My old bike (Schwinn Mesa LT) has the same type of cable for the brakes and the shifters. it looks like braided steel and plastic outer liner. As you see from the picture the plastic liner is falling apart.
- Is my index cable compression-less at all? It is odd that the brake cable looks exactly the same (I know compression cable is not rated for brake forces). I don't really have shift problems, but maybe I just got used to make up a bit.
- Do I need to replace the cables or is the outer plastic aesthetic only? As long as the braided steel isn't corroding it shouldn't matter.... but I assume water will penetrate etc.
- If i chose to install new shifter cables, should I use the cable stops on the frame? My concern is this leaves many openings for water and dirt to penetrate. I saw some new bikes that just have one complete outer sleeve. I read using the cable stops means less friction since less cable touches the case. But I think over time with dirt getting in, this likely gets negated by more friction in the sleeved portion.
- what type of cable is recommended for shifting? I envisoned just getting a set of shimano (i have SRAM 3x9, but that should not matter to the cable). It doesn't' say compression-less. is it safe to assume all shimano cables are compressionless?
- Does that cable ever need to get greased? The new types have the smooth inner liner and the shimano description says it has silicone grease applied. Does that mean it needs to be re-greased? I read adding more grease over time will increase friction since one would make it tighter. I used to just squirt some oil in at each ferrule, to prevent corrosion. But with a stainless steel cable that should not be needed.
For the brake cable I may just go hydraulic if I have to replace the cable.