive but you must have the correct Cable cutting tool. I have a couple and have tried others but the best one I have found is the Shimano one. ( Sorry park tools and the rest but the shimano one is easier to use and gives a cleaner cut)
On the teflon or other coated cables- They work well for the first time out but then the grit or dust or something seems to abrade the coating and it sticks in the outer. And if you ever get a nick in the coating then it will not work at all.

JayB

Thanks some useful information here. TandemGeek's link to Sheldon Brown's site enabled me to learn a lot I didn't know about cable routing.

JayB

I am still trying to figure out what you mean by "slick" wire. Can you elaborate?

And can you buy from QPB or is that a distributor?

Thanks,

TandemGeek

https://www.bikeparts.com/search_resu...p?ID=BPC320820

JayB

Thanks TandemGeek. I didn't realise that slick was a term used by Jagwire. I followed the link you provided but wasn't sure if the BPC320820 item it led to would be the correct item for Shimano Ultegra brifters - I know you use Campy.

Is the equivalent item for Shimano brake cables ID#: BPC327799? There seem to be quite a few Jagwire brake cables on www.bikeparts.com - hard to know which one will fit my Ultegra brifters.

(I am assuming that the nib at the end has to be just right to fit inside the Ultegra brifters - or maybe this nib is universal?)

Thanks again,
Jay

TandemGeek

To the best of my knowledge, Campagnolo doesn't make a tandem length cable... therefore, I've used various different non-coated, stainless steel cable brands (including Shimano SIS tandem-length cables) over the years with my non-Teflon lined Campy cable housing. I always check the size of the nub to make sure that it will fit into my Ergo levers without binding and will occasionally have to file down the high-spots to get that proper fit.

With STI levers, you should be able to use just about any cable without any problem. These days, the generic brands of cables that don't specify Campy Ergo or Shimano STI compatible are either using a nub that works with either shifting system or they will have a Campy nub on one end and the STI nub on the other.

JayB

Thanks TandemGeek.

zonatandem

Cable breakage is rare. Have broken a few f and r der. cables, but never a brake cable.
Good s/s cables work fine; you pay extra for the coated cable and seems to not really be worth the difference in price in the long run. Agree, pay more attention to the cable housing/routing for good performance.
Having an S&S setup you can use any good single bike cable and don't have to go for the tandem specific length.

KRhea

Just a quick note, Campy does make tandem length cable. I just did a cable job on our Santana a couple months ago and was able to purchase Campy cables. They are hard to find but they're out there. If you want them I'd suggest checking a shop that is "pro" Campy to start your search.

After installing Nokon on all my road bikes I just installed it on our newest tandem, which we test rode yesterday for the first time, and it worked great and looks even better!

KRhea

TandemGeek

These were Campagnolo-branded derailleur cables or Campagnolo-compatible? I know the latter exist (QPB, LeTour, Jagwire, etc...), I'm just not aware of the former, i.e., 3000mm length derailleur cables sold in a Campagnolo package. If so, that's interesting and no, I did not know that: how much do they cost?

Regardless, and while that's good to know, derailleur cables are like speaker wires: the least expensive "good" wire usually works as well as the most expensive. The key remains making sure the housing is in good shape, used with the intended cable (and with or without lubrication per mfg specs), is properly prepped, and properly routed. Everything else done to sex-up the cables merely justifies a higher price and higher margins.

As for the Nokon housing, nice farkle*. My farkle-ism is limited to using Campy-branded/labeled cable & housing sets which is bad enough.

-----------------------------------
FARKLE = Fancy Accessory, Really Kool, Likely Expensive

KRhea

Have no idea what they cost as I purchased a number of items at the same time from a small LBS on the Eastside of Portland OR.
It's not the first time I've used Campy branded tandem cables but again, finding them typically involves a good bit of luck and a shop that runs Campy through their veins and stocks albout anything and everything Campy branded.

Nokon, the ultimate farkle rocks!

KRhea